History 22/02/20 the Battle for Pitomaca: the last time he fought the “white” vs “red”
In late 1944 early 1945 in the mountains of Croatia have been heavy fighting for the bridgehead Viroviticko. An important episode in the battle was the storming of the Cossack formations of the SS of town Pitomaca, which was defended by Soviet units. The vast majority of soldiers on both sides were Russian and British historian count Nikolai Tolstoy-Miloslavsky, called the battle for Pitomaca last battle of the Civil war, and the Patriotic war – the Second civil war.
Attack from three sides
By the 26th of December in a combat zone, the Germans concentrated 10-strong group, consisting of men of the 2nd Caucasian Cossack brigade (3 separate regiment of the Kuban, the don and a third of the villagers). On the same day the Cossacks, with the support of mortar and artillery batteries went on the offensive. The second wave was a regiment of shock division, consisting of Croats. Just to capture positions around Pitomaca was introduced 6 thousand soldiers.
Through a thick predawn fog, the Cossacks, under the command of a famous collaborator Kononov, secretly went to approach the place of battle, and at 9 o’clock in the morning they occupied the village Kadare. Cossack connections was hit on Pitomaca on three sides and to strengthen the defense, the commander of the 703 regiment Colonel Sidorenko has decided to transfer to the South of the city his last reserve in the form of a company of machine gunners, and in the South-East two batteries of the artillery regiment.
Despite the heavy fire, by noon of the 26th of December the Cossacks of the Terek regiment drove the gunners from their positions and took the town of Gradec, which allowed to fire Pitomaca from the East. At the same time from two directions, continued to attack the don and Kuban.
Melee attack
up To 15 hours, Soviet soldiers successfully shot were arrayed on three sides of collaborators, but the situation changed the Cossack attack. Collaborators with the cry “Hurrah, Russia!” and in full growth went to the red army. Two hours later, the Soviet defense was crushed, but fierce battle the “Reds” and “whites” lasted until the evening. In close contact, both sides actively used automatic weapons, grenades, knives and pistols.
With nightfall, the soldiers of the 703 regiment and their supporting soldiers of the Yugoslav brigades in small groups began to leave the town. The battlefield remained with the Cossacks, who won the last battle of the Civil war of the Russian people. Historian Sergey Drobyazko, citing data from the Central archive of the Ministry of defence found that in the battle for Pitomaca killed 204 of the red army.
Cossacks lost in the battle 152 fighter. Collaborators got the entire regimental convoy of vehicles, different weapons and a huge quantity of ammunition. Historian Kirill Alexandrov in his work dedicated to the battles for the beachhead described that during the inspection of the enemy positions, the soldiers found the bodies of 61 of the Cossack, captured during a morning battle. On the orders of Colonel Shumilin shot during the retreat of Soviet soldiers.
Collaborators captured 145 Soviet soldiers and 14 people who have expressed a desire to join the collaborators have enlisted in the Cossack parts. To the rest no sanction was applied.
Aleksandrov had found in the archives order no 194 of 30 December 1944, compiled by Kononov. In this senior collaborators described the episode, which I watched personally. Prisoners of war and Cossacks-the guards were sitting in their underwear, played cards and drank together. Kononov said that the prisoners should be treated well, but this is too much.
After Pitomaca
viroviticko Fighting for the bridgehead continued for the whole of January, to completely dislodge the German troops and their allies managed only to February 11. All this time the Cossack connection of the SS and Wehrmacht resisted the advance of Soviet troops. A feature of the battle was a small number of prisoners on both sides, hit once again confirms his violent nature.
In early April 1945, the Cossacks began to retreat towards Italy and Austria. In may, they surrendered to the British and Americans, but the ones performing the Union agreement, gave collaborators the Soviet side.
Alexander Brazhnik
Source:
© Russian Seven
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