In 1940, after graduation from school, on the ticket of the Komsomol I was sent to serve in the Black Sea Fleet. Service in the training detachment of the Odesa naval base. I remembered the strict selection of candidates for the training detachment, which trained junior specialists for the ships of the Black Sea Fleet. The study was conducted at an intense pace, with the due demand - we learned to act in conditions as close to combat as possible. The commanders directly told us: there will be a war with Germany, we must prepare ourselves. In the training detachment, I received two specialties: a navigator electrician and a specialist in mine and torpedo weapons.
I remember the last days before the war, when I took part in large general Fleet exercises. Specially for these exercises, all seafarers of the reserve of the first category were called up, who acquired great experience during the 5-year service in the fleet. Thus, on the very first day of the war, the ships were practically double crew. Later, this played a big role in the actions of the fleet. The exercises ended on June 18, and the 22nd German aircraft made the first raid on Sevastopil. Due to its high availability, the raid was organized in an organized manner.
August 8, 1941, Odesa was declared a state of siege. The enemy was eager for the city. There was an urgent need for the formation of units of marines. I well remember the commander's words before the sailors' formation: "Who is in defense of his native Odesa - a step forward". Swaying, the whole formation took a step. Every third was selected. So I was in the Marine Corps - enlisted in the legendary 1st Marine Regiment commanded by Colonel Osipov. Already on August 12 the regiment entered the fighting. Heavy, bloody battles. By the end of August, no more than 100-120 remained in the regiment such as myself, the "old men" of the first draft. But there was an experience. The thinned regiment merged into the Maritime Army, which was commanded by General Petrov.
The sailors fought desperately. The commander has repeatedly asked our commander Osipov to "drop sailors" to the most dangerous areas of defense. We were dressed in black jackets with a red star on the sleeve, like the commissars, armed with captured machine guns obtained in battle. In the leaflets dropped from the aircraft, the Germans called us "black commissars" and promised to hang them on telegraph poles. Memory preserved the poems of our political instructor Karev:
The enemy called us a black cloud,
Friends called us - the fleet guard
And we were called more modest and better
More precisely and simply - the marines.
In September, the first awarding of military awards to the Marines of the 1st Marine Regiment took place. And I got my first military award - the medal "For Military Merit". Later, already in Sevastopil, I received my first order - "Red Star".
The war was heading east. In the middle of September, a real danger arose for the Crimea. It was decided to evacuate troops from Odesa to the Crimea. The evacuation was organized on October 15-16, 1941, was completely unexpected for the Germans and practically without losses. I was in the parts of the cover that left the front last. Before the evacuation, naturally, not knowing that it would take place, I was sent by Osipov to the headquarters of defense of Odesa, which was commanded by Rear Admiral Zhukov. I was disarmed and led to the command. They asked a number of questions, after which they said that I was recommended to command a group of special seamen, who was charged with undermining the port facilities of Odesa after the departure of our ships. On the same day, I entered the disposal of the captain of the 2nd rank of Davydov, the commander of the water protection of Odesa, and moved to the minesweeper “Shchit”.
I remember well the painful feeling when the last ship left and we were left alone on an empty pier. Five sailors and I are the foreman of the first article. The city seems to have died out - there are not a single passerby in the streets. We set to work. Immediately decided that after the explosion we will break through to Sevastopil. Equipped with a motor chaland, stocked with a machine gun, grenades, packs and products. The structures of the largest port of the Black Sea were pre-mined and we blew them up by fulfilling the task set by the command. At night they decided to break through to Sevastopil. We went out to sea. The Germans lit up the sea with searchlights, fired us, but carried it by. By morning we were on the open sea. Appeared "Messerschmidt", which from a large-caliber machine gun methodically shot our chaland. At the first call, we jumped into the water, moved away from the chalet and dived. When the enemy flew away, we returned, repaired our small ship. The plane, refueling, again returned. All was repeated.
When the plane left, we saw a periscope. Prepared for battle. But, to our unspeakable joy, the felling of the familiar "Pike" appeared from the water. She took us off the scythe and brought her to Sevastopil. By that time, my 1st Marine Regiment had already entered fights in the north of the Crimea, in the Sivash area. I remained in the naval crew. But there he did not stay long. The Germans broke through the front and rushed to Sevastopil. They had to be kept at any cost in order to gain time to organize the defense of the city, in which there were virtually no land units. And I am enrolled in a special squad for organizing defense on the approaches to the Main Base of the Black Sea Fleet.
In fact, I was in a barrier troop, the task of which was the organization of defense in the area of Bakhchisaray. Out of the retreating units, a stream of servicemen was formed by detachments that occupied the defenses near Bakhchisarai. Wounded, sick, any - stop and get ready to fight with the enemy.
Forever in memory will remain that terrible unequal battle. We held out until dark. All! Miraculously survived. I made my way to Sevastopil. I went out to my own in the zone of heavy coastal batteries. After checking and special training I was sent back - to Bakhchisarai to adjust the artillery fire. Dressed in civilian clothes, with a radio, constantly moving, I spent three days communicating with the battery, directing its fire on the columns of the enemy. On the third day, coming to the road to Sevastopil, I saw a large cluster of armored vehicles. Immediately caused a fire. Practically on myself. From close ruptures of heavy shells he lost consciousness and got a strong concussion. In himself came with a family of Tatars who picked me up. A little stronger and again went to Sebastopil. There, completely exhausted, I went to a hospital. From there - to the naval crew and on to the minesweeper "Arseniy Rasskin".
Our minesweeper was brand new, Italian built. Under continuous bombing, he flew from Tuapse to Sevastopil. The ship delivered ammunition to the besieged city. On the way back, the wounded were carried. Each such trip was incredibly difficult: among the minefields, under artillery fire our ship literally broke through to Sevastopil. But the main danger was air bombardment. German planes literally hung over the ship and each of the hundreds of bombs dropped on it threatened with deadly danger. These campaigns continued until the very end of the defense of Sevastopil.
Then there were battles in the Caucasus - for Novorossiysk, marches on the "Lesser Land". In 1943, with the first landing, he returned to the Crimean land. He finished the war in Port Arthur. But that is another topic.
Years have passed. At one of the meetings of veterans of sailors in Kyiv, I spoke with memories of the battles near Odesa and Sevastopil. He told how he corrected the fire of heavy batteries on the radio by Bakhchisarai. And suddenly, after my report, the Major-General rises and says: "So you are alive. And I presented you for that fight posthumously to the award. " At the request to Moscow came the answer that I was posthumously awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Battle. With the award, I was congratulated by Admiral of the Russian Fleet Kasatonov.