Evening star., 1942-10-14
(Second OF a Series.)
BY LELAND STOWE.

VI AHc Quar- ana
Chicago Daily News
WITH THE RED ARMY ON THE
RAHEV FRONT-For a dugout
which is within shellfire of the enc.
my this one is quite special. Guard
Col. Shafranov chuckled softly wher
exclaimed about 1t.
oh. yes, it is very comfortable
here. You see, the Germans bull,
1t last winter and they had every
thing well organized. They were
living here less than three weeks
ago when we chased them out. We
found everything upside down. A
couple OF Fascist officers even left
their overceats. They left unex-
pectedly and in terrible hurry"
~ The guard colonel smiled flicker
ingly. He had brown eyes and
strong masculine features which
Were habitually serious in repose
He was obviously thoughtful man
who knew his own mind. He had
one of those handshakes whose
memory you carry around with you
for minutes afterWard. While Capt.
Emma was giving him my creden-
tials, so TO speak, I had a chance to
inspect the Germans job in de
luxe dugout construction.
Once you get down inside this
dugout-especially after dusk has
fallen, as it had now-you might
we'll fool yourself into thinking it
was house above ground. 1t has
an entrance corridor which also
serves as washroom. Then there
is a kitchen alcove with a huge
stove built of clay and tiles which
has a chimney like a fireplace and
a big oven at the bottom. To enter
the main living room you step
through a door alongside the stove.
Bungalow" Underground.
OF course, the main room serves
as the colonel's office. Its table Is
large enough to seat eight persons
comfortably for meals. But what
is most surprising is the fact that
the room has three standard-slzed
windows with glass in them. They
create the impression of an ordl-
nary ground dwelling-which,
presumably, is why the Germans
put them in. On investigation I
also see a ventilation shaft built
outside the window by the table
so the window can actually be
opened when desired. 1t also permits
a certain amount of daylight to
filter in during the day.
On the opposite side of the spaci-
Gus room from this window is
doorway leading into a bedroom.
In here are two iron bedsteads, a
small table a chest of drawers and
shelves Once again it is extremely
difficult to imagine that this snug
underground bungalow" is only a
couple of miles from the front lines.
have barely had a quick look
around when minor tornado
blows in through the corridor in
the shape of Regimental Guard
CommisSar Pavlo. He is round
checked, with curly hair and close
cropped blond mustache, and he is
AS full of gusto and laughter and
froggy-voiced talk as Col. Shafranov
is quiet-Spoken and frugal of words
Together they share the command
and responsibilities of this Red
Army front-line unit
The guard colonel tells us the
Russians have won control of an
important sector along the northern
bank of the Volga by smashing and
virtually annihilating the Germans
S7th Infantry Division there a few
days ago. He says the Nazis have
been communicating four or five
times day in an effort to regain
their lost terrain, but they have been
getting nowhere swiftly.
Won Coveted Designation.
The colonel's troops were recently
awarded the coveted guard desig-
nation for conspicuous fighting
services. This carries with in some
what increased pay for officers and
men throughout the unit and per-
haps more important, a guard medal
which every soldier in the outfit
wears on the right side of his tunic.
The coloneps outfit has the enviable
record Of never having been de-
feated by the Germans anywhere
since the war began.
The colonel tells me about Amer
lean tanks in Rzhev combats and
about "Hells Elbow" which his men
seized on the other side of the
Volga, just up ahead, only a few
weeks ago and have been holding
ever since with set teeth.
The Germans have been irving
out some new bombing planes with
music Commissar Pavlov laughs.
Those attached sirens make a ter
rible noise. They thought they'd
scare our men. Those Fascists are
fools. They don't know the Rus
sians.' And Pavlov laughed like a
Goliath with a chronic sore throat.
Soviet big guns were really going
to town outside. now. Sometimes
the window easement beside us rat
tied from the distant conclusions
I noticed the guard colonel wore
three decorations. and Commissar
dft"N W 90 NCoI lils IOCN bdIlIlCI
Medal, plus two wound stripes. The
sturdy. broad-shouldered colonel
confessed to being 40 and the chub-
by-cheeked Pavlov only 80.
Now as We talked on, the rumble
outside suddenly reached a new
crescendo. 1t sounded as though
huge bundle of 10O-foot fire.
crackers had been touched off all
at once. 'Katusha." said the COL
onel. smiling f1eetingly.
Pavlov pounded the table glee-
fully with his fist. That's what
gives the Germans a bellyfull. But
Androusha is much stronger. An
drousha is Katusha's big brother
He breaks your ears
Rzhev Blazing.
The telephone rang and when
Col Shafranov put it down he ex-
planned, What you heard little
while ago was our planes bombing
the lower side of Rzhev. There is
a very big fire there now. Would
you like to see it?"
Capt. Emma gave the colonel a
quick translation of you bet your
life" and he led the way into the
trench outside and then up on top
ioh oorrcc tha do