Evening star., 1942-10-14

RZneV also seemed close at hand
At first sight and first thought it
appeared that the entire city must
| be aflre. AS we watched, the sharp,
short bark of tommy guns and the
staccato bite Of machine guns
reached our ears. The tempo of
the days battle was holding on into
the night.
We went downstairs into a dug
out again, the colonel explaining
that two Nazi infantry groups, ac-
companied by a number of tanks,
had launched an attack on adjoin-
ing Russian positions while we were
on our way up. That also explained
the repeated German bombings.
This is the anniversary of the
Germans October offensive against
Moscow" Col. Shafranov said. 1.-The
Nazis always like to make a show
on their anniversaries but this one
won't get them anything"
We sat down to dinner. A Rus
sian girl in uniform brought on
heaps of black bread, sardines and
tomatoes. The sardlnes were cap
tured with lots Of other German
supplies when the colonels men
took this place. I celebrated by US
ing a captured German sardine as
my first mouthful after a formidable
glass OF vodka which the irrepressi-
BILE Pavlov poured out. The toasts
were to victory and to when we meet
In Berlin. AS an American I got
the idea right away-and was all
for it.
Then came fried potatoes, meat
and those stuffed griddle cakes
which the Russians make so they
will melt in your mouth-an enor-
NOUS feast in dugout which the
Germans had accommodatingly built
for the Red Army.
Shall Fight to Last Man."
1t was all very jovial and home
like. Sometimes Col. Shafranov an
swered the telephone and spoke
briefly. Aside from that, there was
nothing at all to remind me I was
in front-sector headquarters, moth
ing except the rccurrent booming
OF the guns, which had become too
ordinary to attract attention.
The colonel raised his glass again.
There was measured, controlled
strength in his every gesture and
his eyes were as straight as a man
OF actions frequently are.
Russia will be the last country
in the world to capitulate. We shall
night to the last man." the colonel
said.
Again Pavlov pounded the table:
L say the same"-this in his half
croaklng, half-barking voice. This
Pavlov was as Russian as vodka,
borsch soup and the Volga boatman.
One moment he was deadly earnest
and the next he was roaring with
laughter like boy who had played
a prize prank in school,
We ate and talked and warmed to
the common ground of understand
ing which Russians and Americans
somehow, by temperament and
character, can usually reach so
easily. I reflected what an extra
ordinary team this Red Army COM
mander and his war commissar
made. 1t would be difficult to find
Two more contrasting personalities:
Shafranov, quiet. reflective, serious
and oaken in physique and will
power; Pavlov, dynamic. bubbling
with words and ideas and behind
his joviality shrewdly observing and
analyzing everything. So these are
the kind of leaders on whom 1t.
Gen. Lellushenko relies as the Rus
sian forces bite their teeth closer
and tighter around Rhzev.
Talk Of Second Frant.
We talk about the war and. Of
course, about the second front. I
am asked plenty Of questions and
some of my answers somehow in this
front sector dugout don't sound very
impressive. The front sector of a
Russian dugout is a pretty difficult
place in which to give an Allied alibi
to the Red Army. Col Shafranov
always chooses his words and
chooses them we'll.
L am sorry can't speak English"
ne says with his faint smile.
When the second front opens we
will all speak English. Now YOU see
we have no practice"
Commissar Pavlov pulls out of
his pocket a Nazi propaganda leaf
let.
German planes dropped these
today" he says. They drop new
ones on our front-line positions
almost every day"
The leaf1et has photos of Premier
Joseph V. Stain with a cigarette
in his mouth and Winston Churchill
alongside him with a scowling ex-
preston. Stain is holding up a
platter on which lies a dead Rus
sian soldier whose blood is dripping
over the edges of the platter. Stain
is saying, MY friend Churchill for