Tag #155305 - Interview #94498 (Evadiy Rubalskiy)

From there I was sent to 722 rifle regiment of 205 rifle division. Germans were approaching Kiev and our division was fighting on the avenue of approach to Kiev. I was appointed a communications operator in a company. On 7 August 1941 our division and landing troops passed to the offensive and recaptured Zhulyany, a suburb of Kiev [today it’s a district in Kiev], the Zhulyany airport. This was our first success since we had only retreated before. We often had hand-to-hand fights and there were dead bodies all around. We fought for each street and each house. There were selected German divisions opposing us and they received additional forces of aviation, artillery and flame throwers. We held out till 18 September, when we were ordered to retreat. [Kiev was occupied 19 September 1941.