It is hardly conceivable that German soldiers could be stupid as to run
around the front line carrying proof of their crimes.
The photos illustrate the partisan war as the result of Stalin order no.
0428, which ordered the destruction of Russian villages and cities by their own troops and artillery. The order read:
\"The Stawka [staff\?] of the Supreme Commander hereby issues the following order:
1.All settlements in which German troops are located are to be destroyed and burnt to a depth of 40 - 60 kilometres from the main front line, and 20 - 30 kilometres to the right and left of all roads. The destruction of the settlements to the above indicated radius is to be carried out by the air force and artillery using grenade launchers, over large surface areas, as well as by political education squads, ski troops, and partisan divisions, equipped with bottles of inflammable liquids.
2.For this purpose, fighter defence squads are to be formed within every regiment, to a strength of 20 to 30 men, responsible for causing explosions and setting fire to the settlements. Courageous fighters must be selected for these actions to destroy the settlements.\"
(National Archives, Washington, Archive Series 429, roll 461, General Staff of the Army, Division Foreign Army East II H 3/70 Fr 6439568)
(National Archives, Washington, Archive Series 429, roll 461, General Staff of the Army, Division Foreign Army East II H 3/70 Fr 6439568)
This email is in reply to your request of 20 August 2005, regarding a citation from a microfilm roll.
We located the microfilm which you described. It is part of the Microfilm Publication T-78, Records of the Headquarters of the German Army High Command, which consists of 882 rolls. Frame 6439568, however, does not include any references to the \"torchmen order\" as you describe. It is the first frame of a folder, Kriegsliederung der Roten Armee (Materialsammlung). In particular, the frame consists of a hand-written list of contents: 1. Pionier-Einheiten, 2. Eisenbahn-Truppen, 3. Ponton-Einheiten, 4.Sonstiges.
We hope that you will find this information useful for your research.
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