T-34 II

For the first time in history, a tank was used for battle reenactement in Poznan Citadelle. It was borrowed from the Musem of Armoured Warfare and brought to the Citadelle to support Russian troops during the assault against German positions.

The weather was not very good that day. I expected severe frost, but it turned out that the temperature was above 0*C and snow started to melt, to the point that crossing the paths resembled fording water obstacles, for they turned into small streams The meadow, on which the reenactement took place, was flooded by massive puddles just several inches deep, but many feet wide, and one particulary big puddle was placed on the path of Soviet assault. Nevertheless the groups played their roles excellently.

First, German motorcycle patrol dispatched to one of the forward machine gun nests was attacked by Soviet scouts and forced to retreat. Soviet soldiers, having suffered heavy casualties from the forward MG-42, retreated to the forrest. Then, a T-34 tank appeared in front of the Germans, but was forced to retreat because of German anti-tank team with Panzerfausts suddenly appearing in the forward outpost. Finally the Soviet infantry attacked head on, and having eliminated the threat of AT-team, they allowed the tank to join the battle. Despite German fire from mortars and other fire arms, the attack was a success. At the last moment, the Soviet group was joined by Polish soldiers and the so-called "Citadellers" (Cytadelowcy), citizens of Poznan who either joined or were forced to serve to the Red Army in their attempt to capture the Citadelle.

This struggle was not a reenactement of any particular battle, but rather it showed in general how these fights looked like in February 1945. After the reenactement, the groups were taken for a hot meal and clothes change, because of the forementioned puddles on the "battlefield".