My name is Rictofen Amsel. I was born on April 13 1922. When I was 13 my family died in a car crash. I became one of Hitler’s youth at the age of 14. I was one of them until I joined the Nazi Army at 17. I am now 19. It is June 22 1941. I was issued into operation Barbarossa.
June 22 we were sent by vehicle to the border of Germany and Russia. From there we marched. We marched to Stalingrad. By the time we got there on June 30 the first wave had already cleared the area of Russians. We were commanded to hold down Stalingrad. For the first few weeks it was easy. We had no problem. Then we started to run low on food. This was planned, we were to go into Russia and raid the towns. That is where disaster struck.
August 18 was when things turned for the worst. We decided to make our first raid. We thought it was weird, after 5 miles there was nothing but burned houses. We were told not to go past a 25 mile perimeter. We got to 20 miles, still nothing. That is when we got worried. At 25 miles we were exhausted and found nothing. Everything everywhere was burned and gone. This we were not prepared for and this could change the entire war.
August 20 we returned to camp in Stalingrad. We broke the news to the general that everything within 25 miles was gone. He asked us what we meant, we told him what we saw and how everything was burned.
September 1 there are no supplies left. We are starving. Our general sent a letter to Hitler himself begging for a retreat. Our numbers are diminishing.
September 28 we fought off a Russian attack today. It was only now I realized how week I have become. There are not many of us left. Only about 70% of what we originally had. Things are getting worse, I’ve been hearing about people resorting to…. Cannibalism.
October 13 those were not rumors. Today we found 8 SS soldiers feasting upon the dead. They were killed. I am debating whether or not they were doing anything wrong. I’m so hungry I would do anything for food.
October 19 there was another attack today. There are some Russians still inside the bunker. I’m hiding in my room with my PPSH-41 pointed at the door. I haven’t slept for two days. I won’t last much longer.
October 20 finally help arrived and I was rescued from my room. In haven’t eaten now in 18 days. I was given a small ration and actually felt like I was alive for a moment. That diminished as soon as I heard the siren go off, which meant another attack may be coming.
September 1 there was no attack that day. I ate a piece of paper from this notebook today. I couldn’t help it, I’m starving. It actually tasted good.
September 23 if I die and someone finds this notebook, pay no attention to the ripped out pages in the back. I feel like I should tell you to tell someone I love them, but there’s no one to tell it to. Everyone I’ve ever known or been close with is dead or here suffering with me. We must stay strong though. The Nazis never give up!
On December 4 1941 at 8:09 AM Rictofen died from malnutrition and shrapnel of a grenade thrown into his bunker. At 7:00 on this fateful day Russians snuck near the Nazi camps. At 8:00 they attacked shooting lead and throwing grenades. At 8:07 they retreated and we were to find out the damage caused. At 8:08 I found Rictofen still in his bed bleeding heavily. By 8:09 he was dead.
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