Eye of the Wolf: One Russian Rifle Against the German Ss Panzer Tanks During Ww-Ii

By Ray McComber

Sergei Zhukov was graduated from St. Petersburg University in Leningrad, Russia, and wanted to be a physicist. However, World War II was just starting, and the Germans were on the Russian doorstep. During a college project, he had developed a long-range bear-hunting rifle, and the Russian Army was interested in him and his ability to develop an even longer-range sniper rifle. He did so, and the Army High Command commissioned him to go out and follow the German SS Panzer divisions that were invading Russia and shoot as many of their high-ranking officers as possible. He was very successful. In three years, he was in many engagements, some lasting only one day and others lasting many months. He and his spotter and two wolf dogs lived off the land any way they could to survive. The German SS sent out hunters after him on many occasions. The German SS had also put an extremely large, ever-growing bounty on him. His response was to send back the bounty posters to the SS division commanders attached to the well-chewed SS hunters, with a message: The Eye of the Wolf is upon you. He became an enigma to the German SS and a folk hero to the Russians. His missions started at the Poland/Russia border and went on to Moscow. He was then sent to the Crimea, then Stalingrad. He then went back north to Leningrad, and each time, he engaged the German SS panzer divisions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Jul 9, 2013
• ISBN: 9781490706474

Ray McComber

Ray McComber was born, raised, and educated in northwestern Nebraska ranch country. He immediately went into the Air Force after college, then to Vietnam. After Vietnam he went to graduate school, obtaining additional degrees in computer science, business administration, and an MBA in international finance. He then went on to writing financial computer programs and system design applications and worked in this field until retiring. He now lives in southwestern Colorado in the mountains where he and his wife and dog enjoy golfing, skiing, hiking, and the views of the open country.

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 1

Late August 1939

S ergei Nicoli Zhukov had just been graduated from the St Petersburg State University with a Masters Degree in Physics. He had gone through school on a full time basis and was now looking forward to some time off and a vacation before reporting to the military in January 1940. This would be his military service obligation.

Sergei grew up in the town of Peterhof; this is a suburb of Leningrad, Russia. It is about 35 kilometers west of Leningrad on the south shore of the Gulf of Finland. It was a very well to do suburb, as his parents were both professors at the State University. His father, Mikhail Ivonich Zhukov, was a professor of Mechanical Engineering specializing in metallurgy. His mother, Alexandra Christina Zhukova, was a professor of Astronomy specializing in optics.

During past summer vacations, Sergei and his parents had always gone to their summer dacha on the north shore of the Gulf of Finland. There they would fish, ride horses, go boating, and go on hunting trips into the lake region to the northeast. This summer had been different, as Sergei had taken extra courses in order to graduate early. He would be going on vacation alone as his parents were preparing to go back to the University for the fall school term.

Sergei had been planning his vacation for many months and was excited about going hunting for bear in the lake region. His degree was in physics, but his area of interest was armaments. He had always been a hunter and wanted to develop a rifle that was more accurate and easier to shoot than the rifles that were on the current market.

During his last year in school for his special project, he developed a hunting rifle that on a test range outperformed any other rifle. He started with a Mauser-91, 11.5-millimeter. This was a very heavy rifle and shot a very large bullet. The initial rifle had a barrel length of 85 centimeters. The lead bullet weighed 28.5 grams and had a muzzle velocity of 750 meters per second. This was about average for a rifle and the penetrating power was minimal, but the knock down power was extreme.

The rifle that he developed had a longer but smaller barrel. The barrel was 95 centimeters in length and the bullet was reduced in size to 8 millimeters. He used the same brass cartridge and necked it down to fit the 8-millimeter bullet. Thus he would be using the same powder load as the 11.5-millimeter cartridge. The weight of the bullet went form 28.5 grams to 15.5 grams. The muzzle velocity went to 1,150 meters per second. This produced a number of advantages. The bullet trajectory was a lot flatter, thus providing for higher accuracy. The knock down power was lessened but not to the point of being a detriment. However, the penetrating power more than made up for this. The rifle worked perfectly on the practice range and he was ready to take it out and prove it in the real world.

Attached to his new rifle he mounted an 8-power small tube scope that allowed for extended distance and accuracy. On the practice range he could hit a 1 meter target consistently at 800 meters and a high percentage of the time at 1,000 meters. At 1,200 meters, he could hit the target about 25 per cent of the time. This was a vast improvement over the original 11.5-millimeter rifle. With it and the added scope he could hit the target consistently at 600 meters and after that the accuracy fell off to where it could not be deemed accurate.

The morning he started on his vacation he had breakfast with his parents and they all reviewed his plans. His father said, So, you are to go from Peterhof by ferry to Kotlin Island and there catch another ferry to the north shore. Kotlin Island was an island in the Gulf of Finland. It was about 35 kilometers northwest of Peterhof and it was about another 35 kilometers to the north shore of the Gulf of Finland.

Sergei replied, Yes and from there I will catch the bus and travel the 65 kilometers west along the shore to the summer dacha. Vlad and Marina will be there to meet me.

Sergei’s mother added, Yes, they are very responsible. I feel so much better that we have them full time. They seem to enjoy the freedom allowed by staying there.

They had fulltime caretakers at the summer dacha; an older retired couple, Vladimir and Marina Lisov. They took care of the place and did any repairs that were needed. The caretakers also looked after the horses and did a little gardening and fishing to help pass the time and bring in some added income for themselves.

Sergei then continued, When I leave there, I will take two horses and travel to the lake region and set up a camp and go bear hunting and try out my new rifle in the real world. I plan to camp out about four to five weeks total including travel time.

I know the rifle worked to perfection on the practice range, but do not take any chances up there. There is no one to back you up, answered Sergei’s father.

Sergei had finished his packing and said his good-byes. He then walked the two kilometers to the commuter train station to catch the train to the ferry port. He had a backpack and his rifle. He figured he would travel light until he got to the summer dacha and then he would get added supplies. His plan of taking two horses on his adventure, one to ride and one for supplies seemed to be a very good idea.

At the Peterhof ferry port he purchased a ticket all the way to the port at Zolenocorsk on the north shore of the Gulf of Finland. When he got there he purchased a bus ticket to the area of the summer dacha. The trip was uneventful but he was still excited about his adventure, it had finally started.

When he arrived late in the afternoon, Vladimir and Marina greeted him. They were excited to see him and very proud that he had finished his schooling with high distinction. Marina made a very big dinner and they sat down and ate while Sergei told them of his upcoming trip to the lake region to hunt bear. Vladimir was interested in seeing Sergei’s rifle. He was an avid hunter and firearms always intrigued him.

The following morning he and Vladimir packed the supply horse with the items he would need for camping and staying in the wilds of the lake region for a month. Even though it was still August it would be quite cold at night as they were north of the 60th parallel of latitude. The tent and gear were made for the region and would keep Sergei quite warm at night. When they were finished, Sergei went over his checklist to ensure he had everything he needed. They said their good-byes and he was off on a track to the northeast to the lake region. Sergei figured it would take him about three days to get to the area that he wanted to hunt bear.

That night he did not unpack the tent as it was still very good weather and he did not want to spend the extra time in taking it down in the morning. He built a good fire and made some long lasting coals to keep him warm throughout the night. The following morning he ate and fed the horses. He then packed his gear and continued his journey.

The scenery on the trip to the lake region was still as beautiful as Sergei had remembered it from past trips. This time, however, he would be going farther into the region, as he would be mainly hunting and fishing. He did have some fishing gear with him to supplement his diet when he wanted a variety.

At about noon on the third day he came to the spot that he had picked for his base camp. It was on a high plateau that backed up to a weather-sheltering wall to the northwest. He set up his camp pitching his tent and made a roped in area for his horses to be able to roam a little but not wander off. He gathered some rocks and built a fire pit for cooking and warmth. He then went out with an ax and gathered an ample amount of firewood. To his luck he also found a spring coming out of the rock abutment that would supply him with water.

Later that afternoon he settled back and rested. The view was out to the southwest, south, and around to the east. He could see for about 50 kilometers from this vantage point. In his gear he had a pair of 8-power binoculars and a 24-power spotting scope. He set up the spotting scope and scanned the lower area to see and get a layout of the land. The area was pristine, no sign of another living soul. He saw a place at an estimated distance of about 12 kilometers to the east that looked like a promising spot for hunting. There was a ravine with a small river running through it. If there were any bear in the area, this would be an ideal spot for them to obtain food and shelter.

The next morning Sergei packed enough supplies to last him the day and started for the place he had seen the previous afternoon. He arrived later that morning, as the going was fairly easy. He searched the area for signs of bear or other large animals. There were no signs of large animals but he saw ample fish in the river and many large heavy birds in the area. He decided that he would like some fish for that evening’s meal so he unpacked his fishing gear and set about to the river. It was only minutes before he had a strike. He lost the first one but he hooked and landed the second fish. It was a trout of about 45 centimeters and weighed about two kilos. This would be more than enough for that evening. He kept fishing and when he caught one he would release it as he already had one for eating.

When it came on to mid-afternoon, Sergei decided to pack up and head back to his base camp. He arrived in the early evening and set about to cook his dinner. While it was cooking, he fed and watered the horses and readied himself for the night. That evening he ate the trout along with some of the other goods he had brought along. He was rested and satisfied with his accomplishments for the day, even though he had not seen any bears. He sat up for a while in the dark and used the spotting scope to look at Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn for a while. It was extraordinary that all three were visible. After it started cooling off, he checked his horses one last time and then went into his tent and bedded down for the night. During the night he heard a wolf howling and he thought to himself how lucky he was to experience this serene and peaceful place.

After Sergei woke in the morning, he set about to have a snack and water and fed his horses. He decided to go on an exploratory hike that day searching out areas that would produce the best possible areas for bear hunting. He went a little farther south than the previous day and followed the river downstream. In the river he saw signs of beaver and muskrats. Along the shore he saw small deer and large birds. He decided that for that evening’s meal he would have a bird. However he did not want to shoot it with his rifle, as there would be nothing left after he shot it. So he took out his 5.5-millimeter pistol and got close to one of the large birds and shot it. He field dressed it and put it on his packhorse. Later that afternoon he headed back to his base camp and prepared for the evening and night. He fed and watered the horses and cleaned the bird he had shot. He roasted it over his fire pit and along with other goods; he had a very good meal. Again later that evening he used the spotting scope to view the planets and other stars. The sky was completely clear of clouds and made viewing extremely good. It started to cool off so he decided to bed down for the night. That evening the wolf decided to howl again.

Thus, Sergei’s vacation went, a lot of good scenery, good fishing, and bird hunting, but he saw no bears. During the evenings he would star watch and listen to the wolf howl. At times he could also hear what sounded like younger wolves practicing their own howling. He surmised that mother wolf was teaching her youngsters how to howl. Every once in a while he could also hear owls hooting. He thought about how uncomplicated the world around him seemed.

One night during his third week he heard the wolf howl but then he also heard another sound. It sounded like the roar of a bear. The sounds seemed to be a lot closer than on previous nights. He then heard what he believed to be a fight between the bear and the wolf. The wolf yipped, howled and cried out as if it were wounded. Sergei decided that the next day he would go in the direction of the sounds and see if he could find any evidence of the bear or wolf.

Sergei arose early and prepared to go in search of the night’s sounds. As he neared an outcropping of rock, he heard what sounded like puppies yipping and whimpering. He got down from his horse and searched the area. He found blood trails and decided that this was where the fight between the bear and wolf took place. He followed the trail up the hillside for a while and heard the yipping again. He finally found a cave that had the entrance covered with brush and branches. He cleared enough away where he could see in and gain entrance. At the entrance to the cave was the female wolf. She had been attacked by the bear and fought it off but did not survive the attack herself. Further back in the cave, Sergei saw two little wolf pups cowering in a corner. They looked to be cold, afraid, hungry, and looking for their mother. Sergei approached them slowly and offered them a piece of bird meat he had brought with him. They seemed to be large enough to be able to eat solid food and when offered they took it very readily. Sergei left them with some bird meat and went to his horse and got some water and a pan. He then went back into the cave and gave the two wolf puppies some water. They both fell over themselves drinking. While they were doing this, Sergei took their mother out of the cave and put her in an area that the puppies would not see.

The two wolf puppies seem to be a few months old and about eight kilos in weight apiece. He tried to put them on the packhorse for the trip back to the base camp but neither the puppies nor the packhorse would have anything to do with this. Sergei thought this might cause a dilemma, he did not want to leave the puppies behind, and they would not ride on the horse or would the horse have them ride on its back. He took some rope and made leashes and tied them to the puppies. He then started back to his base camp. The puppies were determined not to be led, and fought the leashes for a while until they tired and finally gave up and followed with their leashes tied to the packhorse. They got back to the base camp later than usual and Sergei was lucky to have some additional roasted bird packed. He fed and watered the horses and then fed himself and the two wolf puppies. In the twilight along with the firelight the three of them played together, wrestling and carousing. This was good bonding for the puppies as they had lost their mother and soon would start to miss her. Sergei would be set up to take over and care for them providing food, entertainment, direction, training, and protection. Later that evening he put a heavy stake in the ground between his tent and the fire pit. He tied the puppies to the stake and then went into the tent and bedded down. After about a half hour both puppies were crying and Sergei decided not to let them do this as it might attract the bear or other large animals. He got up and brought the two puppies into the tent and then all three of them bedded down. The puppies stayed quiet till almost dawn when they had to get up and relieve themselves. Sergei figured at that time the puppies had found and accepted their new home and master.

Sergei stayed in camp that day and continued the bonding with the two puppies. He decided that he needed to give them names. While he was sitting and looking through the spotting scope for the bear he decided to call the male wolf pup Yuri and the female Irena. He spent the rest of the day playing with them and calling them by name. He started some initial training for them and they picked up on it very quickly. They had their evening meal and Sergei decided that the following day he would need to go out and get something for them all to eat as he was down to the bare essentials. He thought that by going fishing it would be easier to tend to Yuri and Irena and fish at the same time rather than try to hunt birds. Later that night he heard the bear and Yuri and Irena became alarmed and moved in very close to Sergei for comfort and protection. This made Sergei feel good, as he knew that they now trusted him unconditionally. He prepared his rifle just in case he would need it during the night.

The following morning he fed the horses, Yuri and Irena. Then they both perked up and sniffed the wind coming from the east. He took out his spotting scope and scanned the area and saw some movement in the trees about three kilometers away. Previously he had moved the heavy stake inside his tent. He took Yuri and Irena and tied them to the stake and bade them to be quiet.

He then took the rifle and went to the bottom of the plateau and set up to see if he could again spot the bear. Since the wind was in Sergei’s favor the bear did not know of his whereabouts. Sergei could hear the bear and finally spotted it. The bear was at a small stream trying to catch a beaver. Sergei estimated it to be about 1,000 to 1,050 meters on a flat plane. He set up the rifle over his backpack as a rest and readied for a shot. He waited for the proper instant when the bear would be raised up and facing Sergei. A back shot would only wound the bear and Sergei did not want a wounded bear thrashing through the area. After a few minutes the bear stood on its rear legs and turned towards Sergei’s direction. Sergei squeezed the trigger and the bullet left the rifle. It hit the bear squarely in the middle of the chest and it dropped immediately to the ground. Sergei at first thought he had missed and as he watched the bear through the scope he could not see it move so he moved forward to investigate. He got to about 50 meters from the bear and again looked at it through the scope. He could tell that the shot had been true and that the bear was not breathing. He went up to the bear and it was huge, probably over 350 kilos. There was no way he could get it back to his base camp by himself.

Sergei then went to the base camp and got his horses, pups and skinning equipment and returned to the bear. The pups were excited at first but then realized the bear could do them no harm and started playing with it. Sergei had to tie them to a tree so he could get down to business. The first thing he did was to skin the bear and wrap the hide in a large bag and secure it to the packhorse. He then cut some of the good meat from the bear and decided they would have enough to eat for the rest of his vacation. He put the meat on the packhorse and returned to the base camp. There he built up a good fire that would produce a lot of hot coals. While he was waiting for the fire he cut the chunks of meat into manageable pieces. When the fire was ready he placed the meat around the fire watching it closely so it would cook properly. This took the rest of the day, evening and into the night. When he was finished, he figured that he had about 30 kilos of very good well-cooked meat. He had some for his meal and gave Yuri and Irena some for their evening meal. They went to bed that night stuffed with bear.

A few days later Sergei decided that they should probably start heading back to the summer dacha. He had not been keeping a good track of days, but knew that he had been out longer than planned and that he was probably well into the 5th week or even into the 6th week. For the trip back he decided instead of going back on a straight line to the southwest, he would instead go straight west until he hit the coast and then follow the coast to the southeast until he came to the summer dacha. He loaded up and they all headed west. Yuri and Irena on leashes but did not need to be pulled as they did initially. They stayed either to the side of Sergei’s horse or in the lead.

It took them four days to reach the coast and then another two days to reach the summer dacha. Vladimir and Marina were very happy to see him. Vladimir said, We were beginning to wonder what had become of you. You have been out for almost seven weeks.

They saw the two wolf puppies and Marina said, And who do we have here?

Sergei replied, This is Yuri and this is Irena. Their mother was killed by the bear we will be dining on this evening. They have become very good friends since they adopted me. He went to his packhorse and got the package with the bearskin in it and took it to Vladimir, Here is the skin of the bear that I shot. You can tan it and it will make a very good blanket.

They got together that evening and Sergei told them of his adventure and they had bear meat for their dinner. Vladimir then told Sergei of Germany’s invasion of Poland early in September. He told of how the Germans rolled in and took everything and destroyed that which they did not want. Both he and Marina were worried that the Germans would not stop there but continue on towards Mother Russia.

After hearing the news, Sergei decided to return to Peterhof sooner than planned. He was planning to spend three or four days at the summer dacha before going back to Peterhof. He asked, Vladimir would care for Yuri and Irena while I am gone. It may be a few months before I get back up here to pick them up. I must report to the military to start my obligation. I hope to be assigned to the armaments design facility in Minsk.

Marina said, Are you joking? He would not have it any other way. See them now; they have already adopted him as their new grandfather. Yuri and Irena were playing and wrestling on the floor with Vladimir.

Vladimir got up from the floor and said, Oh yes, yes. We will have a good time together. I can tell that they are very smart. Their mother taught them well in the short time she had them. I estimate them to be between three and four months old because of their size.

Thank-you, I really appreciate your taking them in while I am away to begin my military service. Hopefully I will be able to take them with me once I get settled.

Vladimir then said, I shall train them to be very obedient and to do many tasks.

Sergei replied, You need not if you do not want to, it is not necessary.

It will be a pleasure, I can use some of my long past skills as an instructor again. I will feel younger again, most invigorating and purposeful.

The following morning, Sergei hoisted his backpack and his rifle and Vlad, Yuri, and Irena walked him to the main road where he would catch the bus to the port at Zolenocorsk. They waited about an hour and the bus finally made it. Sergei and Vladimir said their good-byes and Sergei got on the bus. He had some bear meat sandwiches in his pack and a canteen of water. After they were on the road he had a lunch and sat back and watched the scenery until they reached the port at Zolenocorsk.

At the port Sergei got off the bus and went to the ferry terminal to purchase tickets to Kotlin Island and then on to Peterhof. His timing was good as he only had an hour wait for the ferry. Again while in route he enjoyed the scenery. The ferry finally entered the port at Peterhof in the late afternoon. He got off the ferry and boarded a commuter train at the port stop and rode it to the main station in Peterhof. He then walked the two kilometers to his parent’s house. They were home and really did not expect him, as they did not know exactly when he would be coming back from his adventure. They were very happy to see him.

His mother exclaimed, You have a beard, I hardly recognized you. You have also gained weight. The outdoor life must agree with you.

Oh yes, I really enjoyed myself. I did finally get my bear; here in my pack I have brought some bear meat. It has been cooked and preserved. It is very good. I gave most of it to Vlad and Marina.

Are you sure it is good and did not spoil during your trip?

Yes, yes, Marina packed it for me and said it would last quite a while. We can have some for dinner. My two new little friends also really liked it.

Sergei’s father asked, Your two new friends?

Yes, I must explain, the bear that I shot, and I might add it was a one shot kill at over 1,000 meters, killed a wolf the night before. I found the wolf to be the mother of two young wolf puppies. They had been orphaned and we adopted each other. Vlad and Marina are caring for them while I start my military service. After I get settled I will go back and pick them up and take them to my duty station.

Sergei’s Father then said, Yes, yes. About that. We are very concerned about what the Germans are doing. The news is not good for Poland and the surrounding area. The Germans are being very ruthless. Already there is talk of them advancing into Mother Russia.

Sergei’s Mother then added, All the people at the University say that the Germans only went into Poland and surrounding areas to obtain materials to use in their war coming in Western Europe. They say the Germans are too smart to invade Mother Russia what with all our strength.

Sergei said, Let us hope that is the way it is to be. This man Hitler seems to be very evil. I know that once he takes Western Europe that he will turn and come east for Mother Russia. I just know it in my heart.

If he does, he will find out the true strength of Mother Russia. We will make him and all that follow him wish that they had never been born.

Mikhail, such talk. We should not stoop to his kind of thinking. We are a civilized people and only want to live and let live.

It is the truth, Alexandra, if he and his henchmen come into Mother Russia, we must throw him back into his den of evil. The Motherland will not have any of it. I know I am correct in my thinking. As Sergei says, I know in my heart I am right and every Mother’s son in Russia will defend her with all their will.

Alexandra then said, You have a post from the Army, it was delivered by an Army Sergeant and not a post deliverer. It came right after we learned of the invasion of Poland by Germany. I must assume it is very important.

Mikhail added, We told him that you had just finished your schooling and were away on a hunting trip before you were to report for Army duty.

He asked when you would be returning and we said that we thought you would be gone for two months. This would give you time to get back and have a break. We think that it is a summons for an early reporting date because of the invasion, said Alexandra.

He said that was fine as no one could have known what would happen. He then said to get you the post as soon as possible, added Mikhail.

Sergei opened the post and read it, then said, It is an order for early reporting. I am to report as soon as possible to the Headquarters office in Leningrad and they will deploy me to Minsk for my initial indoctrination. I shall ready myself and report tomorrow. Even though it means leaving family and home, I am excited about starting the next phase of my life.

We are excited also. You have grown into a fine young man and we are extremely proud of you. We have an inborn fear of the upcoming circumstances but it is for us that you do what you need to do, was Alexandra’s reply.

And for Mother Russia against that tyrant, I know he will be coming this way. I wish I were 30 years younger, I would be going with you, said Mikhail with emphasis.

I should probably pack a kit of the things I will need to take with me tomorrow. I really don’t have a lot in my backpack from my hunting trip that I will use so I will leave it here. I will just take some personal items tomorrow. The Army will be giving me everything I will need, Said Sergei.

Alexandra jokingly said, In that case you had better go shave off that beard, then I will give you a good close haircut so you will look respectable when you report. We do not want you to be looking like a street urchin, do we?

With that he got up and went to his room and packed a few personal items in a small kit bag and then to the bathroom and shaved off the new beard he had grown while on his vacation. He unpacked his backpack and put the things away for future use. He then went back to the living room and he and his parents talked, his mother gave him a good close haircut. They continued talking until it was time to retire. They all went to bed wondering what the future would bring.

The following morning Sergei awoke to the smell of fresh baked bread, eggs, sausage, and coffee. He knew that his mother was feeling very sad that he was leaving, but also very proud. He went to the kitchen and kissed her on the cheek and thanked her and told her that he would be all right. The three of them had breakfast then they walked to the train station together.

Alexandra tried to hold back her emotions and said, You be a good man and make us proud. Take care of yourself and remember we are here thinking of you.

Yes, Mother, I will. She was impressed that Sergei called her Mother and not mom.

For us and Mother Russia, put that tyrant in Hell, I know he is coming this way.

Yes, Father, I will do my best to rid our land of them if they should so much as set a foot on Mother Russia.

The commuter train approached, Sergei kissed his Mother on the cheek as she wiped a tear from her eye and shook hands with his Father. They said their good-byes and he boarded the train and it pulled out of the station continuing to the main terminal in the city proper of Leningrad.

 2

T he commuter train ride to the main terminal in the city proper of Leningrad took about 60 minutes. It was 35 kilometers and had to make many stops on the way to pickup and drop off passengers. After they arrived, Sergei walked to the Army Headquarters station. The place was a very large complex of buildings and very busy. There were many many young men reporting for duty. There were a great many patriotic posters on the walls and even some denouncing the invasion of Poland by Germany. Sergei reported to an Army Sergeant and after checking a posting book directed him to go to a certain room on the second floor. Sergei did as he was told and reported to the Army Sergeant in that room. The Army Sergeant went to an adjoining room and informed his superior that a new officer recruit had arrived. The Senior-Lieutenant came out and invited Sergei into his office.

Have a seat. They both sat. The Senior-Lieutenant at his desk and Sergei in a chair in front of the desk. I am Senior-Lieutenant Peoter Shanov. I will brief you as to your duty assignment, your schedule, and get you set up with your uniforms. While you were at the University, you received some basic military training, thus you will need very little before your posting to your initial duty station. You will be a Sub-Lieutenant in the Army Special Services. This is because of your education and skills as given in your application and your university records. He paused then continued, Tell me about the long gun that you built in your schooling, I am very interested.

Sergei related the story of his school project in creating the hunting rifle and its comparison to the original rifle. He ended by saying; I might add that I used it last month in the northern lake region to shoot a bear at over 1,000 meters with a one shot kill.

That is amazing, I can not hit anything over 300 meters, but then I expect the choice of weapons would make a difference, replied the Senior-Lieutenant.

Yes sir. With the original weapon the average shooter would be doing very good at 300 to 400 meters. While on my vacation I put down some notes as to the creating even a more long-range rifle. I am thinking of one that will be totally accurate at over 1,600 meters with a muzzle velocity of over 1,500 meters per second.

Again, you amaze me. I only hope it is possible. To tell the truth, I believe we will be having Herr Hitler and his henchmen on our doorstep in a manner of months. A weapon with these capabilities would be a great deterrent to his plans.

If we can build rifles with these capabilities, just think what we could do with big cannons in making them longer range and more accurate. Distance would be our defense. They would not be able to fire at us because of our accuracy and long-range capabilities. Think of it, shooting at them and knocking them out when they can not even see us.

I never thought of that, you are truly a young man of vision. I am going to wave what military basic training you have remaining and immediately post you to our Minsk Armaments Plant. Let me write a note to my contact there to introduce you and I will have it wired immediately, then we will get set up with your uniforms and other equipment. There is a train this evening leaving for Minsk. I will have my sergeant get you passage on it. It will arrive there tomorrow.

This all sounds very good and interesting. I am much honored to be able to help Mother Russia in the upcoming time of need.

Let us go to lunch and then I will drop you at the uniform and kit supply station. When you finish come back to my office.

With that Sergei and the Lieutenant went up to the third floor cafeteria and had lunch. The Lieutenant then took him to a building next door and left him with a sergeant in order to get outfitted.

Sergei spent the afternoon getting medical examinations, injections, uniforms, and the required kit items he would need. He then carried his duffel bag of equipment and uniforms back to the Senior-Lieutenant’s office. The sergeant notified Lieutenant Shanov and left to get transport for them.

Senior-Lieutenant Shanov said, I see you have everything you need, that is good. I have had my sergeant get us transport. He paused and then changed the subject. I also want you to take your newly developed long rifle with you so it can be studied at the Minsk Armaments Plant. Since you live in the local area, we will drive to your residence and retrieve the rifle and then take you to the train station. I have also got your packet of orders and instructions. We should leave now as time is of the essence. I will explain your orders on the way.

This was an added pleasant surprise for Sergei as he would be able to see his parents again and he would be taking his rifle with him. He would also be able to start work immediately and skip the rest of his basic training.

They left the office and met the sergeant in the street in front of the headquarters building. The sergeant was driving and turned on an emergency light and they headed for Peterhof. They made very good time and Sergei directed the sergeant to his parent’s house. When they arrived he jumped out and ran to the door. His parents met him at the door as they were wondering what was happening. He quickly explained to them and then went to his room and retrieved his rifle and equipment bag. Then it was time again for good-byes.

His Mother said, You look so handsome in your uniform, good-bye and good luck. He kissed her on the cheek again. He shook hands with his Father and said, I must leave now, I am to catch the train to Minsk. With that he ran to the waiting transport and loaded his rifle and equipment bag. They then left and drove to the main terminal in the city proper of Leningrad.

The terminal was very crowded as there were many Army troops waiting to board along with the civilians. Sergei boarded in advance because of his new rank and found a seat where he could also store his duffle, equipment bag, and rifle.

While the train was being boarded, two sergeants approached and asked if they could sit in the double seat across from Sergei. He replied to them, Yes by all means, the train is going to be crowded. Please sit and make yourselves as comfortable as possible. I am sorry for taking up so much room, but I am to take some special equipment with me to the Armaments Plant in Minsk. It is going to be an all night trip to Minsk. We are scheduled to arrive about noon tomorrow.

The first sergeant replied, No problem sir. We can store our bags under our seats.

Sergei was surprised to be called ‘sir’, but tried not to show it. He then asked, Where are you men being posted?

The first sergeant answered, We will be at the Armaments Development Plant. We are in the field artillery and will be assisting in the development of artillery pieces.

We will probably be seeing each other on a regular basis. I too am to be posted at the Armaments Plant. I will be developing long range rifles as well as the development of long range artillery.

The second sergeant noticed the rifle case that Sergei had in the seat next to him and asked, Is that something new? I do not recognize the case.

Yes it is. I built it myself. Let me show you. Sergei then took the rifle out of its case and showed it to

Reviews for Eye of the Wolf

[Michael Mueller · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Lousy. Author reveals he has very limited knowledge of Russia, Russian leadership, military culture. Definitely a waste of time if you have any knowledge of Russian history.