Photo of the village of Shoptovo June 2000
The village of Shopopotovo, Shoptovo, Shoptovshchina is located 30 versts from Belye, on a high place above the river Luchesa. The Shoptovskoye volost administration is located ¼ versts from the village; the Mostovaya Moskovskoe-Vindavo-Ryb. railway station is 20 versts away. The nearest villages are Travino 3 versts away, Glukhovo 12 versts away, Kostritsa and Zaozerye 15 versts away.
Photo of the village of Shoptovo June 2000
Went on the offensive at Zabor’e-Lopatino. The goal of the offensive was to break through from the southwest to Olenino. Having gone on the attack, our units did not encounter much resistance, threw off the enemy cover of construction units and security battalions of Soviet collaborators and began to advance on Gusevo. Having advanced 20 km in two days along the Luchesa valley, the 1262nd Rifle Regiment reached Gusevo, where they encountered stubborn enemy resistance in prepared positions, supported by strong artillery fire. The regiment that participated in the attack suffered losses and, despite two attempts to capture Gusevo, was unable to do so. The regiment commander decided to withdraw it to its original positions at Vaskovo. On February 25, German troops themselves began pursuing the regiment and the regiment commander withdrew it to Bogoroditskoye. On February 27, the Germans, supported by four tanks, attacked the regiment, as a result of which the regiment, unable to withstand the battle, retreated in disarray for several more. km to Griva, suffering heavy losses in materiel. In the Griva area, the regiment took up positions and went over to the defensive. The enemy launched several attacks on March 1-4, but they were successfully repelled. On March 5, the Germans attacked the right flank of the regiment along the southern bank of the Luchesa from Kaverznevo to Dyakovo. As a result of the attack, one battalion suffered heavy losses (up to 100% of its command staff) and retreated in disarray to Zaitsevo. The 1st battalion fought in the Griva area and only on March 6 retreated to the Gorki area. The regiment’s losses for the day were 186 wounded, 150 killed and missing. The regiment’s commissar and several battalion commanders were killed. In a counterattack on March 7, the 1st battalion managed to capture Shitiki. The regiment’s losses since the beginning of the battle were 242 killed and 746 wounded.
Photo of Griva tract June 2000. Battle sites February – March 1942.
