Alfred Liskow (also spelled Liskov[1][2] or Liskof;[3] first name sometimes given as Albert;[4][5] Russian: Альфред Германович Лисков, romanized: Alfred Germanovich Liskov; 1910 – unknown) was a German soldier and deserter who swam across the Bug River at 9:00 pm on the eve of Operation Barbarossa near Sokal, just north of Lwow, in 1941 to warn the Red Army of imminent attack the next morning.
Alfred Liskow | |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) | Liskov |
| Born | 1910 Kolberg, Germany |
| Died | Unknown |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany (until 1941) Soviet Union |
| Service |  German Army |
| Years of service | 1939–1941 |
| Unit | Infantry Regiment 222, 75th Infantry Division |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Other work | Political member of the Comintern |
Early life
editAlfred Liskow was born in 1910. Before joining the German military in 1939, he worked as a furniture maker at a furniture factory in Kolberg. He was a dedicated Communist and at one point a member of the Roter Frontkämpferbund.[6]
Military career
editLiskow served at Infantry Regiment 222 of the 75th Infantry Division stationed on the eve of the invasion north to the town Sokal (north to Lwow). After learning about Germany's plans to invade the Soviet Union, he left his military unit to warn the Soviets. He swam across the Bug river on 21 June 1941 and surrendered to the Soviet border patrol soldiers of the 90th Border Unit at about 9:00 pm. During questioning, he said that at dawn on 22 June, the German Wehrmacht would attack.[7]
Defection
editAfter his defection, the Soviet authorities used Liskow for their propaganda. One of the quotes attributed to him was "I am from a family of workers, from Kolberg. My parents and I hate Hitler and his regime. For us, the USSR is a friendly country, and we don't want to fight with the Soviet people. There are many such families in Germany. They don't want a war with you." Despite this, he was arrested in January 1942 and sent to a Soviet prisoner camp. During his time in prison, Liskow showed signs of mental illness, though it is unclear if such mental illness was real. Liskow was rehabilitated on 16 July 1942 and sent to Siberia, where all traces of him were lost. It is believed that Liskow died in unknown circumstances near Novosibirsk in late 1943; however, this has never been confirmed.
Stalin later ordered the execution of a German deserter for "misinformation", though it is unclear if this refers to Liskow or another German deserter.[8][9]
References
edit- ^ a b W. Leonhard . Child of the Revolution Issue 2, Publisher Ink Links, 1979, ISBN 0-906133-26-2 , page 122
- ^ a b M. Blank: booty:. POWs in German and Soviet photography Margot Blank, Museum Karlshorst, Ch Links Verlag, 2003, ISBN 3-86153-294-8 , p.29 limited preview in Google Books
- ^ HH Düsel: The Soviet leaflet propaganda against Germany in World War II. Volume 1, Ingolstadt, 1985, page 107
- ^ a b The war was lost in Kursk. In Der Spiegel 27, 1966, of 27 June 1966
- ^ Den sjarmerende terrorist. in: Dagbladet 30 January 2006 ( Bokmål )
- ^ Рассказ немецкого солдата Альфреда Лискофа // "Пионерская правда", No. 76 (2588) от 28 июня 1941
- ^ "Примерно в 12 часов ночи 21 июня командующий Киевским округом М. П. Кирпонос, находившийся на своём командном пункте в Тарнополе, доложил по ВЧ, что, кроме перебежчика, о котором доложил генерал М. А. Пуркаев, в наших частях появился ещё один немецкий солдат - 222-го полка 74-й пехотной дивизии. Он переплыл реку, явился к пограничникам и сообщил, что в 4 часа утра немецкие войска перейдут в наступление"
Г. К. Жуков. Воспоминания и размышления. М., издательство Агентства печати Новости, 1971. стр.235 - ^ Bellamy, Chris (26 November 2008). Absolute War: Soviet Russia in the Second World War. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-307-48113-9.
- ^ "How the Soviets ruined the life of a German soldier who warned them about the Nazi invasion". 22 June 2018.