The Russians in Estonia took total control of the country and the ensuing months became known as the Red Terror during which extermination squads roamed the country, killing those who were suspected of being anti-Communist. The government was disbanded and all aspects of life were taken over by the Communists, some of whom were Estonians who welcomed what they saw as a new and more beneficial economic order.
The most insidious and tragic act by the Communists was the deportation of people to Siberia. Over 10,000 men, women, and children were hunted down at night and loaded into cattle cars for the trip to Siberian work camps. The first to go were those with any leadership capability, such as teachers, politicians, engineers, and intellectuals. President Pats was of course arrested and taken to Russia, where he died in a psychiatric hospital (a favorite place for political prisoners.)
In June, 1941, Hitler doublecrossed Stalin and attacked the Soviet forces in Poland. Their advance was rapid and the Communists in Estonia knew that their days were numbered. The German army moved rapidly through the Baltic States, pushing the Soviet forces north and east. When the Germans arrived in Estonia they were at first greeted as “liberators,” for nothing the Estonians could imagine could be worse than the Red Terror they had just experienced. But the Germans were no more benign than the Russian invaders had been. They subscripted young Estonians into the German army and were quick to shoot anyone who was even suspected of collusion with the Soviets.
To their credit, the Germans allowed the Estonians to fly their flag on top of Pikk Hermann and to have some sense of self-governance. But eventually the tide of the war turned in the Allies’ favor and the Soviet armies started to push the Germans back. Not wanting to be trapped in the Baltic region, the German army withdrew south in 1944, leaving their Baltic units, supported by Estonian volunteers, to fight the onrushing Red Army. The defenders were no match for the invaders and the Red Army soon swarmed back into Estonia. Estonia became the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic and the blue/black/white flag was not seen again for 45 long years of occupation.
This book focuses on the war experiences of five officers who graduated from the Estonian Military Technical Academy just as the Soviets liquidated the democratic government of Estonia in 1940 and installed their own puppet government. Estonian military personnel, including the entire graduating class from the Estonian Military Technical Academy were then forced into the Soviet Red Army. These tumultuous times provide the backdrop for the stories that follow.
The memoirs of the five officers relate true life experiences the might seem stranger than fiction. That they all survived was a miracle, and they all believed that it was fate that guided them and allowed them to eventually escape to freedom.
Chapter 1
End of the Cadet Years
Viktor Orav
The last year of our studies in 1939 at the Estonian Military Technical Academy1 started with considerable excitement. France and England had declared war on Germany and we thought surely it meant the beginning of another world war. Every day after our morning classes, we rushed to the library to scan the newspapers for world events prior to heading for the cafeteria for lunch. In three short weeks, Germany had defeated and occupied Poland.
Estonian Military Technical Academy.
In the middle of September the newspaper headline announced the arrival of the Polish submarine Orzel in Tallinn’s harbor. Most cadets sympathized with its crew which was promptly put under guard. A few days later we were glad when we read that the submarine had evaded the patrol boats and escaped to sea under cover of darkness.
I had attended the Academy since 1936. It was divided into three areas of specialization: side arms, artillery, and pyrotechnics. My course material in this final fourth year at the Academy consisted of items like the equipment and methods to direct artillery fire; cannon operation and materials; tank construction and mechanics; practical ammunition preparation; gas warfare and equipment; cavalry tactics; communication equipment and use; skiing; logistics for food, weapons, ammunition, clothing, and transport; psychology of war; infantry weaponry; physical education; horseback riding; Russian and German languages; and strategic planning.
Our life was rigid and disciplined. We were up at 6 am followed by a half hour of calisthenics and then breakfast. Classes started at 8, then an hour off for lunch. The afternoon classes were from 1 to 5, then two hours of free time prior to dinner at 7 pm. From 8 to 10 pm were required study hours to prepare for the next day’s lessons. Lights were out at 10 o’clock. Each cadet had the rank of ensign and had been issued a 9 mm pistol and a 7.62 mm Russian infantry rifle.
Ensigns with their arms (H. Kubja leaning against tree, E. Reiksaar on extreme right).
In September, all of a sudden the Academy was put on alert. Nobody understood the reason for this. No one was allowed to leave the premises. Six visiting officers were not allowed to leave and they were provided temporary sleeping quarters on our campus. Everyone was puzzled as to what this could mean. The alert was lifted after a week and the reason for our confinement became clear. Our large eastern neighbor Russia had demanded that our small nation provide them with military bases to give them “security.” The Estonian government caved in to this request and in the interest of peace the Soviets were given what they demanded. By the tenth of October, all three Baltic countries signed the base agreements and thus also sold their souls to the devil.
Our studies and training exercises continued but it was now in a new atmosphere. There was concern and excitement. The cadets were given additional duties to guard the palace in Toompea and Kadrioru and also President Pats’ farm.2
Cadets V. Orav, A. Vene, A. Kivimäe, and H. Kubja.
Red Army arriving in Estonia.
During the second half of October trains with long lines of filled wagons started to arrive in Estonia, bringing war materiel and Red Army soldiers. Seeing these long lines gave us a feeling of strangulation and suffocation. Then when on the thirtieth of November the Soviet Union attacked Finland with the Soviet bombers flying out of Estonian airports, our hatred for the occupiers was further elevated. We listened to Finnish radio stations to learn what we could regarding the progress of the Red Army attacks. The initial reports were good. In most cases the Finns had stopped the Russian advance and beat them back. Under these distractions, we prepared for and finished our final exams in December.
In the middle of our last semester, in March of 1940, we heard that Finland had capitulated to the Soviets and had been forced to cede some of its territory to satisfy its giant neighbor. We were impressed by the Finns’ struggle. We were likewise amazed that no nation from the west had come to their aid. This made us ponder about the war and the value of alliances, and we had many debates on the topic.
Like several others in our class, I got married during all this turmoil. I had known Frieda since childhood and she now became my wife. Her brother, Col. Artur Normak, had been the head of the Academy until 1939. 3
Frieda and Viktor’s wedding. Col. Normak in the back row, Viktor’s parents on left, Frieda’s on right.
One night we awoke to the sound of someone groaning and found Ensign Roland lives doubled over with severe pain in his groin. When the ambulance arrived Ensign Kubja carried the suffering cadet to the vehicle. He recovered quickly during his hospital stay and left against the doctor’s advice in order to be at the Academy to take his final exams. He knew that he