German Railways in the East

Discussions on the economic history of the nations taking part in WW2, from the recovery after the depression until the economy at war.
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Der Alte Fritz
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Re: German Railways in the East

#376

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 08 Feb 2015, 09:10

One of the topics we have been examining in this thread is the early history of the Russian railways and how many of them were founded by British and French companies as part of their business activities.
I came across this interesting account of a British enterprise which was the steel works in Stalino, founded by a Werlshman John Hughes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hughe ... ite_note-4
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18282468
http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/hughesovka.htm
Foundation of Donetsk[edit]

Hughes' home in Hughesovka, c.1900

Same house in Donetsk, 2006
In 1868, the Millwall Iron Works Company received an order from the Imperial Russian Government for the plating of a naval fortress being built at Kronstadt on the Baltic Sea.[2] Hughes accepted a concession from the Imperial Russian Government to develop metal works in the region, and in 1869 acquired a piece of land to the north of the Azov Sea from Russian statesman Sergei Kochubey (son of Viktor Kochubey).[3]

He formed the 'New Russia Company Ltd.' to raise capital, and in the summer of 1870 aged 55 he moved to Russian Empire. He sailed with eight ships, with not only all the equipment necessary to establish a metal works, but also much of the skilled labour; a group of about a hundred ironworkers and miners mostly from South Wales.[2]

Immediately he started to build metal works close to the river Kalmius, at a site near the village of Alexandrovka. The state-of-the-art works had eight blast furnaces and was capable of a full production cycle, with the first pig iron cast in 1872. During the 1870s, collieries and iron ore mines were sunk, and brickworks and other facilities established to make the isolated works a self-sufficient industrial complex. He further built a railway line producing factory. All of Hughes facilities were held under the 'Novorussian society for coal, iron and rails production.'

The Hughes factory gave its name to the settlement which grew in its shadow, and the town of Hughesovka (Yuzovka) grew rapidly. Hughes personally provided a hospital, schools, bath houses, tea rooms, a fire brigade and an Anglican church dedicated to the patron saints St George and St David. The land around the metal works quickly grew to become an industrial and cultural centre in the region, with the population of the city founded by Hughes now exceeds 1 million.

Over the next twenty years, the works prospered and expanded, first under John Hughes and then, after his death in 1889, under the management of four of his sons. Amazingly, John Hughes was only semi-literate, he was unable to write and could only read capital letters.
The Steel City.

Click for the translated Welsh Version.
By A. Gwen Jones
(BBC Radio Broadcast)
December 15, 1943, 5.5- 5.2O p.m.
Rehearsal:4.0: p.m. (From Cardiff)

When I hear on the radio the names Kief, Charkov, Krivoi-rog and especially Stalino, the steel city, and the news of the Russian success there, my mind would go back to over fifty years, and living images would appear in front of my eyes. When I heard that Stalino had been retaken by the Russians, I would think of the Stalino I knew so well, for I had been living there as a young girl for three years, but the place had another name then, that is Hughesovka, the town was named as a form of honour its founder, a Welshman from Merthyr (Tydfil) named John Hughes. John Hughes was an engineer who caught the attention of the Tzar Alexander, the second and the Russian Government, through his technical skill when he was a superintendent at Millwall Docks, London. The Russian Government was keen to expand its railways and to develop its steel and coal works in their own country. I remember hearing often how Mr. Hughes was invited to establish works in Russia; truly I remember well the silver plaque the Tzar gave him as a present. Mr Hughes accepted the invitation and he went around the country, he chose a place on the lonely- planes of the Steppes, where only a shepherd and his dog could be seen. But this place was rich in coal and iron, and not far from Taganrog and Mariupol docks on the Azov Sea. The iron mine at Krivoi-Rog was not far away and they also became the property of the New Russian Company, The Novorossiskoe-Rog, founded in 1869. I remember us visit Krivoi-Rog in 1892.

When I arrived in Hughesovka in 1889 the population had increased from zero to fifty thousand, with the mine and steel works full of work. Stalino is now one of the main railway centres of the Donetz Valley, but in 1869 the only railway to the south was Taganrog and Mariupol. The nearest station to the line to the north through Charkov was Charsisky. We were a group of many countries and languages- (Russian, Polish,?Ellmyn, Belgium, Jewish, Tartars and Georgians from Tiflis in the Caucasus – Stalin’s home.) and in their midst a small company of English and Welsh, John Hughes brought the experienced workers with him from the Dowlais, Merthyr and the Rhymney. At that time there were about seventy Welsh there, but I heard there was more there at one time. I remember some of them, - Mr. Watkins who married Miss Curtis from Rhymney, Mr Holland who had been a chemist in the works at Dowlais, the James family and others. But the man I remember best was John John from Dowlais. A Welshman of the best kind, a man you could thoroughly trust. I would enjoy talking to him in Welsh. At that time the workers were only paid once a month and the money from the wages would come (pencil addition “on the train”) under guard from Taganrog. John Hughes died in June 1889, a few months before I arrived in Hughesovka as a teacher to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hughes two young girls. Arthur Hughes was the second of John Hughes’ four young sons; and his wife was Miss Augusta James from Lanover, Sir Fynwy. Interesting to many Welshmen is the fact that it was the bard IsIwyn who married them. By the way, indirectly through another great preacher, the Rev. Dr. Saunders, Swansea, I received the chance to go to Russia.

I remember the slow long journey through Europe with the family, staying a few days in Berlin, Warsaw (where I lost my way and found myself in the [pencilled in “Jewish” Ghetto), then Kieff and Charkov-living pictures of Kieff ,this Holy and ancient town would appear in front of my eyes; crossing the wide Dnieper river, and admire the great tide of churches with their golden turrets and domes shining in the blue sky. There I saw a crowd of pilgrims that had walked along the road from far Siberia. Then Charkov, with its wonderful university and its world famous fairs. At last reaching the station at Charsisky completely exhausted. There were vehicles to greet us and take us to Hughesovka. I will never forget the feeling of overwhelming loneliness that filled me whilst travelling over the drab, tree-less, never ending Steppes; it wasn’t any wonder that the longing (hiraeth) for Wales almost totally conquered me.

But the interest in the unfamiliar life around me and the natural eagerness to see everything new helped me feel at home in Hughesovka. I was living in a large house, in the centre of a large garden surrounded by a high wall for safety, and there would be a night watchman to look after the place overnight, but you couldn’t always depend on them.

Life there was not uninteresting and not without variety. Letters and paper from home would take eleven days to arrive and often they were censored. Some books were not permitted to enter the country. Visitors of all countries and languages would come, engineers and students from Moscow and Petersburg (now Leningrad) and even from far Siberia. One time the Province Governor of Ekaterinislav, Dnepropetrovsk as it is now, called, to stay with us. He arrived at the house with great ceremony having been escorted by a company of Cossacks on horseback. Some of the visitors had stories which were interesting and exciting to a young girl like myself. This was the time the revolutionists were called Nihilists. I was told that I knew a few of them and I remember well being warned for innocently talking carelessly, as I was unaware of who would be amongst the visitors to the house. The police were watching and were looking into everything in great detail; and we had to be careful. They were very strict in looking at our passports. I have kept my old passport which had been signed by Lord Salisbury - the Prime Minister of the time. We were able to enjoy ourselves in many ways. You knew that the Russians were excellent musicians and singers. Once every week I would hear music of a very high standard and often I would have the honour of hearing the Polish Lady, Madame Yancharski playing the piano. She had been a student of the Rubenstein and Paderewski and was one of her friends.

I never forgot the excellent singing at the Greek Church in Hughesovka. The recent news that Stalin had recognised the patriarch of the Church in Russia brought reminders of many of the services I attended, especially the service on the eve of Easter. At this service, with its ceremony and the musical excellence of the choir, especially the deep voices of the bass, made a great impression on me. The scene inside the Church would fill one with a spirit of worship. The Church was overflowing, everyone was standing with candles in their hands, there aren’t any seats in a Greek Church. At midnight, the Church’s clock would strike, and the priests would arrive in their beautiful robes and singing “Christ has arisen”. All of the congregation would be kneeling. They would cross themselves and answer, “It’s true He has arisen!”; then the choir would sing a special hymn for Easter; all the bells would ring and all the Church would be shinning in beautiful light. There would be united rejoicing, where everybody would greet each other with three kisses and they would shout merrily “Christ’s arisen.” It was hard not to admire the strictness in which they kept the fast of Lent, but as soon as the Easter festival was over they would devote themselves to feasting to excess and the hospitals would be full.

One of my prime pleasures was hunting - of foxes and hares, there were as many as you could ever wish for, only us girls were not permitted to join in the hunt for wolves due to the danger involved. The Officers of the Cossacks would often come out with us and they were such wonderful horsemen. The hunting dogs had come from the Court Estate, Merthyr Tydfil, and since I had been a pupil in the Court school, Merthyr, under the three Mrs Edwards’, I felt I had an interest in the dogs.

Neither will I forget skating on the works lake, and a sledge journeys over the glittering snow, with the troika bells, the three horses ringing melodiously in the clear air. There was a small taste of adventure in sledding over the Steppes, as we would sometimes be followed by a number of dogs, half-wolves, and it would be up to Ivan, our driver, to use his whip to keep them back.

When I was living in Russia there were only two classes of people. I was in a position to see the great differences between the two. The standard of living around the Mujiks - the common people, was very low and they weren’t unfamiliar with hunger /famine in some regions. They lived in poor small houses of wood, of only one floor. They had no conveniences to provide comfort and health, only a large stove which almost filled the room. Often they would sleep on it at night. Of course the workers houses in Hughesovka were far better. In every house you would see an “Icon”, that is, a sacred picture and there is not one house without its Samovar, a vessel for making tea. I used to like the Mujikas, they were kind, unaffected, truly religious in a simple and innocent way. They would face misfortune without grumbling -“Nitchevo” they’d say shrugging their shoulders. They are patient and wise, full of common sense and humour. But like all Russians they were very superstitious.

On evenings when the weather was fine, they would meet each other outside the village, they would then rock on swings and sing and clap hands, and almost always eating sunflower seeds. They were very fond of dancing and enjoyed the social life with each other. I must say that everyone was fond of the local drink “Kvass” and if they could get it the even stronger drink “vodka”.

On special holidays it was a pleasure to look at the girls in their beautiful dresses, the embroidery on them would be skilful and pretty, their hair would be beautifully platted with ribbons and beads of all colours around their necks. I especially remember one time we were crossing over the planes of the Steppes in a sledge we heard some sorrowful singing in the distance breaking the silence - it was the people from the village about their fathers’ exploits. I could never forget the spell/charm for a long time and my mind would fly back to Wales with their minor/plaintive tones and again longing would rise in my breast. At the time, this class were unable to read or write. One of the many things that struck me the first time in the towns was the “signs “on all the shops; they were pictures and not words, for example, on the butchers shops you would see a picture of a cow or a sheep, and likewise on all the shops. - The reason of course they were unable to read. A great change has come over the country for one thing. On Sunday morning there would be a market, and one could see the square surrounding the church, from six o’clock in the morning, full of the country people with their produce. The prices for things were very cheap, goose or turkey for a shilling and a chicken for sixpence. We’d pay for them in Kopecks and Roubles of course.

In contrast the other class were exceptionally cultured. They would live in their large houses on their estates with a great number of workers and maids. They could speak many languages and their reading immense. I was surprised more than once that they knew so much about the prime English writers of the time. The Russian author they mentioned the most was Pushkin, I heard only a little from them about Tolstoy. French was their second language and I heard almost more French than Russian. Russian was a hard language to learn. As I’ve mentioned, they were very fond of music and dancing and they were very fond of playing cards. They were careless and ________? people, but yet extremely kind and a great deal of charm related to them.

Time does not allow me to mention the many other interesting customs of the country; or the extreme weather - the overpowering/ oppressive heat of the summer, the severe cold and the deep snows of their winters. I heard a young man from Rhymney lost his life in a sudden perilous snowstorm. The fiery heat of summer would bring with it many diseases like dysentery. I nearly died from this disease but for the care of an American doctor who was one of the doctors at the works hospital.

In 1892 cholera came to the town and we, the family had to flee the place because of the riots which was caused by peoples fear and ignorance. The riots were important enough to be chronicled by the London papers. But even having to leave Russia like this, in haste, I felt extremely sad in singing farewell to many friends there. I had a wonderful kindness from many especially Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hughes; and I had come to love the country and its people, and in these later days in rejoicing the Russians exceptional success.

GregSingh
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Re: German Railways in the East

#377

Post by GregSingh » 08 Feb 2015, 11:10

Rail produced in 1899 by company founded by John Hughes as of September 2014!
Nice photo, now only history...http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:62NRO5.JPG


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Re: German Railways in the East

#378

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 09 Feb 2015, 09:23

Yes it is only to hoped that other John Hughes related things survive the current situation in the town. The house he built beside the river still exists and one of the hotels in the town is Hughes pharmacy that he built for the workers and there are other buildings still in existence.

http://www.worldcat.org/title/developme ... ht=edition
John Hughes Factory.png
John Hughes Factory.png (280.92 KiB) Viewed 1532 times
Note the importance both of Western entrepreneurs but more importantly Western capital in developing both industry and transport in Tsarists Russia.

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Chir, Don, Stalingrad rail line

#379

Post by Dann Falk » 11 Feb 2015, 19:53

To go back several posts…I have some info about the Chir, Don, Stalingrad rail line.

A new book has come out called Survivors of Stalingrad, edited by Reinhold Busch. It’s an eyewitness account of the Stalingrad area just before and after the pocked was formed, and is full of interesting info.

Account #6 on page 35, Joachim Feurich states…”On 23 October we finally arrived at our destination and de-trained at Tchir on the Don. This is where the railway line to Stalingrad ended, the final section having been destroyed at Tchir.” Then later on, walking….”we set off. With a zest for action we reached Kalatch, got into a waiting ammunition train – and headed for Stalingrad. Pioneers had restored the railway line from here: it was single-track. Then…”Towards evening we reached Gumrak, the last station before Stalingrad: here the railway line ended,“

He reached his unit, the 94 infantry Division on 19 November…what luck! Later on he was wounded and eventually flown out of the pocket. The Tchir he mentions could be a station, like the one west of Rytschow or just the general area near the Chir River.

Anyway, this book is full of small bits of personal information…and a good read.

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Re: German Railways in the East

#380

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 14 Feb 2015, 09:50

Good find Dann
This fits in well with our current picture for October. The standard railway line now extends across the Donets river on the newly opened bridge and reaches as far as Chir. This railhead is choked with hospital trains. A pontoon bridge crosses the Don and supplies are loaded onto lorries which drive them across the river and then load them onto broad gauge captured trains that go as far as the outskirts of Stalingrad - Gumrak. The garrison troops on the steppe are served by a narrow gauge railway that connects them to the main lines. The capacity of this route is under 12 trains a day so the restriction in traffic occurs before the Donets crossing and gets lower on the far bank.

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Re: German Railways in the East

#381

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 24 Feb 2015, 09:35

Daily railway traffic report by General des Transportwesens for HGruppe Sud during September 1942 while the battle for Stalingrad was raging along the Volga.
T311 R264 F0718 traffic sitrep 19 Sept 1942.jpg
T311 R264 F0725 traffic sitrep 26 Sept 42 bridge open.jpg
T311 R264 F0726 traffic sitrep 27 Sept 42.jpg

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Re: German Railways in the East

#382

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 24 Feb 2015, 09:54

Report 1: 19 - 20 September 14:00 hours Generals des Transportwesens Heeren Gruppe B
written on behalf of Ib Commander i. G. Major ?

1.) operating fluidly with a strong demand

2.) Unloading in area west of Belaya Kalitva not corresponding to the demand, so that the number of parked trains has continued to grow in the area of Lichaja. Performance on the broad gauge line towards Stalingrad affected by air raids and insufficient unloading in Chir.

3.) Many air raids on track Belaya Kalitva, especially on Station. Surovikino (numerous tracks damaged), Obliwskaja (distance from damaged points 2 hours blocked.) and Morosovskaya (telephone lines destroyed). A train with on-board weapons bombarded without success.

In Morosovskaya allegedly paratroopers landed (further details are still missing). Route at Surovikino blocked 10 hours because of train collision.

By air raid on track Kastornaja - Latnaja 1 track damaged; also a train bombarded with on-board weapons.

4.) [TRAFFIC THAT DAY:]
Kursk Ri Kastornaja 13,
Kastornaja Ri Walujki 3,
Kharkov Ri Isjum 2, Ri Kupyansk 15, Ri Belgorod 8,
Walujki Ri Starobjelsk 10, Ri Ostrogoshsk 9,
Jewdakowo Millerowo Ri 1, Ri Starobjelsk Millerowo 8,
Belaya Kalitva Ri Stalingrad 4,
Remontnaja Ri Stalingrad. 5

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Re: German Railways in the East

#383

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 24 Feb 2015, 10:43

Report 19.09.42 Gen des Trnsp.jpg
Last edited by Der Alte Fritz on 24 Feb 2015, 11:47, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: German Railways in the East

#384

Post by GregSingh » 24 Feb 2015, 11:18

Good stuff.
Which NARA roll is that?

From Remontnaja to Stalingrad - 5 trains, not 1 ?

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Re: German Railways in the East

#385

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 24 Feb 2015, 11:42

Report Number 2 (T311 R264 Gen des Trnsp.W. HGr Sud (or B))
26.09.1942

1) Operating generally fluid. Kursk junction stretched due to heavy influx from FEK 2 and HBD South.

2.) air attacks on railway stations Tatsinskaya and Obliwskaja on the route Lichaja to Stalingrad. No damage to railway facilities.

3.) route Belaya Kalitva to Chir from 26.9 16 00 clock in standard gauge passable. I think this means that the bridge has opened across the Donetz river

4.)
Kursk Ri Kastonaja 15,
Kastonaja Ri Walujki 9,
Kharkov Ri Isjum 2, Ri Kupyansk 24, Ri Belgorod 13,
Walujki Ri Starobjelsk 13, Ri Ostrogoshsk 9,
Jewdakowo Ri Millerowo - Millerowo Ri Jewdakowo 10,
Starobjelsk Ri Millerowo 6,
Belaya Kalitva Ri Stalingrad 9,
Remontnaja Ri Stalingrad. 4

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Re: German Railways in the East

#386

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 24 Feb 2015, 11:54

Dark Green numbers show the traffic in this report:
Report 26.09.42 Gen des Trnsp.jpg

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Re: German Railways in the East

#387

Post by Der Alte Fritz » 24 Feb 2015, 12:15

Report Number 3:
27.09.1942

1. ) Traffic fluid in general, district Marmyshi-Kastornaja-Latnaja heavily interrupted through repeated plane-attacks.
2.) Nightly plane-attacks on:
a) Bhf.Latschinowo (Marmyshi-Kastornaja) 3 tracks destroyed and closed between 5 - 15 hours.
b) Bhf.Rasschowez (Kursk-Marmyslii).Closed route 6 hours,
c) Bhf.Nishnedewizk (Kastomaja-Latnaja) 1 tracks, water-station and pumping station destroyed by fires. Railway Telephone (Fernsprechverbindungen) disturbed "business very much impeded.
d) Bhf.Met Tschernjanka (Käst ornaja-Walujlci) at the track lying Munl-Lager through bomb landing. Fernsprechverbindungen disturbed.Interrupted Train traffic for 8 hours because of explosions.No damages to track-installations.
e) Bhf.Birjutsch (Walujki-Ostrogoshsk) 2 tracks, single-track operation, destroyed.
f) Bhf.Metoma, Sassimowka, ICschen and Injutino. Operations little hindered.
[g) Bridge near Repnaja (Lichaja-Tschir). Bridge-fire. Route closed for 6 Hours. Lichaja to Tchir is now referred to as a route so this is another indictation that the bridge is open over the Donets
h) Bhf.Tschir. 3 tracks, station destroyed. Buildings damaged, Munitions depot and 1 empty-trains exploded in the fire. Discharge of Muni z.Zt. not possible.
i) Bhf.Sarowikino. Bhf.Buildings, all tracks and Fernsprechverbindungen destroyed. 1 Muni - and 1 fuel-trains destroyed. Expected stoppage 2 days.(Unloading point moved to previous station!)
k) route Kupjansk-Walujki because of collision closed for 7 hours, Walujki-Starobjelsk route because of locomotive-collision 8 1/2 hours.

3.) Route Jewdakowo-Millerowo 2 track changed gauge

4.)
Kursk Ri Kastornaja 18,
Kastomaja Ri Walujki 6,
Charkow Ri Isjum l, Ri Kupjansk 13, Ri Belgorod 11,
WalujkiRi Starobjelsk 9, Ri Ostrogoshsk 5,
Jewdakowo Ri Millerowo 1,
Millerowo Ri Jewdakowo 10,
Starobjelsk Ri Millerowo 7,
Lichaja Ri Stalingrad 6,
Remontnaja Ri Stalingrad 4.

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Re: German Railways in the East

#388

Post by Mangrove » 24 Feb 2015, 17:19

GregSingh wrote:I wonder how did it end up in Finnish Army Archives? Apparently it was taken in October 1942.
The photographs were taken by Finnish Major (Eng.) Kivikuru, probably during an excursion to the Eastern Front. More photographs can be found from sa-kuva.fi under numbers 111739 - 111774. There are no date marked down on the photographs, but the identification number suggest they were indeed taken during late September or early October 1942. Here are some of my picks from the 36 photographs:

N:o 111753. "Railway between Morosowskaja and Tschir. Tracks and steppe".

Image

N:o 111755. "Railway between Morosowskaja and Tschir. A compressor".

Image

N:o 111768. "The western part of a bridge over Don River near Tschir".

Image

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Re: German Railways in the East

#389

Post by Dann Falk » 24 Feb 2015, 18:45

Great info and pictures…I was going to ask about the southern route, Rostov – Remontnaja – Stalingrad. Your post implies this route was open for some time, sending trains to the 4th Panzer Army area.

19 September 42
Belaya Kalitva Ri Stalingrad 4,
Remontnaja Ri Stalingrad. 5
-----------------------------
9 trains total

26 September
Belaya Kalitva Ri Stalingrad 9,
Remontnaja Ri Stalingrad. 4
------------------------
13 trains

27 September
Lichaja Ri Stalingrad 6,
Remontnaja Ri Stalingrad 4.
-----------------------------
10 trains

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Re: German Railways in the East

#390

Post by GregSingh » 25 Feb 2015, 01:29

Thanks for those photos, Mangrove.

The water under western part of the bridge is actually a lake - possibly remains of a meander - as can be seen on this Soviet map.
Station Tschir is on the far left.
Don bridge 1941.jpg
Tschir - Logovsky

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