Vasiliy Sobakov joined the Red Army as a volunteer on October 2nd, 1941. As a private of the 2nd Maneuver Airborne Brigade, he was sent to the front in the area of Staraya Russa._x000D_ The Brigade, reinforced by the 54th Separate Ski Battalion, was to clear the area near the Knevitsy-Lychkovo railway from the enemy and hold it. It would allow this road to be used for supplying and maneuvering troops._x000D_ The operation began in February 1942. The paratroopers landed in the area of the Neviy Mokh swamp, in the rear of the Germans. It was assumed that the light equipment of the soldiers would provide maneuverability, stealth and surprise. Weapons - submachine guns, self-loading rifles, knives, grenades. The paratroopers had no heavy weapons at all. They had winter uniform, and felt boots on their feet. The only mean of transportation - skis._x000D_ The brigade tried to recapture the city of Valdai and Staraya Russa from the enemy, but due to poor supplies and weak organization of the operation, the brigade was unable to do this and retreated with heavy losses. The Germans quickly established the location of the Soviet soldiers and subjected the area of their concentration to bombing. As a result, the brigade suffered heavy losses, many paratroopers were taken prisoner._x000D_ The brigade was in dire need of ammunition and food, starvation began, and the sick and frostbitten appeared. The question was simply about the survival of people. It came to the point that soldiers dug out from under the snow horses that died in the fall of 41, and ate their meat._x000D_ On March 17, 1942, another artillery bombardment of the paratroopers' location killed about 100 of them. This was followed by an attack of paratroopers on the territory occupied by the enemy - a railway station and after a successful counterattack, the fascists defeated the Soviet brigade._x000D_ Soviet soldiers, being without food and uniforms, were not able to resist the enemy. Felt boots on the feet of soldiers in the daytime during the thaw were soaked, at night the temperature dropped to -25C. Of the total number of fighters, the number of frostbitten was 349. Many of them already had frostbites, leading to gangrene. Among them was V. Sobakov. He was evacuated to the hospital #2542 with frostbite on both feet on April 19, 1942._x000D_ After the amputation of the foot, he was pronounced unfit for military service and sent home. After returning, he graduated from the Saratov Trade School and worked first in the district consumer Union, and then as the Chairman of the District Planning Office.