I remember reading a few years ago about a battle in the Eastern Front of WW2, but can't seem to find again which specific battle it was. What I remember is that the text mentioned there were Soviets in pillboxes who put up such staunch defenses, that even after they had died just the threat of their rifles poking out from the embrasures was enough to deter the Germans for days.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? I tried reading up on the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Kursk, thinking it might've been either of those. But I couldn't find anything similar in what I read.
Any help or suggestions, or even a citation, would be really appreciated!
If there is reference to pillboxes, it was likely the initial stages of Operation Barbarossa. Soviet defenses against an invasion from the west hinged upon "fortified regions" (Укрепрайоны, УР), massive lines of fortifications that were designed for border forces to hold up the enemy while the core of the Red Army mobilized.
Predictably, there was a line through the old border (later named "Stalin Line", but this was never a name used in the USSR). After the annexation of Polish territories, those fortifications were abandoned and construction of a new line of defense began on the new border, which was not finished in time for Operation Barbarossa.
Considering the sad state of this front line of defense by the time of the invasion, it is likely that your story is referring to the "Stalin Line", but since this line spanned many hundreds of kilometers it would be difficult to pinpoint any kind of specific engagement.