by Alan David
‘Schultze, I know you’re one of the best at foraging, but I have the feeling that you’ve got women on your mind, and that could be dangerous here in France. The Resistance is out every night, and if a group of them came upon a single German soldier then that would be the end of it. No, you’re going to have to stay here like the rest of us.’
‘We could do with some eggs and maybe a chicken or two,’ Schultze protested. ‘I won’t be gone half an hour, and I’ll take Hohner with me. We can look after ourselves. I promised Hohner I’d take him the next time I went out.’
‘And what happens if we get word to move out during the night?’ Kurt demanded. ‘I wouldn’t mind going with you, Schultze, but we’re on the move and there’s no telling what may come up. If you get left behind you’ll be shot as a deserter, and that’s the last thing I want to happen to any of my crew. We’ve been together a long time, and I want it to remain like that.’
‘Hell, we don’t get much time to ourselves, Sergeant-Major,’ Schultze said harshly. ‘If we’re going to die here in France then let’s have some good memories to take with us.’
‘So it is a woman you’re after 1 ‘ Kurt sighed heavily. ‘Where did you spot her?’
‘There’s a row of cottages about a quarter of a mile from here. It’s just outside our leaguer. I’d hear the Panzers starting up if we were going to move out unexpectedly.’
‘And supposing you walk into trouble? You don’t want to get killed by a bunch of Resistance men, do you?’
‘If I’m going to get killed then it’ll happen, no matter where I am or what I’m doing.’ Schultze laughed grimly. ‘Come on, sir. I could have slipped away without your knowledge, but I wanted you to know where I’ll be. I’ll come back in an hour.’
‘I’m giving you a direct order not to leave the area,’ Kurt said heavily. ‘But I won’t be checking your bed space for at least another hour. If you get caught then this conversation never took place. And, Schultze, take Hohner with you.’
‘You’re one of the best,’ Schultze responded, and slipped away quietly.
Kurt stood smiling thinly, and although he looked around alertly he did not spot any movement as his two men departed. He checked his watch, noted the time, and remained on guard, staring around and straining his ears for unnatural noises. There was some bombing going on in the distance, to the north, and the sounds drifted on the stiff breeze. When he went to check the bed spaces under the awning beside the tank more than an hour later both Schultze and Hohner were there, fast asleep, and he shook Weilen by the shoulder and awakened him. The man slid out into the night and took his place in the turret, and Kurt lay down thankfully and closed his eyes.
He fell asleep almost immediately, and was awakened before dawn by Weilen. It was time to prepare for the day’s movement, and Kurt yawned tiredly as he went to check with Leutnant Reinhalt.
When they pulled out of leaguer the sun was shining and the day was hot. This was the first week of June and summer was on the way. But there were no holidays to look forward to, Kurt told himself, standing in the turret as they followed the vehicle in front along a twisting, hedge-lined lane that was almost too narrow for them. But it partially concealed their bulk and they moved steadily in a westerly direction, heading for the reserve area where they would await the next onslaught by the Allies.
They were all filled with a sense of anticipation. It was obvious that the Second Front was about to open somewhere in France. What they didn’t know was the time and place. Kurt wondered where they would be a year from now, and shook his head. If they could have managed some leave before entering the arena again he would have been satisfied. His children did not know they had a father, and his wife must be suffering agonizing doubts in his absence. But there was nothing he could do about it. History was unfolding, and they were caught up in its tightening threads.
CHAPTER SEVEN
SS Division Vaterland had returned to Germany, to their depot in Gutersbrucke, a manufacturing town in the north. All the large cities of the Ruhr were around them, and they had seen for themselves what damage had been caused by the Allied bomber campaign. They had heard the thunderous attacks, spoken to local people, and gone in amongst the rubble to help with the rescue work. When the big raids fell upon an area all available manpower was drafted in to help with the heart-breaking rescue work. The men had at first been shocked by the sight of so much destruction, but one soon became accustomed to such matters, and after a week at the depot, where their ranks had been swollen to almost normal by replacements who were little more than raw recruits, they were rested and ready for whatever orders might come along.
Captain Max Eckhardt stood on the barrack square on the morning of the first of June and looked at the sea of faces in the ranks. Only three weeks had passed since they withdrew from their positions in the Gustav Line and let the Poles take Cassino. But that was now history, and they were awaiting orders which would hurl them once more into the furnace of battle. Colonel Franz Dantine appeared from the direction of the Officers’ Mess and marched on to the square, followed by the adjutant. RSM Proell called the Battalion to attention and turned to salute his Commanding Officer, and every man on the parade heard his voice as he reported the Battalion present and ready for inspection.
Eckhardt stood at attention, and there was not a sound in the barracks as Dantine, immaculate in his new uniform, his jackboots gleaming in the sunlight, began the inspection. It would take almost an hour before Dantine was satisfied that he had seen every SS man in the Battalion, and Eckhardt’s thoughts wandered as he remained stiff and erect.
He was going to get a few days leave! He would be able to go to Dettfeld and visit his aunt’s farm, see his brother Kurt’s wife and children and, more than anything else, get his hands upon Sonia Dressler, the German Maiden he had met on his last leave during the previous autumn. His tight lips softened a little as he recalled the meeting. She had been wearing her black and white Maiden uniform, and selected him to be the father of the child she wished to bear for the Führer and Germany. Her desire to do her duty had given him a strenuous leave, but, although she had written to him several times since, she had not mentioned if she was pregnant. He hoped she was not, for when he saw her again he would endeavour to do his duty once more.
Dantine was almost at the end of the rear rank of the First Company and Eckhardt jerked his attention back to duty. He called the Company to attention and watched Dantine’s small figure, moving only his eyes. When Dantine left the rear rank of the First Company, Eckhardt counted off several seconds, then spoke harshly.
‘Second Company present and ready for your inspection, sir!’
Dantine acknowledged his salute. RSM Proell had joined Dantine’s group now, and Eckhardt moved in on Dantine’s left as they began to inspect the front rank of the Company. Dantine did not hurry, pausing frequently to talk to some of the men, usually the replacements, asking how training had gone and where the man’s home was. The veterans were like ramrods, their eyes unblinking, and Dantine, who knew them all by name, nodded his head approvingly as he inspected them. When they reached the end of the rear rank, Eckhardt saluted and prepared to return to the front of his Company and bring it back to close order. But Dantine paused and looked into his grimly set face.
‘Another fine Company, Captain,’ the Colonel mused. ‘While we can get hold of men like these Germany need not fear its enemies, hein?’
‘No, sir 1’ Eckhardt remained rigidly at attention.
‘We don’t want them to get soft while they are out of action,’ Dantine continued. ‘The newcomers to our ranks must be instilled with the loyalty and determination that the rest of us possess. They must be taught that it is an honour to die for the Führer. I want no slackness while we are here at the depot. I am expecting movement orders to come through shortly. But see to it that a full training programme is maintained until we move out.’
‘Yes, sir!’ Eckhardt saluted again and Dantine moved off to inspect Thi
rd Company.
When the parade was over, Eckhardt went into the Officers’ Mess. Dantine was there, and bought him a schnapps.
‘I don’t think you will be able to have leave before we move out, Captain,’ Dantine remarked. ‘I’ve made enquiries about leave and came up against a blank wall. That means something is afoot. We have not been put on alert yet but the Division is ready to move. Something is coming up but I can’t find out what.’
‘Any idea in which direction we’ll be going, sir?’ Eckhardt asked dutifully.
‘The Second Front or Russia, do you mean?’ Dantine’s harsh face did not change expression. ‘I don’t know. We are poised here in order to go in either direction. Which do you prefer?’
‘I haven’t given it much thought, Colonel. It doesn’t much matter which direction we take.’ Eckhardt remained neutral for fear of saying the wrong thing. He could read no expression in Dantine’s depthless brown eyes.
‘Personally I always found the Russian winters just a little too cold for my health,’ Dantine said, and a smile touched the corners of his thin mouth. ‘Stalingrad was rather harsh, wasn’t it?’
‘Yes, sir, and if it hadn’t been for you none of us would have got out alive.’
‘Just doing my duty, Eckhardt. That’s all the Führer asks of any of us. You also are a duty-loving man. You and I are a great deal alike. Nothing must stand in the way of duty. But there are some hard times ahead of us and we have a lot of new blood in the Battalion. We must strive to be the finest unit in the Division, Eckhardt. I can never be satisfied with anything less. Your Company always sets the example for the rest of the Battalion. Are you happy with your command?’
‘Yes, sir! I think we’ve been fortunate. Of course, it’s impossible to tell how the replacements will react under fire for the first time, but they have German blood in their veins and I’m certain they’ll uphold the traditions you demand and expect.’
‘That’s what I like to hear.’ Dantine nodded. ‘But I am getting longer and longer lists of defaulters each day. Men are going into the town, getting drunk and beating up members of the Wehrmacht. I don’t expect that conduct from my command. I don’t want to confine the entire Battalion to barracks because the men deserve some relaxation. But this indiscipline must stop.’
‘They’re fighting men, sir,’ Eckhardt defended. ‘They probably fight for the name of Vaterland. It’s the best proof that they have pride in their Division.’
Dantine looked into Eckhardt’s face and smiled slowly, thoughtfully. He nodded. ‘I admire the way you stand up for your subordinates,’ he said. ‘But perhaps you’re right. However I have orders that no one shall leave barracks this evening. We are to stand by for a guard duty. While we are in this area we shall share that duty with other units, and officers will be on duty with the men. If there is an air raid in our district we will go out to guard against looters and search for shot-down enemy fliers.’
‘Yes, sir.’ Eckhardt nodded.
‘I understand that there have been many incidents of looting during and after air attacks. Food and goods are in short supply in Germany, and some traitors are taking advantage of the misfortunes of others. We are going to catch them and execute them summarily. No one will make capital out of Germany’s hour of trial. See that the men get the orders, Captain. We will deal harshly with anyone who attempts to steal. There’s a flourishing Black Market in Germany today, and such activity is a slur against the brave soldiers fighting our enemies. We will do a thorough job if we are called out. Nobody will be given the benefit of the doubt. If anyone is caught in suspicious circumstances then an execution will be carried out.’
‘Who will be responsible for giving the orders for execution, sir?’ Eckhardt demanded.
‘None are necessary. Each man has the same authority. And I don’t want complaints afterwards that we have not done our duty. The German people must learn that they, too, must make sacrifices as well as the men at the front.’
Eckhardt nodded. He was in complete agreement with Dantine. If there were any traitors in their midst then they should be rooted out and made to pay the penalty. Black Market activities and looting hindered the German war effort and had to be stopped. A few looters, executed in public, should act as a powerful deterrent. But there were also thousands of foreign workers in Germany who lowered the discipline of the population, and they, no doubt, had taken the initiative in criminal activities. But with SS Division Vaterland in action they would get rough justice.
There was some resentment among the men when they learned that they were to be confined to barracks, but Eckhardt, who overheard some of the remarks, had several of the men charged with indiscipline and paraded the rest of his Company to give them a pep talk. When he dismissed them they went silently to their billets, and later, after dark, the RAF appeared over the larger industrial cities and continued their incessant hammering of vital targets, although many residential areas were also hit. SS Division Vaterland was called out and they boarded their waiting trucks to be transported immediately through the flame-shot night to the horrific scene of their grim duty.
The entire Ruhr was reeling under the interminable bombardments of bomber raids a thousand strong. The USAF attacked by day and the RAF at night, using high explosive and incendiary bombs. Carpet bombing became a grim reality in which industrial and residential areas alike were targets. What high explosive did not knock down the hellish phosphorus burned up. In turn all the large industrial areas received attention, and the list of names grew daily: Dortmund, Bochum, Essen, Hamm, Dusseldorf, Duisberg, Cologne! Cities and areas died inexorably, gutted by massive bombs that destroyed whole streets, and thousands of phosphorus bombs sent furious flames spreading like molten lava. There was no escape and no shelter from such tactics, and the civilians called the aircraft and the men who flew in them Terror Fliers.
SS Division Vaterland went into action while the aircraft still droned vengefully through the night sky. There was no peacefulness, no stillness. Bombs were bursting in their awful patterns, spreading the death and destruction which screeched down out of the skies still further, and anti-aircraft fire hammered relentlessly, throwing patterns into the uncertain air, catching some of the raiders and sending them to their doom into the darkened, quivering countryside around the cities.
Eckhardt gritted his teeth as the division rolled towards the burning city. Flames were shooting hundreds of feet into the air and thick smoke rolled across the land like a blight. They crossed a river. The bridge was damaged, traffic having been reduced to a single lane from four. Rubble was strewn everywhere, making further progress almost impossible. There were hosepipes stretched out like throbbing snakes, craters and huge mounds of ruins. Fire engines and ambulances pursued their own frantic courses through the carnage, and Eckhardt, accustomed to all forms of modern warfare and their attendant atrocities, steeled himself for the worst of them all.
They left their trucks and formed small patrols. The worst of the raid was over now, the raiders were returning to their bases. The rescue services were at full stretch in the face of an impossible task. The roaring flames were so intense that it was useless to converse in normal tones, and the fiery hues of destruction were frightening and unreal. Orange and crimson, the tongues of fire leapt and towered, and ruined buildings crashed down under the pressures of water and flame. The shadows were alive with furtive figures, and, from Eckhardt’s point of view, all had to be checked out. Most of them were rescue workers and firemen, or police, for the majority of the population were in their shelters, but anyone moving around the shattered, fire-swept streets had to be checked out. The Vaterland patrols, wearing gas masks in certain areas, moved forward to do their duty.
Great explosions tore through the ominous sounds of the fires as delayed action bombs detonated. Gas pipes, ruptured by the explosions, threw up gouts of coloured flames, and water mains, also split and ripped, sent fountains skywards, their droplets catching the radiance of the flames and reflecting
prism-like colours.
Eckhardt, with his patrols covering an area of the stricken city, made contact with the local police and helped to coordinate the rescue work. Soot and smoke drifted everywhere, choking and insidious. The sound of the burning buildings was awe-inspiring, ominous.
Sergeant Stein; leading four men, ducked into a cellar doorway when a bomb exploded across the street. They huddled together as a block of flats shuddered skywards before crashing down in dust and smoke. The hot air seared their lungs, but Steine would rather be out in the open than cooped up in one of the deep cellars, where there was a risk of drowning as water seeped down from fire-fighting hoses or fractured water mains. Towering walls bulged outwards, almost liquified by the heat, cascading into the streets, strewing flaming rubble across the path of rescue workers. Men wearing protective clothing and looking like visitors from another planet moved slowly, nightmarishly, through the unreal scenery, searching for those still alive in the ruins.
Steine, looking around, shielded his face with an upraised hand. The heat had to be felt to be believed, and he breathed shallowly through his mouth, blinking his eyes against the smoke. It was hell of the worst kind, and he had seen many kinds in his five years of war. But the fact that this was Germany, the homeland, suffering and dying slowly, was too much to believe: it seemed impossible that such a great nation should be brought down like this.
An ambulance pulled into the street and figures appeared from a pile of rubble that had been a block of flats. Two men got out of the vehicle, and a few moments later it burst into flames from the intense heat, its petrol tank exploding. The vehicle almost disintegrated before burning fiercely, and Steine shook his head helplessly. Trying to do anything at all in this vast furnace was useless. The only sensible thing to do was move out of the area and let the fires burn themselves out.
