In Hitler’s Bunker: A Boy Soldier’s Eyewitness Account of the Fuhrer’s Last Days – Book Review

In Hitler's Bunker: A Boy Soldier's Eyewitness Account of the Fuhrer's Last Days - Book Review

Adolf Hitler is now considered one of the world's most ruthless madmen. Yet this was not always the case. In fact, Hitler was idolized by the German people and with the aid of Josef Goebbels, he was deified by the German youth.

Operation Werwolf – Did the Nazis Really Plan for a Post-War Insurgency?

Operation Werwolf - Did the Nazis Really Plan for a Post-War Insurgency?

JUNE 5, 1945 - The war in Europe had been over for less than a month when a massive explosion rocked the city of Bremen, Germany. The blast ripped through a U.S. military outpost killing more than 40 civilians and American servicemen.

Rommel and Schirach

In 1937, Rommel was given the duties of liaison officer with the Hitler Jugend, under the charming but arrogant Baldur von Schirach. The two men did not like each other. Schirach, who was American-educated, disliked the ramrod-stiff Rommel whom he saw as a caricature of the Prussian officer. He was surprised when Rommel opened his mouth and spoke with a broad Swabian accent, and proved far less stiff than he had expected.-  Christer Jorgensen, "Rommel's Panzers," page 20

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In 1937, Rommel conducted a tour of Hitler Youth (HJ) meetings and encampments, and delivered lectures on German soldiering while inspecting facilities and exercises. Simultaneously, he was pressuring Hitler Youth leader Baldur von Schirach, to accept an agreement expanding the army's involvement in Hitler Youth training. Schirach interpreted this as a bid to turn the Hitler Jugend into an army auxiliary, a "junior army" in his words. He refused, and Rommel, whom he had come to dislike personally, was denied access to the Hitler Jugend.  An agreement between the Army and the Hitler Youth was concluded, but on a far more limited scope than Rommel had sought. Cooperation was restricted to the army providing personnel to the Rifle School, much to the army's chagrin. By 1939, the Hitler Jugend had 20,000 rifle instructors. Rommel retained his place at Potsdam and was awarded the highest war ribbons for excellent performance.

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Rommel first came to Hitler's attention in 1934 during his visit to review the troops at Goslar. In 1935 he was posted as the War Ministry's special liaison officer to Baldur von Schirach's Hitler Youth Organization. He soon realized that he had no use for the young von Schirach's methods and Rommel's heavy Swabian accent did not sit well with the Hitler Youth leader's expectations. They soon parted ways, but while in Potsdam Rommel had managed to complete his brilliant book on infantry tactics "Infantry Attacks" and get it published. This book obviously came to Hitler's attention and apparently he was impressed by it. In 1938 when Hitler decided to visit his newly acquired Sudetenland he chose Rommel as the commandant for his Escort Battalion. This single appointment immediately propelled Rommel into the spotlight, where he would remain for many years to come. In November of that same year he was posted as Commandant of the officer cadet school at Wiener-Nuestadt, near Vienna. These would be some of their happiest years, and his family would live in comfortable surroundings. Again in March 1939 Hitler chose Rommel to command his mobile HQ during the occupation of Prague. With the invasion plans for Poland well under way, Rommel learned that he was promoted to Major General, and was subsequently made responsible for Hitler's safety during his numerous visits to the front.

Excerpts from the Memoirs of Werner Mork

Volkssturm (Home Guard) in Prussia

Volkssturm

…In addition to these gruesome pictures came the harrowing impressions I got of the Volkssturm Battalions [The Civilian Home Guard]. It was a pitiful conglomeration of very old men and very young men, that is to say, children. They had no uniforms, just an armband identifying them as Volkssturm. They were outfitted with discarded carbines and a small amount of ammunition along with Panzerfäusten [anti-tank weapons]. With these scanty armaments they were supposed to halt the Russian army in its tracks and destroy all the Soviet tanks that stumbled into their tanktraps, which in point of fact were only poor jokes. If their outward appearance wasn't upsetting enough, even worse was the conviction of these old men and boys as to the necessity and importance of the task they were given to do.

The German people were still a long way from being cured of the national delusion. In many people's heads thoughts and opinions were still circulating that actually predated the arrival of the Nazis on the scene. Many were still haunted by ideas that came from the time of the battles against Napoleon that freed the Germanic principalities from his rule. From this line of thought came the idée fixe among many of the members of the Volkssturm that they would be the ones to rescue the Eastern Front, and that the Wehrmacht was no longer up to the task of dealing with the Russians. They did not think that the Wehrmacht was willing to make the sacrifices necessary to face down the enemy and that the Volkssturm were the only ones who could truly protect the homeland. Only the local inhabitants had the will to fight for every centimeter of their home ground as opposed to the Wehrmacht which was made up of men from all over Germany most of whom did not come from the East. The Volkssturm did not feel themselves merely called to duty, but called above all others to duty as the true defenders of their lands which simply could not be allowed to fall into the hands of the Russians. They wanted to save their Homeland from the Soviets and they labored under the fatal misapprehension that their pitiful little weapons and shallow tank traps would suffice. They were heartened by the invocations and proclamations of Goebbels, Himmler and other local party leaders and functionaries…

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Fahrradtruppen

Bicycle with a mount for a MP44 and a tellermine.

Young Volkssturm soldiers (14/16 years old) on bikes equipped with special Panzerfaust racks in Frankfurt an der Oder, January 1945. Each bike could carry 2 disposable rocket weapons, to be used against enemy armour; to cope with Russian infantry each boy was given also a rifle.

Contrary to popular belief the German Army was not fully motorised at the outbreak of war. The Treaty of Versailles had severely limited the Army's resources, especially within motorisation. A large part of the Infantry were required to move on foot and therefore it seemed logical to utilise non-motorised forms of transport such as horses and bicycles. These forms of transport continued throughout the war and towards the end the reduced manufacture of motorised vehicles and lack of fuel resources forced OKW (Oberkommando der Wermacht - The High Command of the Armed Forces) to utilise more non- motorised forms of transport. In 1943 the production of bicycles was estimated at 1.2 million. Although the exact number is not known, the largest part of this production was initiated by military demands. 

All units of Infantry and even motorised divisions included bicycles in their standard equipment. The reorganisation of the army in the mid 1930's stated that the first battalion of each infantry regiment should be equipped with bicycles and throughout the war, in the majority of infantry regiments, this was the case. Each regiment had a reconnaissance section, which were either on horseback or bicycles (Regiment Radfahrer / Reiterzug) or sometimes a combination of the two. The HQ staff of infantry regiments were issued five bicycles, as were pioneer battalions. Later in the war all units had bicycles issued, especially sections whose role was as despatch riders. 

The cavalry, at the start of the war, had fifteen regiments. Each of these regiments included a small section of motorised vehicles and a battalion of bicycles. In 1941 the attack in the east against the Soviet Republic showed the unsuitability of combining horse mounted troops and bicycle units. During the muddy period in autumn of that year the horses retained good mobility whilst the bicycle became a burden. Within the cavalry the bicycle battalion was eventually phased out by 1943, however the cavalry itself became practically non-existent having been reduced to three regiments by this time. 

In 1945, during the closing days of the war, the allied offensive on Berlin and other major cities had placed a stranglehold on equipment and supplies, which forced the defenders to utilise any form of transport available to them. Bicycles were used in great numbers by the infantry, Volksturm (civilian volunteers) and the Hitler Youth to manoeuvre through the streets in a vain attempt to stay the onslaught.

Fahrradtruppen: A very efficient way of moving a large number of troops with their individual fighting equipment long distances so that they were able to arrive ready to fight if need be, without suffering exhaustion felt by marching troops carrying all their equipment.

During the Battle of Arnhem the Germans moved hundreds of troops up by bicycles to reinforce the area. This was done quickly and within hours and totally independent of the need to use motorised or train transportation.

The hastily assembled German Volksgrenadier divisions had a battalion of bicycle infantry, to have some mobile reserve. One infantry regiment was designated 'bicycle' (rad, or radfahrer), having one Abteilung equipped with these machines as a mobile reserve.