Winter Line 1944 (Newville, PA)

For this Italian front event, we were portraying the 132nd GR RGT from the 44th Infantry Division "Hoch and Deutschmeister."   The traditions of the German 44.Infanterie-Division were deeply rooted in the history of the Austrian units which it was originally formed from, namely, the Austrian K.(u.)k. Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 4 "Hoch- und Deutschmeister" which was a part of the 2nd Austrian Infantry Division prior to 1938.
 
Please read the following quotes from Grenadiers assigned to the 362nd Infantry Division fighting in Italy: (from BATTLGROUND ITALY:  THE GERMAN ARMED FORCES IN THE BATTLE FOR THE "BOOT" by Franz Kurowski)
 
"I found them (Landsers) sleeping like the dead. Their condition was shocking; their faces were emaciated, marked with exhaustion, bearded, unwashed for several days, uniforms tattered and covered in thick clumps of dried mud.  A picture of misery, and this had been one of my best battalions at one time."
 
"They have nothing to eat and no winter clothes in this ice hell.  During the night after heavy fighting, they had to crawl past the enemy medics (US) to strip the enemy dead of their coats and jackets.  Even the enemy took pity on us and gave us a number of these pieces of clothing."