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Interview
by
Jeff Johannes
During the time
period of 2002 to 2003, I had the
opportunity to interview a German Veteran,
named Konrad (last name held for privacy
purposes) who still resides in Germany. The
interviews took place mostly over the
internet (not too bad for 80 plus year old
soldier to email, and in English!) and once
in person. Konrad was a member of the “Der
Fuhrer Regiment” of the 2nd SS
Panzer Division “DAS REICH.” Konrad
provided some interesting details on being a
member of one of the most famous Waffen-SS
Divisions of WWII. To include, some
refreshing honesty about being a Waffen-SS
soldier and their equipment.
Konrad’s family
was from in Prussia, but moved to Berlin
after WWI. His father was a member of the
Kaisers Guard Regiment and served in WWI.
Konrad was born in the Berlin are known as
Friedrichshain. Following in his father’s
tradition, Konrad sought to carry on the
tradition by joining an elite regiment. In
1940, after talking to a co-worker who
recently joined the Waffen-SS “Polizei
Regiment” (later the 4th SS
Division “POLEZEI”), Konrad wanted to follow
suit. At the time, the “new” elite
regiments in Germany, where those of the
Waffen-SS, and Konrad, growing up as a
product of National Socialism, sought
enlistment in one of those units. At this
time, there was a call for Germans in
Konrad’s age group to be long service
volunteers to a state run organization,
either a work group (such as the RAD) or a
part of the Wehrmacht. After obtaining
permission from his father, Konrad was only
16 years old at the time, Konrad tried out
to be a member of the “Der Fuhrer
Regiment.” He recalled he was one of
approximately 500 recruits who were
enlisting to be a member of this unit. At
this time, membership in the Waffen-SS was
very strict, due to certain physical and
genealogy attributes. Konrad stated he was
one of only 40 were accepted from his
original recruitment pool of 500.
Konrad finished
his basic Schutze training in Radolfzell and
were then sent to the Netherlands to join
the “Der Fuhrer Regiment.” Konrad was
assigned to the Combat Pioneer (Combat
Engineer) Platoon, which, at that time,
consisted of a sergeant, a lance corporal,
and eight other men. All of them were
combat veterans with over two years of
service. Konrad was one of the youngest
recruits in the regiment at that time. His
training did not get easier; in fact, he
said it became harder once he reported to
his unit.
In June, 1941,
Konrad and the rest of the “Der Fuhrer Rgt.”
were stationed in a large manor near Lodz,
Poland. Konrad stated that rumors of an
invasion of Russia soon became reality as
they were briefed on what Russian uniforms,
tanks, and equipment looked like. He and
his comrades at that time, believed they
were about to embark on a campaign that
would take them to Persia and India. He
felt apprehensive since his uncle was
captured on the Eastern Front in WWI and did
not make it home until 1921 and that was
after he escaped from Siberia through to
China.
After the
Operation Barbararossa began, Konrad
admitted that he and his comrades were very
much surprised at how much better Russian
equipment was than theirs. In July, Konrad
was promoted to Lance corporal (SS Sturmann)
and shortly thereafter received his first
wound. While in a fighting position a
mortar round landed nearby received minor
shrapnel wounds to his face. In December,
Konrad received his second wound, shrapnel
from an artillery round behind his right
knee. This wound lead Konrad to leave the
front and be sent back to Poland. Konrad
noted that at this time the weather was
getting colder and that things in the rear
area were not up to par. For example, it
took him ten day s just to get from the
field station to a hospital to Smolensk,
Russia. By this time, his wound became
infected with maggots and there were no
medical supplies on hand to help, just some
brandy to drink. After arriving in military
hospital outside of Warsaw, the medical
staff stripped Konrad’s uniform and gave him
a bath. This was the first time he shaved
and washed up since October and the first
time his clothing was replaced.
In January 1942,
Konrad was discharged with 28 days leave to
go home to Berlin to visit his family. When
Konrad returned to the Waffen-SS Replacement
and Training Battalion after leave, he was
diagnosed as still not fit for front line
service therefore he was assigned to work in
the weapon repair shop and as a part time
Sturmpioneer instructor.
After returning
to the 2nd SS Panzer Division
“DAS REICH”, Konrad served with the “Der
Fuhrer” Regiment throughout 1942. In
February of 1943, Konrad received word that
his father passed away and was sent home
immediately to console his mother and attend
his funeral. Konrad noted that his
superiors in the Waffen-SS, upon notice of
his father’s death, immediately pulled him
front the front lines and sent him home.
Konrad stated that he believed that the food
rations and bombing raids on the home front
in Germany lead to his father’s early death.
Konrad added that the night prior to his
father’s death, he had a “dream” that his
father was at the doorway of his bunker in
Russia.
In late 1943,
Konrad received his third wound, in his
right leg (Note: because of this wound, to
this day Konrad carries a cane to help him
walk). On the hospital train back to
Poland, Russian partisans ambushed the train
and killed several patients, however, the
train managed to continued onto the rear to
a Luftwaffe hospital where Konrad was
treated. In January, 1944 after his third
medical treatment, Konrad visited his mother
living alone in Berlin. By this time, the
city was being devastated by air raids and
Konrad helped his mother move out to
relatives in Silesia. After leave Konrad
reported to convalescence hospital, where,
after treatment, he was pronounced fit for
duty. However, the Waffen-SS ordered him to
report to Officer Training in Joesefstadt in
the Sudetenland. Konrad was chosen to be a
Panzer Grenadier Platoon Leader in the 2nd
SS DIV. Somehow Konrad managed to turn down
this promotion and was sent back to his unit
as a grenadier.
In July 1944,
Konrad finally reported back to the 2nd
SSDIV, already heavily engaged in the
Normandy campaign (Note: Konrad was not
present with the DAS REICH Division during
its infamous march from Southern France to
Normandy; as previously mentioned he was
recovering from his third wound and
initially sent to Officer Candidate
Training). During the retreat toward the
Seine River in August, Konrad and another
comrade became lost for a few days and ended
up behind British lines. Figuring there was
no hope of getting back to their unit, they
surrounded to a British Medic. Konrad noted
that when he saw the Red Cross armband he
felt that he would get safe treatment since
the Red Cross armband was not respected on
the Eastern Front. After surrendering,
Konrad noted that the British were very
nervous about them being Waffen SS and kept
a Sten Gun pointed at the back of their
heads the whole time. After arriving back
at POW collection point, Konrad said he was
well treated and even given tea with milk
and sugar. Konrad ended up being
transported to England and serving in a
British POW camp. Konrad eventually was
released in 1948. Like many other German
POW’s, Konrad eventually decided to reside
in his captors country after the war.
Konrad eventually returned to Germany and
settled in the city of Lorch.
What type of training did you
receive as a Sturmpioneer (Combat Engineer)?
We were trained as
both Infantrymen and as combat engineers.
We had to learn to fire all infantry
weapons, 98K, MG34 and MG42, as well as be
experts in demolition equipment. My squad
was usually made up of ten men and this
squad was usually assigned to an Infantry
battalion to support them in combat.
What type of vehicles did you
use?
We were supposed
to be mounted in halftracks and Opel Blitz
trucks. For the most part of the war, only
the first battalion of the “Der Fuhrer”
Regiment had halftracks at any given time
and the rest of the regiment had trucks. I
must point out; we ended up walking a lot
during the war.
Do you have any military
items left from your service?
My uniform and
equipment was taken away as a POW, even my
wristwatch. All my other military items
were destroyed in Berlin. My mother was
sent to a Russian concentration camp because
she had a picture of me in my Waffen-SS
uniform. She perished before I could get
back home.
The Waffen-SS was unique in
its use of camouflage uniforms. Did you get
issued camouflage clothing?
Yes. The only
camouflage clothing that I had was the
camouflage smock and helmet cover. I did
not have a smock all the time during the
war; however I recall having the helmet
covers most of the time. When we wore the
camo smock we usually tied it high around
our waist so we had access to our tunic
pockets. I don’t remember seeing too much
other types of camouflage clothing in the 2nd
SS DIV. Also, we were always at the end of
the supply chain when it came to everything,
including uniforms and equipment. I noticed
that the Division staff and Panzer units
were given new uniforms and equipment first,
and then it would trickle down to those in
the Panzergrenadier units; if you were in
the truck born units you usually ended up
with what was left. Speaking of uniforms, I
also recall that on my field caps, we
usually had our Eagle insignia on the side
of my various enlisted caps.
What did you usually carry in
your tunic pockets?
Our pockets were
always stuff with what we needed to survive
on the front. We often did not go into
combat with full gear so we usually stuffed
our tunic pockets with ammunition and food.
Speaking of tunics, I rarely was issued a
new one, for example I wore the same one
from 1941 the start of the Russian campaign
until the I was wounded in October where it
was thrown away due to all the lice. It was
rare to get a complete new uniform while on
the front.
What equipment did you carry
in the field?
When I first
started the war, I was MG No.2 and I usually
carried two boxes of ammunition and two
spare barrel carriers. Later, when I became
a squad leader I carried the MP40. Every
time I went to the front or on a mission, I
would leave everything behind that made
noise. We often left behind our gas mask
containers and breadbags. All this
equipment was left behind on our trucks or
halftracks.
Who was the type of men that
made up your unit?
As the war began
we are all supposed to the best of Germany.
We had to go through a lot to make it into
the ranks. However, as they war progressed
we started to get men who no longer
volunteered but were mostly drafted or
transferred in form another service, such as
the Navy or Luftwaffe. In 1943, we received
a large number of recruits from Alsaace-Lorraine
area, as well as from Strasburg and Vogesen.
These men spoke German and French. We tried
to keep the 1st companies staffed
by German veterans and usually placed these
new recruits in a secondary or third
companies and usually in support battalions
as well. We just felt it was better to get
our experienced men up in the units that
usually went into action first.
What were your rations like?
Each company had a
field kitchen mounted on a 3 ton truck. We
were always supplied at least one warm meal
a day which usually consisted of either stew
or soup. We would also receive an ersatz
type coffee which called, “Mugkefuck.” It
consisted of roasted barley which was
grounded and turned into coffee. We also
received a third of a loaf of bread from the
division bakery. Sometimes we would get
sausage and jam with our bread. While on
the front lines we usually received our
rations either at night or early in the
mornings.
In December,
2002, Konrad, on one of his trips to the US,
had the opportunity to visit a WWII
Reenactment that took place in Lowell,
Indiana. The author was present and made
the following observations of Konrad:
- Upon arrival,
Konrad was amazed to see, once again, German
soldiers in the field, especially Waffen-SS.
He stated that he has not seen anything like
this since the war.
- Konrad, who
walked with a cane due to his wound on the
Russian front, managed to get a spring in
his step as he approached the event and
started observing recreated WWII soldiers.
- Konrad stated
that the German troops were the most well
equipped he as “ever seen;” he was joking
that the WWII German reenactors had EVERY
piece of gear issued. Konrad stated that he
never saw any German soldier having all
their gear at once, especially in the
field. He also noted that he hardly ever
saw Winter Parka’s, both Heer and Waffen-SS,
which were being worn by reeanctors. He
noted that the Waffen-SS reeanctors wore
wearing camouflage items he has never seen
issued during his service.
- Konrad, upon
borrowing a 98k, was still able to conduct a
very sharp and crisp manual of arms. Was
quite amazing to see an 80 year old Vet able
to sling and carry a rifle like he was on
the parade ground.
- A crowd of
reeanctors crowded around Konrad, to hear
his stories (a German vet, especially an
Eastern Front vet from the Waffen-SS, is
very rare). Konrad jokingly “cursed” the
American reenactors for having some many
planes during the Normandy campaign. Konrad
stated, to them, that it was impossible to
do anything during the daylight hours
because of all the American planes.
- When presented
with an MP40, he stated that he and his
comrades would often throw those away in
favor of the Russian PPSH machine gun.
Konrad had one
final statement he wanted to share, and that
after all he has been through in WWII, he
would never wish that his grandson or
anyone’s son would ever have to experience a
war. He would do everything in his power to
prevent his grandchildren from fighting in a
war. |
