Siege of Kustrin 1945 by Tony Le Tissier

Author:Tony Le Tissier
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Bisac Code 1: HIS027100
ISBN: eBook ISBN: 9781848846975
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2009-07-14T16:00:00+00:00

A few days later came some totally unexpected news for Schmidt’s unit:

Like a bombshell came a radio message from the 23rd Flak Division that the company commander passed on immediately to the men in the trenches. All members of the division were to be withdrawn from Küstrin.

At first we took the order for a latrine rumour. Why should we be selected to leave the fortress? It took a while for us to begin to believe the authenticity of the news. The company command post announced that we would be leaving the position that night. But what would happen to the Army members of our company? We were actually a Luftwaffe battery, but without our guns. Could we take the comrades that had joined us with us? I thought of Bombardier Horn. Could we leave him behind? We were completely confused.

It became dark early that evening. Our relief appeared, a mixed bunch. Many young soldiers and with them old corporals with Iron Cross ribbons. Their arms were not much, just carbines and a few machine guns. Then things began to happen quickly. We briefed our successors quickly as the company commander was calling for us to hurry. Saying farewell to our brave Bombardier Horn was particularly hard. I stood before him and gave him my hand and wished him well. Both of us tried to smile, but it did not come right. We knew that we would never see each other again.

I did not look back. Even before we reached the Chaussee I was overcome with weariness. I did not register that vehicles were waiting for us in Kietz, that we climbed on to the trucks, drove to the Alt Bleyen manor farm and left the fortress area from there in a bumping, rocking night journey. I slept on the truck like a dead man. It was daylight when I awoke from my exhausted sleep. I tried to remember what had happened but was unable to. My comrades had also slept through it. The air was fresh and my legs were stiff. I got up from the bench and pushed the tailgate of our little truck down and saw two pairs of boots hanging in front of my eyes. I jumped down from the truck and found two soldiers hanging from telephone wires with cardboard notices around their necks on which was written: ‘I was a coward!’ The sight was shocking. The soldiers’ boots almost touched the garden fence alongside which we had stopped. Everyone found this barbaric, disgusting and idiotic. On the roadside was a shield that read: ‘Anyone who is encountered west of the Oder as a straggler has forfeited his life. Any soldier that has become separated from his unit must immediately join the nearest front-line unit. There is no going back from here. The Russian avalanche must be finally stopped at the Oder!’

We were in Seelow. Our truck was alongside a small cottage. A group of men were standing near the hanged men, cursing and swearing at the SS and Feldgendarmerie; they would not be quiet.

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