Summary of Hans Wijers's Eastern Front Combat

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

#1 I wanted to explain how the Stalingrad cauldron ended, and how thousands of men were killed, frozen, starved, or devoured by lice. I did not see one soldier who gave his life out of enthusiasm for Führer and country, but all of them fought for their lives until the last.

#2 On November 22, the Battle of the Don began. The 9th Company was pulled out of Stalingrad to be refreshed ninety kilometers to the west in the rear areas. The big losses of men and materiel made this necessary.

#3 We were told that the Russians had assembled heavy forces, including armor, in the Kalmuck steppe and were about to threaten our left flank. Our objective for the next day was Kalach on the Don, about eighty kilometers away.

#4 The company commander’s tank was assigned the task of securing the southern edge of the town. They found that their location was very insufficient for radio communications, and they had to move position. Every thirty minutes, the platoon commanders had to report in on their position and situation.

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Rafbók: 12 april 2022