Interview with klaus schulz 2006

Ochsenkopf hill   

Interview translated from german to english:

”I was seventeen years at the time. I joined Luftwaffe when I was fifteen. Directly after reserve officers training me and and 3-4 men from the 328th Training Battalion arrived at this location. We were 15 men stationed at this bunker. The men came from many different units but primarily rallied troops belonged to destroyed units from the Falaise pocket fighting.

We had no non commissioned officers but an older Obergefreiter with the 1st Class Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse).

The Obergefreiter became a father figure for us all and took his fair share of the burden of a bunker soldier. He took his watches and sometimes let us younger solders sleep.

Our foxholes were often filled with water and we had to use old food cans to shove water out of them.

Even if the bunker was built as living quarters me and my friends felt trapped when inside. We were worried that we might not come out when ”they” would come.

We went out on patrols but could only spot the Americans twice. When we did, we would fire but were cautious since we were afraid of ricochets due to the extremely dense forest.

We also received artillery rounds but not tree bursts. One night heavy artillery poured in and they had to fall back. Due to that the Americans took over the bunker. The Obergefreiter became worried but reinforcements came the next night and we retook the bunker again.

After that incident everything returned to normal with regular artillery rounds hitting our positions and also patrols.

We were always hungry but sometimes we received a rare hot meal, often noodle soup. However, we usually had to eat only Kommissbrot and that damn kunsthonig that we were so tired off.

The Americans really made an impression being taller and bigger than us. We always said that the American uniforms looked like boy scout uniforms but the wind blouses with zippers looked pretty tough. The Americans also had lots of food that we took from them. That was a very pleasant change from our plain supply of food. They had something they called ”K-Rations” with real chocolate.

I had a cousin that used to be a Forrester before the war. The wife of my cousin told me after the war that the cousin had said that Hürtgen was a jungle, a natural fortress for an invasion from the west. A forrest this dense is very difficult to fight battles in. It was very difficult to move without being heard. It was a fear on both sides to move in the forrest.

The bunkers were not maintained and in a bad condition when we moved in. They lacked lighting since the equipment had been removed long ago. They had to bring mattresses and everything were pretty much malfunctioning.

In September-October 1944 it was hardly any affinity or loyality with the unit since all members came from so many different destroyed units. We had however one thing in common and on our mind and that was to take off when the opportunity comes. I have later heard that this was also reflected in the American daily reports on prisoners of war.

Coordination of the units were difficult. The regiment commander Oberstlieutnant Fredrich Strösser had arrived from the hospital in Aachen. He was really not yet battle ready recovering from battle wound received in Leningrad on the east front previously.

Up the Lammersdorf road and on the right side of the Monscherstrasse there was an Inn where some German officers stayed. They had taken their French mistresses with them and lots of Champagne. They were having a good time and did not want to go to war.”

Interview published on YouTube® my ”mestrenger” in 2009. Courtesy of ”Konejung Stiftung: Kultur” for the interview and multimedia content.