Issue
Number 30
The 17. SS “Götz von Berlichingen” (PA) War Journal
Kameraden!
After our
heroic winter offensive in the Ardennes, another attack was needed to stabilize
the lines, thus Operation “Nordwund”. This produced some good results, but
now Churchill’s and Roosevelt’s gangsters are beginning to push back.
Members present at this defense were:
Untersturmfuhrer
Dwayne Slepetz
Oberschutze Marc Kawalsky
Unterscharfuhrer
Bill Person
Schutze George S. Skrapits
Rottenfuhrer
Randy Knauss
Schutze Rkt. Chris Karr
Oberschutze
Robert Brenneman
Schutze Rkt. Doug Perdick
Oberschutze
Allen Brenneman
Koch Steve Karr
Koch Steve
Karr had decided that his services were better needed on the front so he joined
as a rifleman. We also bid a hearty Wilkommen to Schutze Rekrut Perdick who
joined us in defense of the homeland.
A training
base was used as the assembly point and all Soldaten made it there in good time.
The weather promised to be a mixture of good and bad which always aids the
defenders. We chatted with Freunden in other units, especially the 9th
WSS Hohenstaufen with whom we would be fighting alongside as usual. An evening
of light entertainment went by before we drifted off to catch as much sleep as
possible. As usual, there were a few Soldaten who felt that they needed alcohol
to bolster any courage they had. Not so in the 17th GvB!
Dawn
finally started peeking out and it was out of bed and off to work!
Untersturmfuhrer Slepetz went and gathered information on defensive arrangements
while Unterscharfuhrer Person got the men ready. Schutze Rkt. Perdick was helped
into his equipment and given pointers under the experienced eye of Oberschutze
Kawalsky. Schutze Rkt. Chris Karr made final adjustments on his 98k-ZF41 scope
combination that he “acquired” and would be acting as the unit sharpshooter.
Schutze Skrapits and the two Brennemans were ready with Robert Brenneman
fingering his Mauser, anxious to use it against the enemy. Rottenfuhrer Knauss
stood quietly by taking in the whole situation. All Soldaten lined up outside
and were marched to the gathering area.
Other
units present were Grossdeutschland, 12th WSS Hitler Jugend, 2nd
WSS Deutschland, a Gebirgsjager unit, Fallschirmjagers, and some miscellaneous
Heer units. Transports were found to be in short supply so the 17th
was packed into an Opal Blitz truck while Untersturmfuhrer Slepetz and
Unterscharfuhrer Person rode in style in the Hohenstaufen’s halftrack! It was
an impressive sight watching the convoy move out guided by the Feldgendarmie.
Even after five years of war, we could field an impressive array of firepower.
After a
short trip through fields and woods, past forward artillery positions, us
Landsers climbed off the vehicles and waited for orders. Sounds of battle
rumbled in the near distance. The Amis and Tommies were up early and spoiling
for a fight. The 17th was ordered to set up a defensive line on a
knoll across a creek giving support to a Pak gun and an MG-42 nest. A recon was
needed and Rottenfuhrer Knauss and Oberschutze Allen Brenneman were called up.
Rottenfuhrer Knauss took Rkt. Perdick along to gain experience and they all
scurried up a road towards the enemy. The rest of us settled in.
Soon,
groups of Brits and Yankees could be seen coming down a hill towards the knoll.
Schutze Rkt. Chris Karr started picking them off at a distance with his scoped
gewehr and soon we all joined in. The Ami flanking movement was held up by the
Hohenstaufen’s scout car with support while the Tommies attacked the MG-42 and
us in a frontal assault. Didn’t they learn anything from the First World War?
The Spandau buzz-sawed through belt after belt while us riflemen picked off the
stragglers. The Brits were determined to take their objective and got close
enough for Oberschutze Kawalsky to use his Pistole 38.
After this
engagement lasted a while, Unterscharfuhrer Person ordered the unit back to a
better position and threw smoke to cover our withdrawal. “GvB” pulled out in
good order, met up with the recon party, and hurried to new defenses on the
slope of a hill.
We got set
up in a classic L-shaped ambush and cleared a field of fire. Of course, this was
when the 17th was given new orders to go and cover the right flank.
Oberschutze Kawalsky was mad! He still wanted more Tommies in his sights, but
orders were orders.
As we
moved to the right flank, a radio call from Untersturmfuhrer Slepetz came
through. He told us that the left flank was threatened and needed us there! The
overall WSS commander wanted the GvB there for he knew that we would contain the
threat. Arriving at the left flank, Oberscharfuhrer Moran of the 9th
WSS fitted us in. It had become colder and a snow squall came through. The
attacking Amis looked more like ghosts darting through the trees. Us Landsers
weren’t scared though.
The
crescendo of rifle and automatic weapons fire soon reached a peak as we sought
to contain these gangsters. Oberscharfuhrer Moran screamed for a counter-attack
and the 17th charged into the fray, decimating the Yankees.
The 17th
then took cover by a road after hearing sounds of vehicles. An American jeep
came up the road, oblivious to the fact that all his Kameraden were dead and
gone. Rottenfuhrer Knauss and Oberschutze Kawalsky finished it off with
Handgranaten.
After
things calmed down, we met up with our beloved Untersturmfuhrer Slepetz for a
quick rest and some good Lebensmittel. Schutze Rkt. Perdick was noticed eating
some crunchy American candy called “Crackerjack”. He said he was polite when
he took it from the Yank’s backpack! Untersturmfuhrer relayed to us in great
detail the adventure he had with the Amis near the half-track and how he went
around behind them and blasted them with his Machinenpistole!
After the
rest, the 17th then marched out to a forward section of the woods
where the Gebirgs and the Fallschirmjagers were still engaged with the enemy. We
passed a point where the Tommies were seen in the distance defending an area
that had an outhouse standing there by itself. Apparently, these “gentlemen”
had their priorities in order!
Us
Soldaten reached the sector where we were needed and while the 12th
WSS flanked around, we engaged a small unit of Yanks. Shots were exchanged but
the Yanks didn’t seem to want to go through some thick stickerbushes to press
the attack and they simply melted away.
This
basically signaled the end of the day’s engagement so us Landsers stuffed
ourselves again into the 9th’s vehicles for a welcome ride home
rather than the usual weary trudge. Despite some setbacks, we held our own
today. With Spring approaching, the enemy is sure to have new plans for
attacking our homeland. The 17th “GvB” will be ready!
April 23-24 – Torrance, PA
April 30 – Pottsville, PA
May 14 - Camp Smith, NY (Vince
event)
June 3-5 – Reading, PA Airshow
September 9-11 – Odessa, NY
Bis Später!