Die Eiserne Faust

Nummer #39          17. SS “Götz von Berlichingen” Abteilung KriegNachrichten

Kameraden!

After much lengthy time at the front defending the Heimat against the Allied plague, the Aufklärungs Rgt. 17 of the GvB was ordered off the line for rest and refitting. Time was spent with loved ones or family for a brief time than it was off for more training. This was held at Palmyra, PA on October 21, 2006.

Our gruppe honed their skills in conjunction with a unit of the 1^st LAH headed by Uscha. Moran. Manual of arms, drill and marching was done to refresh the memories of those of us who were at the front for so long. It’s hard practicing drill while in a foxhole dodging enemy fire! We then proceeded to the range to make sure our well worn Mausers were still in shape.

While on the range, us Soldaten got our hands on practicing with the MP 38/40, Maschinengewehr 34 and 42, and the new Sturmgewehr 44. Everyone hoped that more of these weapons would become available to us and that Minister Speer was trying his best to accommodate.

Training camp was completed and more leave was granted. Members of the GvB then made their way across the country to friends and family again. This steeled our resolve to defeat this menace.

Suddenly, our leave was cut short! The Amis were on the move again. No rest for the weary! The site of the battle was Fort Mifflin on December 9, 2006. Members answering the call were:

Scharfuhrer Bill Person             Schutze Rekrut Ryan Crawford                     

Oberschutze Doug Perdick        Schutze Rekrut Wil Heffelfinger

Schutze George Skrapits

The Amis were trying to sneak over a river and capture an old fortress to secure a foothold for future offensives. Somehow the Abwehr (Intelligence) didn’t get wind of this until almost too late. We all scrambled to get ready. Oberschutze Perdick showed up wearing the uniform of a Fallschirmjager after apparently leaving his uniform behind at a girlfriend’s and borrowing this one! Our gruppe made the dash to the fort,loaded up on equipment and munitions, and headed inside. Uscha. Moran and one other member of LAH made the trip as well.

Once inside, Soldaten from other units hurried about trying to bolster the old fort’s defenses. No heavy weapons were available, just small arms. We hoped that the Amis didn’t have any as well. A few Polizei troops monitored the Chaos, including one officer that kind of looked like Strm. Schnieder but was far better looking. Oberschutze Chris Karr from the Quartermaster corps was there also with some items for those in need.

The Commander present lined the walls with troops and had our kleine Kampfgruppe sent outside by the bridge and barricades. We were to assess the enemy’s strengths and delay them as long as possible, then make our way back into the fortress. Scha. Person positioned men at both ends of the bridge. Schutze Rkt. Heffelfinger and Schutze Skrapits piled spare Patronen next to them while Shutze Rkt. Crawford stood guard.

Shouts of alarm rang out from sentries on the fort’s walls and with it, came waves of Yanks like lemmings towards us. Accurate Mauser fire dropped several but the enemy kept surging forward. Uscha. Moran yelled for us to move back inside the fort. We made our way safely inside despite the barrage of bullets. These gangsters wanted this position badly.

Once inside, us Soldaten took positions by the entrance along with others with MG’s and Sturmgewehrs. Smoke was thrown to confuse the Amis. Tha ancient wooden doors of the entrance wouldn’t close anymore so we readied for some close combat.  Oberschutze Perdick gripped his G-43 tighter in anticipation.

The Yanks threw in a couple of grenades and in they charged! It was a slaughter. Amis piled up just inside the door. We couldn’t fire fast enough. Schutze Rkts. Heffelfinger and Crawford moved to better positions reloading their already hot Mausers. Schutze Skrapits searched his Patronentaschen for more cartridges.

The fight moved into the fort but soon the Yankee gangsters lost steam. They weren’t expecting such a skirmish. The remaining survivors pulled out to regroup amd ponder their next move. Meanwhile, we gathered ourselves together and grabbed a quick meal.

The weather got a bit warmer so some of us exchanged parkas for smocks while replenishing our ammunition supply. All the while overhead the drone of Allied bombers were heard heading for deep inside the Heimat.

The Yanks came at us again straight up the middle as before and through the wwoden gates. Their command obviously had no flair for tactics. Again, it was a turkey shoot. Some of the enemy made it to and along the ramparts. Many of them were cut down by Soldaten popping up and firing from positions. Scha. Person nailed a few with his Browning pistol before Scutze Rkt. Crawford warned him that Amais were out-flanking him. They probably wouldn’t have seen him anyway!

The battle then sputtered out. The Yanks lost too much for this real estate and pulled back across the river. A small garrison stayed at the fort as we headed home, albeit a roundabout way because of the threat of Jabos and we had to get Oberschutze Perdick’s correct tunic back! Another job well done!

News and Announcements

• January 25-27, 2007 (Ft. Indiantown Gap) We were informed that the registration building has moved to Bldg 12-90. It’s supposedly over in the area that we usually stay for Mini-Gap. Also, parking will be a problem as available space is impacted due to base construction. Bring everything into the barracks as it will be a long hike to your car.
• Obersturmfuhrer Swartley has informed us that no one form the West Coast detachment will be able to make the trip to the Gap this year. Their kameradschaft will be missed. Herr Swartley also announced that he and his wife are expecting their first child in January 2007. We congratulate them and look forward to seeing a new defender of the Heimat!
• Congratulations go out to Wil Heffelfinger on completing his fourth battle. He was voted on and now has the privilege of wearing the cuff title of the “Götz”. Start sewing Wil!

 Thanks to all who attended events this year and worked at making our little unit better through big projects and small. Happy Holidays!

Frohe Weihnachten!