Nigel Cawthorne by Japanese Reaping the Whirlwind: Personal Accounts of the German, Italian Experiences of WW II
Authors: Japanese Reaping the Whirlwind: Personal Accounts of the German, Italian Experiences of WW II
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erected along the roads which we travelled; everywhere lighted signs, posters and large inscriptions on houses and walls expressed the determination to attain a joint victory. Many places in the part of Italy we crossed were literally swarming with Italian soldiers, who appeared to be friendly, happy and ready to burst into song.
But Colonel Lang did not want to wait around in Naples while the tanks were loaded on to ships.
I wanted to take charge of my Panzergrenadier Regiment 69, known to have reached a high degree of perfection and training during the last months as part of an excellently equipped division … I started across on 14 December on a Ju 52, flying in an enormous fleet of aircraft of all kinds, including one giant aeroplane. We had a wonderful trip, flew at low altitude, encountered no enemy interference and reached the airfield of Tunis safe and sound …
I was terribly eager to see the place where the division had recently earned its laurels. Everywhere there were the marks left from the fighting, giving evidence of a hard German blow. Major General Fischer, who had led the combat near Tebourba and had thereupon been awarded an oak-leaf cluster to the Knight’s Cross and had been promoted Lieutenant General, met me on the combat field. The General showed pleasure in greeting me, briefed me on the situation and told me that I might expect to go into action soon.
While the hurried trip of the last few days had taken in localities and places of world-wide fame, such as Nice, Monte Carlo, San Remo, Florence, Rome, Pompeii and the top of Mount Vesuvius, while during my flight across the Mediterranean, Sicily had floated by below me, during the few days before my employment I had the opportunity and time calmly to enjoy Carthage’s rich collections from ancient times, and to become somewhat acquainted with the country and the people.
On 17 December, Lang was given a command to the southeast of Tunis.
A command post of the Kampfgruppe [combat group] was a well-taken-care-of farm, owned by a courteous Frenchman, who as an officer during World War I had been seriously wounded, and who, afterwards, like many others used the financial support granted by the French government to settle in Tunisia. In his home he had a small but choice collection of antique objects found or excavated, paintings including some very good ones and a well assorted library, indicating his artistic understanding and wealth. Even though it was cold because the windows were broken, one could be very comfortable there and do good work. Since the owner, staying with relatives nearby, was exposed to hostile actions by the Arabs, which at times took rather serious proportions, I granted his request to let him keep his hunting gun, together with some ammunition to defend himself in case of emergency; I also promised him protection.
Lang sized up the situation:
The enemy could not fail to notice that because of the considerable enlargement of the bridgehead as a consequence of the Tebourba battle, the German lines had been seriously thinned out there, as a matter of fact, had to be left entirely unoccupied for stretches kilometres in length … Later on barely enough forces were available. In the Lanserine mountain range in the west, there was not one single German soldier in an area of about 20km in length … Furthermore, the enemy had to be aware of the fact that the number of German units to be moved up from Italy was limited, and that transports carrying troops and all kinds of material were sunk by torpedoes, bombs and shells … Reconnaissance groups were sent, by day and by night, deep into no-man’s land and even into the enemy lines … Although Arabs, throughout favourably disposed towards us, had been promised tobacco, blankets and clothing, they, at first, brought in only little unusable results from their spying expeditions. However, they confirmed observations made by our own forces. Statements by prisoners who were brought in
But Colonel Lang did not want to wait around in Naples while the tanks were loaded on to ships.
I wanted to take charge of my Panzergrenadier Regiment 69, known to have reached a high degree of perfection and training during the last months as part of an excellently equipped division … I started across on 14 December on a Ju 52, flying in an enormous fleet of aircraft of all kinds, including one giant aeroplane. We had a wonderful trip, flew at low altitude, encountered no enemy interference and reached the airfield of Tunis safe and sound …
I was terribly eager to see the place where the division had recently earned its laurels. Everywhere there were the marks left from the fighting, giving evidence of a hard German blow. Major General Fischer, who had led the combat near Tebourba and had thereupon been awarded an oak-leaf cluster to the Knight’s Cross and had been promoted Lieutenant General, met me on the combat field. The General showed pleasure in greeting me, briefed me on the situation and told me that I might expect to go into action soon.
While the hurried trip of the last few days had taken in localities and places of world-wide fame, such as Nice, Monte Carlo, San Remo, Florence, Rome, Pompeii and the top of Mount Vesuvius, while during my flight across the Mediterranean, Sicily had floated by below me, during the few days before my employment I had the opportunity and time calmly to enjoy Carthage’s rich collections from ancient times, and to become somewhat acquainted with the country and the people.
On 17 December, Lang was given a command to the southeast of Tunis.
A command post of the Kampfgruppe [combat group] was a well-taken-care-of farm, owned by a courteous Frenchman, who as an officer during World War I had been seriously wounded, and who, afterwards, like many others used the financial support granted by the French government to settle in Tunisia. In his home he had a small but choice collection of antique objects found or excavated, paintings including some very good ones and a well assorted library, indicating his artistic understanding and wealth. Even though it was cold because the windows were broken, one could be very comfortable there and do good work. Since the owner, staying with relatives nearby, was exposed to hostile actions by the Arabs, which at times took rather serious proportions, I granted his request to let him keep his hunting gun, together with some ammunition to defend himself in case of emergency; I also promised him protection.
Lang sized up the situation:
The enemy could not fail to notice that because of the considerable enlargement of the bridgehead as a consequence of the Tebourba battle, the German lines had been seriously thinned out there, as a matter of fact, had to be left entirely unoccupied for stretches kilometres in length … Later on barely enough forces were available. In the Lanserine mountain range in the west, there was not one single German soldier in an area of about 20km in length … Furthermore, the enemy had to be aware of the fact that the number of German units to be moved up from Italy was limited, and that transports carrying troops and all kinds of material were sunk by torpedoes, bombs and shells … Reconnaissance groups were sent, by day and by night, deep into no-man’s land and even into the enemy lines … Although Arabs, throughout favourably disposed towards us, had been promised tobacco, blankets and clothing, they, at first, brought in only little unusable results from their spying expeditions. However, they confirmed observations made by our own forces. Statements by prisoners who were brought in
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