VOLKSTURM pictures of interest

Doktor Krollspell · Post by **Doktor Krollspell** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 7:41 am

Hello Xausa!

Desperate and extreme decisions from a desperate and extreme regime. I agree with you that the German people had their own NS-regime as much as an enemy, especially in the final year of the war, as they had the allied nations. There are several examples were Volksturm commanders literally disbanded their units when the Allied forces came and thus, saved both civilians-forced-to-be-soldiers and ordinary civilians of different villages and smaller towns that the Volksturm batallions were ordered to defend. Luckily, not all officers just followed orders...

Regards,

Krollspell

Alex Dekker · Post by **Alex Dekker** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 12:06 pm

The same thing happened (many times) before. Napoleons army in Russia took a load of underaged and overaged men along them, the Russians did the same in 1812-1813. Commune of Paris (1871): young children, women, elderly people were figthing too. The Russian revolution: same thing. I guess it's something like war. Where there are peple, there will be war. And there will be old men fighting alongside with 12 y.o. I guess.

Alex

Nordwest · Post by **Nordwest** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:43 pm

Please look at: http://www.greatwar.nl/index.html

Section: "They Die Young: Kid Soldiers of the Great War"

This happenend also in the American Civil War, and many other Wars of the Past...

Michael

Doktor Krollspell · Post by **Doktor Krollspell** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:39 am

One example of Volksturm Führers that didn't force the teenagers and older men to fight much stronger allied forces was the the famous soldier-writer Ernst Jünger who served in WWII holding the rank of Hauptmann (Heer). In 1945 he commanded the Kirchhorst Volksturm...

In many ways, 1944 was the end of Ernst Jünger's war. He was dismissed from the Army in the aftermath of the July bomb plot and its murderous reprisals. The most devastating blow was struck by the death of his son, Ernst, in Carrara in Italy on 29 November. Ernst Jnr had been sent to a punishment battalion by a court martial for organising subversive discussions in his unit.

In 1945, whilst Der Friede with its calls for European renewal on the basis of a new post-nihilist theology was circulating, Ernst Jünger remained in Kirchhorst. As commander of the Kirchhorst Volksturm he insisted that his ragged militia not resist the American advance.

Source: http://www.juenger.org (One of the best online Jünger sources)

Here's a picture on Ernst Jünger as a Hauptmann during WWII. It was taken in 1942 in Paris were he spent most of the war in staff capacities. Unfortunately, I've forgot from were I got the picture but I hope no one feels side-stepped...

Regards,

Krollspell

Alex Dekker · Post by **Alex Dekker** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 4:12 am

The Waffen-SS Division 'Nibelungen' did contain a lot underaged boys. When the division was broken up (after several attacks and air-raids) a lot of the boys where send away and helped by locals: American soldiers were told that the boys were the son of the helping family.

THere is a great book about this Division: 'Spuren des Nibelungen'.

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 6:41 am

Hi Dr K,

The Ersatzheer fell apart in a similar way. In late March 1945 over a million of its men were organised into ad hoc units and ordered to the East and West Fronts front in the heroic-sounding "March of the East and West Goths". It is difficult to discern the arrival of most of them at the front at all. Most appear to have deserted, disbanded or surrendered without significant resistance. Who can blame them?

Cheers,

Sid.

Doktor Krollspell · Post by **Doktor Krollspell** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 12:41 am

More photos of the Volksturm. These were supposed to stop the advancing allied armies...

http://www.eucmh.com

Regards,

Krollspell

Helmut Von Moltke · Post by **Helmut Von Moltke** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 4:57 am

Doktor Krollspell wrote:One example of Volksturm Führers that didn't force the teenagers and older men to fight much stronger allied forces was the the famous soldier-writer Ernst Jünger who served in WWII holding the rank of Hauptmann (Heer). In 1945 he commanded the Kirchhorst Volksturm...
In many ways, 1944 was the end of Ernst Jünger's war. He was dismissed from the Army in the aftermath of the July bomb plot and its murderous reprisals. The most devastating blow was struck by the death of his son, Ernst, in Carrara in Italy on 29 November. Ernst Jnr had been sent to a punishment battalion by a court martial for organising subversive discussions in his unit.

In 1945, whilst Der Friede with its calls for European renewal on the basis of a new post-nihilist theology was circulating, Ernst Jünger remained in Kirchhorst. As commander of the Kirchhorst Volksturm he insisted that his ragged militia not resist the American advance.

hi, do you know for what reason was Ernst Junger dismised from the army in 1944?

Doktor Krollspell · Post by **Doktor Krollspell** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:30 pm

Another photo of Volksturm men, the one in the front armed with a G43 rifle.

http://www.gewehr43.com/battle4.html

Regards,

Krollspell