The Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger

Spandau · Post by **Spandau** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:57 pm

Avete,

Has anyone read Sniper on the Eastern Front: The Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger?

If so, what did you think? Even if it is terrible, I will read it for the same reason I read Tigers in the Mud by Otto Carius.

Valete,

-Spandau

Spandau · Post by **Spandau** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 3:16 pm

Avete,

oh yes, is Sepp Allerberger still alive?

Valete,

-Spandau

book lover · Post by **book lover** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:47 pm

Hi,I finished reading the book last week.I had this one pre-ordered for 6 months.It is a must read!Parts of it read like THE FORGOTTEN SOLIDER.Lots of front line action.Written in a very readable style.Inter-woven with descriptions of the bigger picture describing the movements of the 3rd Gibergs division from the fall of 1942 to the end of the war.There are some editing mistakes and misplaced dates,but overall it is highly recomended.I think he is still alive.
We should all e-mail pen and sword publishers to translate into english Albert Wacker's other sniper book:IM AUGE DES JAGERS.der wehrmachs-scharfchutze.Franz Karner.Either that or I have to learn German!Cheers.

desert_fox · Post by **desert_fox** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 5:35 pm

book lover wrote:We should all e-mail pen and sword publishers to translate into english Albert Wacker's other sniper book:IM AUGE DES JAGERS.der wehrmachs-scharfchutze.Franz Karner.Either that or I have to learn German!Cheers.

As far as I know, Im Auge des Jagers is the same book. It is the biography of Allerberger.
http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/3 ... 57-7032249

Regards

book lover · Post by **book lover** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 1:49 pm

I stand corrected.IM AUGE DES JAGERS is indeed the same book.The booK I seen for sale was published in 2000.The author did not use his real name.He used Franz Karner instead to hide the idenity of Sepp Allerberger.

Wiking5th · Post by **Wiking5th** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 7:55 pm

I have forgotton about this book being published. Thanks, no what to do with that Border's gift certificate now.

Wiking5th

Johnny_H · Post by **Johnny_H** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 7:57 am

196 pages seems a little short?

Not saying it wont be good, Im really thinking of shelling out 40.00 CDN for it, but it better be damn fantastic at only 196pages.

Spandau · Post by **Spandau** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 10:46 am

Johnny_H wrote:196 pages seems a little short?

Not saying it wont be good, Im really thinking of shelling out 40.00 CDN for it, but it better be damn fantastic at only 196pages.

Ave Johnny,

that price seems a bit high, where are you getting it from?

Vale,

-Spandau

Spandau · Post by **Spandau** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:51 pm

Avete,

I got mine from amazon for $20, I recommend looking there.

Valete,

-Spandau

Johnny_H · Post by **Johnny_H** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 1:30 am

JESUS !

This is perhaps the most grotesque account I have read, somehow I find it not entirely believable? The torturing and killing of wounded landser's I understand happend, this is not actually written by Allerberger but by Albrecht Waker which I thought was misleading on Amazon.ca's behalf ( which is where I got this title from it was like 39.00 CDN after tax and shipping )

But there is some simply surreal savagery that I have not read in any German account thus far that compare, the following include him finding Russian soldiers smoking the flesh of a dead soldier over a fire for rations, a dead pregnant woman who has had her stomach slit open with the fetus impaled on a bayonet, a Hungarian woman gang raped by 23 russian soldiers then she is tortured by having a Flare Gun fired while inside her.

I only say these things in this post not out of a lust for violence but to make the reader aware of what they are getting into this is far far from simply a "Combat experiance" penned this is absolute grotesque murder, torture, rape in its rawest form. I strongly suggest the reader make thier own minds up but some of the descriptions just seem beyond reality.

Maybe its just because I was suprised, I dont know for sure but carefull with this one, having read more then my fair share of WWII german memiors I am somewhat apprehensive to give this the "Stamp of Approval" so hastiley, anyone else agree? or am I alone?

The stuff concerning the Cannibalism is what had me skeptical? is there any evidence to substanciate that this took place?

Spandau · Post by **Spandau** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:52 am

Johnny_H wrote:
But there is some simply surreal savagery that I have not read in any German account thus far that compare, the following include him finding Russian soldiers smoking the flesh of a dead soldier over a fire for rations, a dead pregnant woman who has had her stomach slit open with the fetus impaled on a bayonet, a Hungarian woman gang raped by 23 russian soldiers then she is tortured by having a Flare Gun fired while inside her.

I only say these things in this post not out of a lust for violence but to make the reader aware of what they are getting into this is far far from simply a "Combat experiance" penned this is absolute grotesque murder, torture, rape in its rawest form. I strongly suggest the reader make thier own minds up but some of the descriptions just seem beyond reality.

Maybe its just because I was suprised, I dont know for sure but carefull with this one, having read more then my fair share of WWII german memiors I am somewhat apprehensive to give this the "Stamp of Approval" so hastiley, anyone else agree? or am I alone?

The stuff concerning the Cannibalism is what had me skeptical? is there any evidence to substanciate that this took place?

Ave Johnny,

your words have been discouraging, I am having second thoughts about reading it. Unfortunately, I have read/heard about cases of cannibalism at Stalingrad and in the Gulags. There are cases described in "Enemy at the Gates." I have even heard about it happening in Vietnam! As far as the horrible atrocities witnessed? Once again, I am sorry to say that they are quite possibly true. War twists people. I know two Vietnam veterans who have described their comrades "going native" and committing atrocities similar to what you have described.

As for the stamp of approval? I don't know. How vivedly does he describe these atrocities? I won't mind too much if he mentions them, but I am not in the mood for graphic depictions of violence. I have had my fill of that.

Vale,

-Spandau

Nordwest · Post by **Nordwest** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 12:17 pm

Cannibalism happened at Stalingrad, on the german side.

Several surviving german Veterans mentioned Cannibalism in Documentations, right before the Camera, with Tears in their Eyes.

See the Siege of the City of Leningrad, the Plane Crash in the Andes in the 1970s, and so on...

Michael

Johnny_H · Post by **Johnny_H** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 2:39 pm

Spandau wrote:
Johnny_H wrote:
But there is some simply surreal savagery that I have not read in any German account thus far that compare, the following include him finding Russian soldiers smoking the flesh of a dead soldier over a fire for rations, a dead pregnant woman who has had her stomach slit open with the fetus impaled on a bayonet, a Hungarian woman gang raped by 23 russian soldiers then she is tortured by having a Flare Gun fired while inside her.

I only say these things in this post not out of a lust for violence but to make the reader aware of what they are getting into this is far far from simply a "Combat experiance" penned this is absolute grotesque murder, torture, rape in its rawest form. I strongly suggest the reader make thier own minds up but some of the descriptions just seem beyond reality.

Maybe its just because I was suprised, I dont know for sure but carefull with this one, having read more then my fair share of WWII german memiors I am somewhat apprehensive to give this the "Stamp of Approval" so hastiley, anyone else agree? or am I alone?

The stuff concerning the Cannibalism is what had me skeptical? is there any evidence to substanciate that this took place?
Ave Johnny,

your words have been discouraging, I am having second thoughts about reading it. Unfortunately, I have read/heard about cases of cannibalism at Stalingrad and in the Gulags. There are cases described in "Enemy at the Gates." I have even heard about it happening in Vietnam! As far as the horrible atrocities witnessed? Once again, I am sorry to say that they are quite possibly true. War twists people. I know two Vietnam veterans who have described their comrades "going native" and committing atrocities similar to what you have described.

As for the stamp of approval? I don't know. How vivedly does he describe these atrocities? I won't mind too much if he mentions them, but I am not in the mood for graphic depictions of violence. I have had my fill of that.

Vale,

-Spandau

It is well written I am just a little apprehensive about some of it, in the "About the Author" part it mentions he wrote several books about the 98k, so he is obviously well aware of firearms and thier effects, that being said there really isnt a "Kill" that isnt described in a brutal manor, not brutal as in shocking but brutal like a chuck norris film.

IE "Shot... Hit..... at 140 meters and his head exploded like a ripe pumpkin" lol now I mean I have NEVER heard any vet Canadian, American, German or otherwise talk like this, I have the feeling it is the author "Filling in the blanks" and if he is doing that? what else is he "Filling in"? do we know? the book is very vague as per units, towns and actions which can be attributed to the fact that the testimonies from Allerberger are oral interviews, but also add to my apprehension of taking it as gospel truth.

Its a good read but there are things in the book that are just as horrible as things you might have read about in books about the holocaust, its not every page but there are at least two incidents that will almost make you gag in disgust. ( the dead pregnant woman and the Hungarian woman being those two )

There is a part also where a wounded German is caught between the lines and he is called to "Put him out of his misery" the wounded landser is not mortally wounded but the Russians are taking him apart with bullets piece buy piece which I found the description more vivid then most WWII memiors ( I have Read all of Donald Burgetts books which were really violent but believable because they were not written years later, but from a hot headed 19 year old ) where as this case is Interviews from a aged veteran and written into a story by a author who expertise is firearms more specifically the 98k

Just seems to coincidental to me

my Example being i could see Allerberger telling him of the kill saying He shot the man at 150 meters and he was dead, but the author knowing what a 7.68 bullet would do filled in the gorey details, its plausible?

Spandau · Post by **Spandau** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 3:29 pm

Ave Johnny,

despite that you have been the bearer of ill news, thank you for warning me about this book. It sounds like Allerberger told the author what happened, and the author took that an ran with it. Allerberger said, "I shot him in the head." the author says, "his head exploded like a ripe pumpkin." I wonder exactly how liberal the author was with Allerberger's memories.

How disappointing, this book had potential.

Vale,

-Spandau

Doktor Krollspell · Post by **Doktor Krollspell** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 4:59 pm

Hello Gentlemen!

There is also the question about Allerberger's Knight's Cross. There is just no official source confirming this decoration being awarded to him. This is what member Simon Orchard wrote in another thread on the subject:

The RK is clearly added later to the photo. I know Allerberger doesn't appear in any of the RK lists but there is a bit about it in "Im auge des Jägers" According to that book he was awarded the RK by Schörner on the 20th April '45, in the absence of the real thing he was given a modified EKII and the book includes a photo of him wearing that decoration. The reason for him not appearing in the various works or being an 'official' RKT was because the award and paperwork was never confirmed by the OKH.

Not the only man to be awarded the RK in the field late in the war but never to have their award be made official due to the chaos and paperwork.

http://www.feldgrau.net/phpBB2/viewtopi ... sc&start=0

According to the latest, and by far most authoritative study on the RKT, Veit Scherzer's "Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945" (2005), not only is Allerberger not listed but one of the few High military commanders that had the authority to award the RK in April and May of 1945 was GFM Schörner. So Allerberger most certainly never recieved the RK, officially nor un-officially. Likewise, he never recieved the German Cross in Gold...

From what I've read in this thread, I will most likely not buy/read this book...

Regards,

Krollspell