“I’m afraid I don’t follow, Hauptsturmführer…” replied Vogel.
“Following the disbandment of the Freikorps it seems Dirlewanger held various jobs, which included working at a bank, a knitwear factory and, somewhat ominously, as a teacher. The rumours of ‘improper’ behaviour continued. In 1934, he was finally convicted of the rape of a 13-year-old Bund Deutscher Mädel girl. He was also accused of the illegal use of a government vehicle, and damaging that vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. For these crimes he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. Dirlewanger then lost his job, his doctor title and all of the military honours he had won in the war. He was also expelled from the party. It came as no surprise to me and to the other Freikorps veterans to learn that, soon after his release, he was arrested again on similar charges.”
“So why was he not sentenced to death?” asked Vogel.
“This time he was branded as a repeat sexual offender and a deviant. He was sent to the Welzheim concentration camp. That should have been that, as far as we were concerned, but amazingly our friend Dirlewanger was released and reinstated as a colonel in the General SS Reserve.”
“Friends in the right places, then?”
“Very perceptive, Herr Leutnant. This was following the personal intervention of his influential friend, one Gottlob Berger, the Head of the SS-Hauptamt, and his long-time personal friend, one Heinrich Himmler.”
Vogel’s face remained a mask of calm but inwardly he was desperate to shout out: “For God’s sake man, this animal is so base he was thrown out of the fucking Nazi party!”
However, Vogel was far too astute. He made no comment and his demeanour continued to suggest animated interest. One could not be too careful, even with a sympathetic ear. One word out of place could be fatal. He continued to listen, his impassive face somehow still managing to convey an air of interest, as von Schroif continued with his tale.
“The only stipulation was that he should travel to Spain to fight in the Condor Legion against the Reds in the Spanish Civil War. So our paths crossed once more. Despite my contempt for the man, my own sense of duty meant that I had no alternative and we served side by side in the Condor Legion from 1936 to 1939. There were two unproven incidents of improper behaviour. I have my own opinions, based on what I saw, but Dirlewanger wriggled free. In combat, he was wounded three times.”
“I recall that he was exonerated by the courts back home?” advanced Vogel.
“There’s no denying it. For Dirlewanger, his stint in Spain served its real purpose. Following further intervention on his behalf by his patron, Berger, Dirlewanger successfully petitioned to have his case reconsidered in light of his service in Spain. The appeal was clearly a formality. To my eternal disgust, Dirlewanger was reinstated into the party, albeit with a higher party number. To the eternal shame of a renowned institution, his doctorate was also restored by the University of Frankfurt. While we were at war in Poland and France I became aware that Dirlewanger had volunteered for the Waffen-SS and that he had received the rank of Obersturmführer.”
There was a short pause as von Schroif accepted another measure. The act of unburdening himself had obviously had the hoped for cathartic effect and the shock and bewilderment began to wear off. Unbeknown to Hans von Schroif, Otto Dirlewanger had initially been out of the way serving as an SS-VT commandant of the SS labour camp in Dzików. However, he was now embarking on active service once more as the commander of the ‘Dirlewanger’ penal battalion, and it was something which would place him on a collision course with the former landowner, Hans von Schroif.
The Dirlewanger battalion was moulded around the nucleus of a small group of former poachers recruited from jail. It was believed that the excellent tracking and shooting skills of the poachers could be put to constructive use in the fight against communist partisans. On this fateful night the unpleasant surprise still lay in the future and during the time it took to adjust to the shock of his unpleasant new arrival von Schroif was able to gather his composure. He left the comfort of the kitchen and reentered the main room and went on the attack.
“You are late, Obersturmführer,” said von Schroif. The tone was unwelcoming and hostile.
“I beg your forgiveness, Hauptsturmführer, but vehicular traffic is taking precedence and we were halted until the special weapons had passed.”
“No matter, Obersturmführer,” said von Schroif dismissively, “you have held us up enough.”
Before he could say anymore, von Schroif was again interrupted, this time by the sound of motor engines and the clanking of half-track vehicle tracks, followed by the hasty arrival of a breathless Wehrmacht artillery captain. The smartly dressed young officer snapped to attention.
“Captain Grunewald reporting. My battery is now at your command, Hauptsturmführer.”
“Is this the new secret weapon we’ve heard so much about◦— the mortar?” asked von Schroif.
“It has not been a well-kept secret, Hauptsturmführer, but it’s not a mortar,” replied the young officer.
“Well, what is it exactly, Captain? The time for secrecy is over. Please enlighten us.”
“As you wish, Hauptsturmführer. It’s a six-barrel rocket projector, sometimes called the Do-Gerät, also known as the Nebelwerfer.”
The puzzled looks from the liaison officers of the 45th Infantry Division invited further explanation.
“I think it best if you were to explain. The floor is yours, Captain,” said von Schroif.
“Thank you, Hauptsturmführer. Actually, this is not a particularly new weapon. Its name, moreover, is extremely misleading. In the first place, the Nebelwerfer 41 is not a mortar at all, and in the second place, it can accommodate both gas-charged and high-explosive projectiles, as well as smoke projectiles.”
“Is it accurate?” asked von Schroif.
“This weapon does not demand pin-point accuracy.”
“So what do you offer?”
“Power, Hauptsturmführer, awesome power. With us in the kampfgruppe, it’s like having the might of Wotan behind you. Although fire from the Nebelwerfer is relatively inaccurate, the weapon’s chief asset is the concussion effect of a cluster of high-explosive projectiles, which is considerable… devastating, actually.”
“Glad to hear it,’ replied von Schroif, warming to the captain, “but will you be able to keep up? We intend to snatch the fortress and keep going.”
“Our battery is fully motorized and therefore extremely mobile. We will be right behind you. Our projectors are capable of playing a decisive part in any engagement. Our 3-ton prime mover is sufficient for traction purposes, and can also carry the gun crew and some of the ammunition…”
“You sound as if you really believe in your weapons.”
“As I say, the Nebelwerfer 41 can fire three different types of projectiles: high-explosive shells, incendiary projectiles, and smoke projectiles. The high-explosive shells include those with supersensitive fuses and those with delayed-action fuses. The latter can penetrate reinforced cover. Because of their fragmentation and concussion effect, high-explosive shells are used primarily against personnel. It has been found that the concussion has not only been great enough to kill personnel, but occasionally has caused field fortifications and bunkers to collapse. The incendiary projectiles are psychologically effective, and under favourable conditions can start field and forest fires. The smoke projectiles are used to form smoke screens or smoke zones.”
“Smoke is all very well, but for this mission I’d like to hear more of the high-explosive capability.”
“Certainly, Hauptsturmführer. One of the main advantages of the Nebelwerfer 41 is that it can mass its projectiles on a very small target area. With advanced observers, the infantry can assure manoeuvrability for itself and a concentration of its firepower upon the most important points. Projectors are placed well toward the front, ahead of the artillery, so that they will be able to eliminate hostile command posts, destroy hostile positions, and even repulse sudden attacks effectively. It is essential that the firing positions of the projectors are always carefully built up so that the weapons can give strong support to the infantry.”