“So do the rounds pack a punch in their own right, Captain?” asked von Schroif.
“They certainly do, particularly as my weapon’s six barrels are fired successively, just one second apart. The high-explosive round contains over two kilograms of high-explosive; this is comparable◦— in weight, at least◦— to the high-explosive round used in the 105mm howitzer, but each of our pieces has the power of a battery falling in a small area.”
“Well, glad to have you aboard, Captain,” said von Schroif with a warmth that was missing from his exchanges with Dirlewanger. “Let’s hope your new weapon repays the obvious faith you have in it. In just over one hour we shall see. Now, gentlemen, pay close attention.” With that he turned his attention to the group.
“Gentlemen, I know that, like me, some of you have fought here before. We had some difficult days here, eh? Hard fighting and brave comrades, now biting into the grass. It’s now just two years since we took the fortress of Brest-Litovsk from the Poles… then we handed it straight over to the Reds! And now we have to take it back again. I know there has been some grumbling out there. I don’t need to remind you that, as soldiers, we don’t ask questions◦— we simply obey orders. I’m afraid you must now put all memories of ’39 behind you. What we are about to experience will make ’39 seem like a stroll down the Unter den Linden. From the intelligence reports, the garrison has been expanded and reinforced. Last time we had to resort to these…” Von Schroif drew his finely wrought SS dagger from its sheath. “You may rest assured that Ivan will not just hand the place over.”
Turning his attention to the map, he used his dagger to point out the salient features.
“The ancient fortress of Brześć lies at the confluence of the Muchawiec and Bug Rivers. It occupies the site of a medieval castle, and has been strengthened and reconstructed in Napoleonic times and then again in 1847. As you can see, gentlemen, the fortress is composed of a series of islands which are partly man-made and partly natural. It can be described as resembling a human eye. The citadel island is like the pupil while the concave sides of the three islands form the iris surrounding the pupil. The network of various rivers and canals are like the capillaries. The original Polish outermost defences of the west island are now on our side of the demarcation line, so that makes a natural jumping off point.
“The fortress occupies a strategic position in the Soviet lines. The Reds have strengthened it and will seek to hold it. Our task is to assist the 45th Infantry Division to seize the Brest fortress. It’s not going to be a walkover this time around; intelligence has identified elements of seven rifle battalions, one reconnaissance battalion and two artillery battalions. There also appear to be some specialised subunits of rifle regiments and corps subunits of the 6th Orlov Redstandard and 42nd Infantry division of the 28th Infantry Corps of the 4th Army, subunits of the 17th Redstandard, the Brest Frontier Guard detachment, and strong elements of the 33rd Engineering Regiment. We believe they have a number of tanks of the T-26 type. In all, the garrison could be as strong as 7,000 men.”
Von Schroif paused to allow the information to sink in.
“There are also a large number of civilians with many families located inside the fortress, and a large hospital.”
“Permission to speak, Hauptsturmführer?” The voice was Dirlewanger’s.
Von Schroif felt his heart sink into his boots, but decided in the interests of cohesion to allow the question. “Permission granted.”
“How are we to deal with untermensch civilians?” asked Dirlewanger.
“What do you mean?” replied von Schroif brusquely.
“Are they to be summarily executed?”
“Of course not, they are to be rounded up and detained and sent to the rear.”
“And the commissars?” asked Dirlewanger.
“The same applies,” came the curt reply from von Schroif.
“I dutifully report, Hauptsturmführer, that you may have overlooked the recent guidelines issued by General Eugen Müller on the 6th of May concerning the treatment of political commissars. It demands that any Soviet political commissar identified among captured troops be shot immediately as an enforcer in military forces of the communist ideology and the Soviet Communist Party line. According to the guidelines issued only last month, all those prisoners, civilian or military, who can be identified as ‘thoroughly bolshevized’ or as ‘active representatives of the Bolshevist ideology’ should also be instantly executed. We were given to understand that the guidelines are to be interpreted widely when civilians are involved.”
“You are correct. However, we do not expect to capture a large number of thoroughly bolshevized individuals.”
“How are we to judge the extent to which they have been ‘thoroughly bolshevized?’”
“You’ll have to use your own judgement, but I expect you to exercise caution.”
“But you do expect us to carry out the order issued by General Müller on the 6th of May?”
“I do not believe a written copy has been circulated,” said von Schroif truthfully.
“You are correct, Hauptsturmführer. The order was expressly required to be promulgated orally. You were briefed, I take it?”
The nodding heads of the other officers indicated that the order had been circulated and von Schroif was forced to admit that this was indeed the case.
“We’ve all heard it and I must stress that we have been told to maintain discipline,” said von Schroif.
“Discipline is a prerequisite. However, as I understand it, the shooting of all political commissars is necessary in order to avoid letting any captured commissar reach a POW camp in Germany where they might infect their own men and possibly find ways to communicate their ideas to the population of the Reich.”
Von Schroif was aware that Dirlewanger was leading the conversation for his own purposes. He no doubt had his own dark scheme in mind but he was taking valuable time away from the military aspects of the briefing. However, Dirlewanger was a highly skilled operator with very strong political connections. There was always the possibility that he was acting on behalf of the Gestapo and sending back information and seeking out signs of political disaffection. This new viper in their midst had to be handled with extreme caution.
“You must urge caution and consider if I, as your commanding officer, would order an execution.”
“You always were a good soldier, Hauptsturmführer. I shall make sure to ask myself the question when the need arises.” There was something about the emphasis which Dirlewanger placed on the word ‘good’, the tiniest hint of an extra stress which produced an unspoken, almost imperceptible, but undeniable suggestion that Dirlewanger was cynical concerning von Schroif’s approach.
“You mean if the need arises,” said von Schroif.
“I stand corrected, Hauptsturmführer.”
“Good. Well, that’s all clear then,” said von Schroif dismissively, swiftly turning his attention to the role of his own command for the benefit of the infantry officers.
“Gentlemen, as you are well aware, assault guns are strong when concentrated, but have no effect when used in small numbers. They are capable of forward fire only, since they have no turrets. Therefore, they are sensitive to attack from the flanks. This is why the guns must never be employed by themselves, but always in conjunction with infantry. These weapons may be considerably restricted by marshy land, thick woods, and natural or artificial obstacles. Moreover, they constitute large targets. They can see and hear little. Even during a battle, the assault guns occasionally must withdraw to cover and obtain fresh supplies of ammunition and fuel.”