The truth behind the book The Cross of Iron

[Michael Dorosh]

I just found an article on the internet about the unit the book The Cross of Iron (and later the movie) was based on. The author gave me permission to put it on one of my sites, plus gave me additional info on his uncle and his friend. The link is Right Here

I am thinking mabye 121.4 might make a good CMBB scenario....Might have to talk to this gentleman further.

Incidentally, his father was a Fallschirmjäger, his site is at This URL

Did Jäger regiments differ much from a standard Infantry division, in practice - and if so, will they be portrayed as such in CMBB?

[Mace]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Michael Dorosh:

I just found an article on the internet about the unit the book The Cross of Iron (and later the movie) was based on. <hr></blockquote>

Something that may be unknown is that the book by Willi Brandt was originally published in English as "The Willing Flesh".

It has been republished as "Cross of Iron" as a result of the movie with the same name.

Mace

[Michael Dorosh]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Mace:

Something that may be unknown is that the book by Willi Brandt was originally published in English as "The Willing Flesh".

It has been republished as "Cross of Iron" as a result of the movie with the same name.

Mace<hr></blockquote>

Willi Brandt or Willi Heinrich? Brandt is one of the characters in the English version of the book. That is good to know, thanks, I can make use of it. I also own CRACK OF DOOM (in English) and don't remember being too impressed by it.

[Andrew H.]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Michael Dorosh:

Willi Brandt or Willi Heinrich? Brandt is one of the characters in the English version of the book. That is good to know, thanks, I can make use of it. I also own CRACK OF DOOM (in English) and don't remember being too impressed by it.<hr></blockquote>

Willi Brandt (a Willi Brandt) was also the chancellor of Germany in the early 70's; I think he won a Nobel Peace Prize.

[Andreas]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Andrew Hedges:

Willi Brandt (a Willi Brandt) was also the chancellor of Germany in the early 70's; I think he won a Nobel Peace Prize.<hr></blockquote>

Here is a link to his bio in English. He was in the left resistance movement in Norway during the war, and became mayor of West Berlin in the 1960s. In 1968 he became the first Social Democratic chancellor (prime minister) of West Germany. His election marked (finally) a break with the Nazi past, amongst other things. His key achievement was the Neue Ostpolitik (new policy towards East Germany), de facto accepting East Germany as a state, while keeping the de jure formula that it was not. This enabled Germany to join the UN, IIRC. The single most important symbolic act he did commit was to fall on his knees at the memorial for the victims of the 1943 rising in the Warsaw Ghetto. Judging the man, it most likely was not for show. The German right wing was livid about it, and a good thing that was.

In 1974, he had to resign because one of his closest aides turned out to be a spy for the East Germans. His successor, ironically, became Helmut Schmidt also a Social Democrat, a Wehrmacht officer during the war, who participated in operation Barbarossa as a Lieutenant in a Flak unit attached to a Panzerdivision in AG North, IIRC. Brandt stayed party chairman, and was influential until his death in various functions, amongst them work for the UN. He died in 1992.

[Andreas]

Bringing this back on topic - very interesting read Michael, good stuff digging it out.

Ischlwalzer, eh?

[Holdit]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Michael Dorosh:

...I also own CRACK OF DOOM (in English) and don't remember being too impressed by it.<hr></blockquote>

I've read Crack of Doom too, except my edition was titled "The Savage Mountain". While not in the same league as The Willing Flesh, I found it a great read. Although I was more interested in the story of problems caused by the missing general and the efforts to keep the division in order in the face of the Russian attack than I was in to other sub-plot about the hunt for the partisans.

Cross of Iron itself is a great read, and in my opinion a reading of it will show how, while Pekinpah's film might look good, it isn't anything like as good as it could have been.

Yes, I think hill 121.4 would make an excellent CMBB battle or perhaps an operation with just two battles: the Russian attack and the German counterattack.

Regards,

Paul

[Michael Dorosh]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Andreas:

Ischlwalzer, eh?<hr></blockquote>

Que?

[Mace]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Michael Dorosh:

Willi Brandt or Willi Heinrich? <hr></blockquote>

Whoops, me bad!

Of course it was Monday when I posted the message, and my brain wasn't running up to full speed.

Come to think about it, my brain never runs up to full speed!

Mace

[Stoffel]

Nice reading Michael

I live near Hilversum where those Paratroopers trained,its a small airfield where today parachutists still train.

There are several German build bunkers at the edge of the field

my entire family lives in that town

My grandmother told me few things about the war

She never really wanted to tell us anything about those years.

Only that they had a cow in their street,it was their secret and they managed to keep it alive throughout the war.

She also told me several german soldiers lived in her street,they were houses with locals NSB people.

After all its a small world