European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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That was in March. Around the beginning of April – the Rommel-army had pulled back quite a bit –
That was in March. Around the beginning of April – the Rommel-army had pulled back quite a bit –
Das war ja dann März. Ab Anfang April so was - die Rommel-Armee, die hatte sich ja auch schon weit zurückgezogen-. -
arouse this mood between us, too.
arouse this mood between us, too.
Na ja, jedenfalls wir … Und da kam auch solche Stimmung auf -
Our sergeant, a confirmed Nazi, said:
Our sergeant, a confirmed Nazi, said:
und unser Feldwebel, ein eingefleischter Nazi, der sagte: -
“Don’t you think it will be the way it was in 1918!
“Don’t you think it will be the way it was in 1918!
„Denkt nicht, hier ist es so wie 1918! -
Whoever steps out of line here, will be bumped off at once.”
Whoever steps out of line here, will be bumped off at once.”
Wer hier aus der Reihe tanzt, der wird sofort umgelegt.“ -
He tried to get control straight away.
He tried to get control straight away.
Also so versuchte er seine Befehlsgewalt auch gleich fest in die Hand zu bekommen. -
We were in some barracks in Tunis.
We were in some barracks in Tunis.
Wir waren erst in einer Kaserne in Tunis. -
There we had to guard the gates.
There we had to guard the gates.
Da hatten wir Torwache. -
The ones who had been moved for disciplinary reasons were graded for that, and so we were there, as well.
The ones who had been moved for disciplinary reasons were graded for that, and so we were there, as well.
Da wurden Strafversetzte dazu eingeteilt, da waren wir auch mit bei. -
In Kairouan the front came to a deadlock.
In Kairouan the front came to a deadlock.
Und in Kairouan, da ist die Front zum Stillstand gekommen. -
We thought: ‘Well, if the Americans come further, we will hand over the barracks.
We thought: ‘Well, if the Americans come further, we will hand over the barracks.
Und wir dachten: ‚Na ja, wenn die Amerikaner jetzt weiter kommen, dann übergeben wir denen die Kaserne. -
We will be able to prevent an opposition somehow.’
We will be able to prevent an opposition somehow.’
Einen Widerstand werden wir dann schon verhindern können.’ -
But it came to nothing.
But it came to nothing.
Aber daraus ist nichts geworden. -
Afterwards we were appointed in the mountains.
Afterwards we were appointed in the mountains.
Wir sind dann nachher eingesetzt worden, in den Bergen. -
Grenade launchers lie in ambush.
Grenade launchers lie in ambush.
Granatwerfer, die schießen ja aus dem Hinterhalt. -
And we were positioned on a plateau, where the Americans could see and directly shoot us.
And we were positioned on a plateau, where the Americans could see and directly shoot us.
Und wir wurden eingesetzt auf ’nem Plateau, wo der Amerikaner mit direktem Beschuss uns sehen konnte. -
We were on a downright kamikaze mission.
We were on a downright kamikaze mission.
Also, ein regelrechtes Himmelfahrtskommando waren wir. -
If we had shot, we would have been bombarded – we wouldn’t have survived.
If we had shot, we would have been bombarded – we wouldn’t have survived.
Hätten wir da geschossen, wären wir auch gleich da eben so bombardiert worden – hätten nicht überlebt. -
So we placed the grenade launcher there, moved along for another 20m and then one said:
So we placed the grenade launcher there, moved along for another 20m and then one said:
Und wir haben dann unseren Granatwerfer dort hingestellt und dann so 20 m weiter, oder ich weiß nicht mehr wie viel, sagt er: -
“We will build something, so we can protect ourselves from the direct bombardment a little bit.”
“We will build something, so we can protect ourselves from the direct bombardment a little bit.”
„Hier bauen wir uns jetzt das so, dass wir uns vor direktem Beschuss so etwas schützen können.“