Die Grenadiere

(Source)

"Good Lord, do they all have automatic weapons?" Leutnant Manfred Sauer couldn't believe his eyes. Their grenadier company had arrived and it seemed that every man carried the Stg 44 assault rifle,¹ those that didn't were specialists (radio men, machine gun crewman, and the like.) This was the first time Sauer had seen one of the grenadier companies which made up the new Volksgrenadier divisions.

"Huh, Volksgrenadier, very German that is." Hauptfeldwebel Klaus-Peter Keller remarked.

"I suppose so, Spieß." Sauer thought that it smacked of the Nazi's insane racial theories, but he didn't say it aloud, you never knew who might be listening. Also who might seek favor for reporting what some called "Anti-German activity." More like "Anti-Nazi" was Sauer's opinion. He did not equate the Nazis with Germany, after all Hitler was an Austrian!

"You know, I saw the report on these guys, seems that they're mostly Austrians, recruited there anyway. Say Manfred, are you all right?"

Sauer had had a choking fit, or so it seemed when Keller mentioned these Volksgrenadiers being Austrian. He had damned near swallowed his tongue trying to stifle a laugh.

"Ja, ja, I'm fine Klaus-Peter. Perhaps my collar is too tight."

"Of course, well, Herr Leutnant, I have to go get these men settled in. Makes a nice addition to the Kampfgruppe though, 120 more men. Lots of automatic weapons too."

"Well, they're pretty, but can they fight?" Sauer said under his breath.

Major Jürgen von Lüttwitz looked up from his desk at the nattily attired captain who had stepped into the bar area of the Gasthaus which was serving as the battle group's headquarters, "Can I help you Hauptmann?"

Snapping off a Hitler salute, the man reported in, "Heil Hitler! Beg to report Herr Major, I am Hauptmann Hans Koch, commanding Grenadierkompanie Koch! My unit is at full strength, 120 men, twelve Opel Blitz LKWs² and one Kübelwagen."

Von Lüttwitz sat back and studied the new arrival for a moment. His uniform and equipment all looked brand new, no doubt his men were similarly decked out. Germany couldn't afford to properly equip veteran units at the front, yet could spend time and Reichsmarks on raising up new units composed of young boys.

"Yes, at ease Hauptmann Koch. I have your unit roster right here, you are lavishly equipped with automatic weapons I see, the new StG 44 primarily. You say you have LKWs and yet I see you still have horse handlers on your roster. Odd that."

"Sir, I don't question what the high command chooses to call them, they assigned them to my unit, we don't have any horses, wagons, or carts for that matter. Most of the new grenadier companies are horse drawn, we were motorized for some reason."

"Well, I'm sure OKH³ had their reasons. What shape are your vehicles in?"

Hauptmann Koch paused for a moment, then said, "Fairly good shape Sir, only two broke down on the way here - we had to tow them in, but the others will get by."

"Do you have any mechanics assigned? Or just horse handlers?" von Lüttwitz had never understood the idiots in the rear who blithely assigned horse handlers to a motorized unit. It wasn't like that in the early years, he thought.

"No Sir, but a few of my boys know enough to keep them running. As long as we have fuel and oil. The old beasts do tend to burn a lot of oil." Koch said.

"Quite, I'll have my mechanics look them over. We're moving forward to the border in the next few days. Later today I will brief you and my other leaders on what is in store. Go see to your men, get them food and a place to sleep tonight. I see you fellows are mostly Austrian, raised and recruited in Reichsgau Salzburg."

"Yes Sir, I think a couple of the men are actually Bavarian, like me, but yes, we're an Austrian unit. If that is all Sir?"

Von Lüttwitz nodded and said, "Dismissed."

Hauptmann Koch threw his arm out in the Hitler salute and began to bellow the usual Hitler greeting when von Lüttwitz interrupted him.

"You can stop that nonsense right now Hauptmann, this is the Army, not the SS, not the SA, nor any other Party organization. At the front we try not to salute, the Amis love to shoot German officers, and they have some very good marksmen. So nod your head, wave, anything but salute. Are we clear Hauptmann?"

"Jawohl Herr Major!"

"Now go, go, I have paperwork to attend to, I see you have a full complement of staff. Effective immediately I am commandeering them for my staff. All I have right now is a messenger, your staff men will be of immediate benefit to the Kampfgruppe. Also I want to see your platoon leaders and your Hauptfeldwebel within the hour. Now go!"

Studying Grenadierkompanie Koch's roster, von Lüttwitz was impressed by the weaponry the men carried. A lot of fully automatic weapons, mostly carried by men who averaged 17 years of age. He fully expected that these young boys would go through a lot of ammunition. He doubted they had much training at all. And the offensive would begin in less than a week!

I don't have high hopes for this adventure, but maybe I can keep most of these boys alive. We shall see, von Lüttwitz thought, we shall see...

Grenadierkompanie Koch:

Hauptmann Hans Koch Kompanieführer

Kompanietrupp
Unterfeldwebel Paul Wolf Kompanietruppführer
Oberfeldwebel Otto Böhm Hauptfeldwebel
Unteroffizier Wolf Weber Rechnungsführer
Unteroffizier Egon Meyer Gerätunteroffizier
Unteroffizier Emil Braun Sanitätsunteroffizier
Gefreiter Lars Maier Melder
Grenadier Arndt Lang Melder
Grenadier Heinz Roth Melder
Obergefreiter Götz Müller Funker
Gefreiter Eike Becker Funker
Grenadier Horst Bauer Funker
Grenadier Klaus Klein Funker
Obergefreiter Uwe Neumann Scharfschütze
Gefreiter Josef Meier Scharfschütze
Gefreiter Ernst Vogel Scharfschütze
Gefreiter Olaf Ludwig Scharfschütze
Grenadier Thomas Haas Scharfschütze
Grenadier Wenzel Graf Scharfschütze
Obergefreiter Arnold Kühn Pferdeführer

1. Sturmzug
Leutnant Norbert Pohl Zugführer

Zugtrupp
Gefreiter Hugo Schmidt Melder
Grenadier Otto Fischer Melder
Obergefreiter Ehren Wagner Schütze für Gewehrgranatgerät
Grenadier Fritz Schulz Schütze für Gewehrgranatgerät
Grenadier Karl Richter Schütze für Gewehrgranatgerät
Grenadier Ewald Krüger Krankenträger
Gefreiter Harold Lange Fahrer vom Bock
Obergefreiter Josef Lehmann Pferdeführer

1. Sturmgruppe
Unteroffizier Knut Schulze Gruppenführer
Obergefreiter Lotar Köhler Stellvertreter Gruppenführer
Grenadier Oswald König Schütze
Grenadier Walter Fuchs Schütze
Grenadier Bernd Scholz Schütze
Grenadier Carolus Weiß Schütze
Grenadier Delbert Hahn Schütze
Grenadier Kurt Baumann Schütze

2. Sturmgruppe
Obergefreiter Robert Kraus Gruppenführer
Gefreiter Hermann Otto Stellvertreter Gruppenführer
Grenadier Michael Groß Schütze
Grenadier Aribert Kuhn Schütze
Grenadier Baldur Engel Schütze
Grenadier Herbert Horn Schütze
Grenadier Herwig Busch Schütze
Grenadier Marcus Voigt Schütze

Feuergruppe
Unteroffizier Marius Sauer Gruppenführer
Gefreiter Moritz Wolff Stellvertreter Gruppenführer
Obergefreiter Gert Hoffmann M.G.-Schütze 1
Grenadier Rolf Schröder M.G.-Schütze 2
Gefreiter Hanno Schäfer M.G.-Schütze 1
Grenadier Holger Krause M.G.-Schütze 2
Grenadier Jürgen Schmid Munitions-Schütze
Grenadier Othmar Walter Munitions-Schütze

2. Sturmzug
Oberfeldwebel Otto Meyer Zugführer

Zugtrupp
Gefreiter Rudolph Huber Melder
Grenadier Werner Peters Melder
Obergefreiter Christof Jung Schütze für Gewehrgranatgerät
Grenadier Gunther Frank Schütze für Gewehrgranatgerät
Grenadier Hellmuth Beck Schütze für Gewehrgranatgerät
Grenadier Wulfhelm Vogt Krankenträger
Gefreiter Andreas Jäger Fahrer vom Bock
Obergefreiter Martin Arnold Pferdeführer

1. Sturmgruppe
Unteroffizier Sven Schneider Gruppenführer
Obergefreiter August Schwarz Stellvertreter Gruppenführer
Grenadier Gustav Hofmann Schütze
Grenadier Helmut Schmitt Schütze
Grenadier Helmuth Werner Schütze
Grenadier Theodor Kaiser Schütze
Grenadier Fridolf Keller Schütze
Grenadier Günther Berger Schütze

2. Sturmgruppe
Obergefreiter Leopold Franke Gruppenführer
Gefreiter Nicolaus Simon Stellvertreter Gruppenführer
Grenadier Wernher Krämer Schütze
Grenadier Norbert Seidel Schütze
Grenadier Alfred Ziegler Schütze
Grenadier Lorentz Thomas Schütze
Grenadier Harald Hartmann Schütze
Grenadier Henning Schmitz Schütze

Feuergruppe
Unteroffizier Magnus Herrmann Gruppenführer
Gefreiter Bernhard Möller Stellvertreter Gruppenführer
Obergefreiter Egbert Schubert M.G.-Schütze 1
Grenadier Ludger Albrecht M.G.-Schütze 2
Gefreiter Johannes Lorenz M.G.-Schütze 1
Grenadier Ludolf Schuster M.G.-Schütze 2
Grenadier Reinhold Winter Munitions-Schütze
Grenadier Matthias Sommer Munitions-Schütze

Gewehrzug
Feldwebel Reinhart Brandt Zugführer

Zugtrupp
Grenadier Urban Schreiber Melder
Grenadier Robert Pfeiffer Melder
Obergefreiter Eitel Zimmermann Schütze für Gewehrgranatgerät
Grenadier Heinrich Winkler Schütze für Gewehrgranatgerät
Grenadier Siegfried Martin Schütze für Gewehrgranatgerät
Grenadier Wolfgang Schulte Krankenträger
Gefreiter Wolfram Dietrich Fahrer vom Bock
Obergefreiter Fredrik Friedrich Pferdeführer

1. Gruppe
Unterfeldwebel Friedrich Günther Gruppenführer
Obergefreiter Walter Schumacher Stellvertreter Gruppenführer
Gefreiter Reinhard Heinrich M.G.-Schütze 1
Grenadier Karlheinz Bergmann M.G.-Schütze 2
Grenadier Vollrath Lang Schütze
Grenadier Walther Scholz Schütze
Grenadier Wilhelm Möller Schütze
Grenadier Bastian Weiß Schütze

2. Gruppe
Unteroffizier Ferdinand Jung Gruppenführer
Obergefreiter Gottlieb Hahn Stellvertreter Gruppenführer
Gefreiter Karl-Heinz Schubert M.G.-Schütze 1
Grenadier Klaus-Peter Vogel M.G.-Schütze 2
Grenadier Maximilian Friedrich Schütze
Grenadier Reinhardt Keller Schütze
Grenadier Ruprecht Günther Schütze
Grenadier Sigmund Frank Schütze

3. Gruppe
Unteroffizier Theobald Berger Gruppenführer
Obergefreiter Waldemar Winkler Stellvertreter Gruppenführer
Gefreiter Albrecht Roth M.G.-Schütze 1
Grenadier Dietrich Beck M.G.-Schütze 2
Grenadier Gottschalk Lorenz Schütze
Grenadier Hansjörg Baumann Schütze
Grenadier Sigismund Franke Schütze
Grenadier Hans-Ulrich Albrecht Schütze

¹ The weapon is the Sturmgewehr 44, note that "Sturmgewehr" translates to "assault rifle."

² LKW - Lastkraftwagen, basically a truck. Or "lorry" if you will, for our cousins across the water.

³ OKH - Oberkommando des Heeres, Army High Command

Author's Note: Please forgive all the rosters I've put out lately. I like to know who the characters are and what their roles are, and who they're interacting with. It's the old sergeant in me (and a bit of the engineer in me) which likes everything written down real proper like and just so. Apologies...

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