Description
Object description
German civilian in Hamburg, Germany, 1933-1940; driver and NCO served with 175th Anti-Tank Detachment, 75th Infantry Div in Poland and Soviet Union, 1941
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of civilian in Hamburg, Germany, 1933-1940: family background; question of joining Hitler Youth from Boy Scouts; employment as civilian aircraft worker with German Air Force; major accident with Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers; fear of Allied initiative in west; refusal to join German Air Force; start of engineering studies; reaction to Norwegian Campaign, 1940; continuation of studies; Royal Air Force bombing of Hamburg; father's reaction to French Campaign, 5/1940-6/1940; his clash of opinion with father over French Campaign, 5/1940-6/1940. Aspects of enlistment and training with German Army in Germany, 1940: call-up for military service, 8/1940; inability to get exemption from military service.
REEL 2 Continues: training at Coburg; his refusal of officer training. Aspects of period as driver with 175th Anti-Tank Detachment, 75th Infantry Div in Poland, 1941: move to Polish/Soviet Union border; attitude towards sight of Jewish forced labour gangs; effects of anti-Semitic propaganda; purge of Jews from German Army; propaganda against Polish population; build up for offensive against Soviet Union. Recollections of operations as driver with 175th Anti-Tank Detachment, 75th Infantry Div in Soviet Union, 1941: start of invasion of Soviet Union, 6/1941; purchase of maps; rate of advance; firing of Rheinmetall 3.7cm Pak 36 Anti-Tank Gun; vehicles used to tow anti-tank guns.
REEL 3 Continues: nature of instruction received; ethics of anti-tank gunnery; shortage of drivers; atmosphere and daily routine in field unit; fitness training; accommodation in Poland prior to invasion of Soviet Union; pressure for promotion; briefing for invasion of Soviet Union; company command structure and organisation of unit; deployment of battalion; pattern of training; attitude towards invasion of Soviet Union and Communism.
REEL 4 Continues: advance across River Bug, Poland; nature of advance; effects of bombing; reaction in unit to first casualty; problems with Soviet Army bunkers; rate of advance and nature of roads; impressions of civilian population and Soviet Army stragglers; personal capture of seven Soviet prisoners; character of Soviet Army uniforms and equipment; opinion of own uniform; digging in at night and problems of sleeping; lack of food and petrol supplies; effect of conditions on his civilian towing vehicle; how his disabled vehicle was run over by T-34 Tank; promotion to Gefreiter; use of captured Soviet vehicle; problem of using Rheinmetall 3.7cm Pak 36 Anti-Tank Gun against T-34 Tanks; deployment of anti-tank screen; range of 37mm Anti-Tank Gun.
REEL 5 Continues: use of Junkers Ju 87 Stuka aircraft to stop T-34 Tank attack, 8/1941; unit casualties; reaction to attack; range of engagement with T-34 Tanks; how anti-tank shells bounced off T-34 Tank; loss of guns; nature of terrain; severe losses to infantry company during engagement; how his unit acted as infantry to attack village; relations with civilian population; German attack on Kiev; lack of information; his wounding by mortar fire in front of Kiev; organisation of medical services in battalion; panic evacuation of field hospital.
REEL 6 Continues: improvement in conditions and return to unit; conditions in Kiev; behaviour of civilian population in Kiev; contracting lice and precautions against them; state of health; reasons why unit had halted; unopposed advance from Kiev; use of 88mm Anti-Aircraft Guns against T-34 Tanks; unit re-equipping with 50mm and former French 75mm Guns; performance of 75mm Gun; use of Soviet Army tractors; character of 50mm Gun; defence of village during winter 1941; Soviet Army battalion attack on dug in platoon near village; coping with cold weather conditions; nature of Soviet Army attack; refusal of adjacent platoon to provide ammunition.
