From: Ron Gillen (gillen@NCONNECT.NET)
Date: Sun Feb 04 2001 - 19:51:28 PST
I have also been told that in defense of german soil the Hitler Youth fought against US infantry and tanks. Very late in the war I believe that youngsters a young as 12 were employed in the defense of Germany, they were issued rifles and "Panzer Faust" cardboard tube anti tank rockets and fired at tanks from foxholes. They were also commonly used as messengers in combat. Not part of the regular German army but part of the home guard and attached to the army as a last ditch stand as were relatively elder men, mostly veterans of WWI, US troops were reluctant to fire at these kids and seniors but were forced to do so under the circumstances. Their uniforms were gray green and quite similar to that of the regular German army. An armored task force relief column attempting to reach a PW camp in southern Germany which housed Patton's son-in-law over a hundred miles beyond the US front lines was defeated and overrun and wiped out by youthful cadets, average age 17, from a SS training school. Patton who sent the column was severely censured for that operation . After the war officially ended an organized group of young Germans called the "werewolves" operated in southern Germany from forest lairs as commandos and continued warfare using hit and run tactics until finally hunted down and eradicated Ron Gillen Rg =============================================== "E. Blaschke" wrote: > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Gabriella Taylor > To: MEMORIES@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDUSent: Sunday, February 04, 2001 7:06 > PMSubject: Re: Specifics on H_tler Youth, Please > Hi There, > > Thank you, one and all, for your contributions. > > I must strongly differ and disagree with the lady from Austria. > Hitler Youth > was nothing like the "Girl Scouts" and it WAS totally affiliated with > the SS > and Hitler... eventually at 17 (even younger during desperate times), > the > kids were released from school early so that they could join in > combat, etc.Hitler youth was in some way similar to boy scouts, it had > a political instead of religious orientation. Hitler youth were > helping in disasters, sometimes in harvesting crops, I believe, - they > sold tokens for the "Winterhilfswerk", a charity helping people in > winter-time, just like apples are sold by boy-scouts in this country. > There were large sports rallies in which the Hitler youths took part > and enjoyed them I am sure.When you speak of kids being released from > school for combat, this is what actually happened: They were given an > hour during school hours to be trained in target practice with guns. > It wasn't "combat" (with an enemy).As to torture, I am sure that many > of my older friends would have told me about it, if there was any. You > must expect the same "torture" as in basic military training in the > US, I am sure it is no picnic. And when you suspect sexual abuse you > can be sure that there was none. It would have been totally contrary > to the military ethics and Nazi propaganda, and if the Germans were > anything, they were thorough and dedicated to their (peculiar) > standards of ethics. While a Jew would have been easily subject to > sexual abuse, no Hitler Youth would have been so abused in my > view.Finally it was "natural" to join the Hitler youth at a certain > age, and later the army. There is safety in numbers. Only "leaders" > would have any connection with the SS, other than that Hitler Youth > meant no more party allegiance than being a soldier in the German army > would have. Of course, young people are often more dedicated to a > cause, such as the communist Kosomol was in Russia, but all in all I > believe Gabriella's research led her to much too dark a picture. Just > for your info, I lived in Vienna during the war, was 14 when the war > ended, was told to join the DJ (Deutsche Jugend - young HJ), took part > in selling tokens on the street for good causes, then attended the > first training session with guns. At that point I was told by a leader > to not bother coming back, since they found out that my mother was > classified as Jewish. But all my school-friends were part of the > organization and I spent much time with them and would have heard > about any problems or abuse. Hitler Youth, from what I've researched > and from what I've been told > personally was a "German" training ground of indoctrination and even > torture > in order to make sure that the children were capable of being real, > true, > strong Germans who could tolerate anything, any kind of physical or > mental > pain. > > Thank you everyone for the web sites. > > with all best, > > gabriella > =========== > =========== >