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interview // german // 5:07 Min // 13.06.2008
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The reason was: the political prisoners, who were unworthy for the army, were living in Germany. And the Germans were dying at all possible fronts. Slowly but surely, they were short on personnel. So
there was the idea to establish these ones as kamikaze mission you just throw in. That was, why we were militarily equipped like this. As a self-dependent unit, we were able to absorb counter strikes of the allies. If we would have moved back, we would have been shot down from behind. So, we were downright kamikaze missions. That was their basic idea – you know. That is how it was meant for the bigger units, for divisions. And that was how the operations were. Typical: our operation on a hillside, were we would have been shot down by the American artillery straight after our first shot. No one would have survived. So was the military operation on many sections of the front. Literature about this
does exist. The principle was: extermination of the politicals; they were to perish in the war and not survive. The companies were assembled as follows: 1/3 political prisoners, 1/3 criminals and 1/3 officers, corporals and lance-corporals who were mainly Nazis. You had to be really careful if you did not really know the political prisoners. Any comments or thoughts – it was very easy to get shot. – You know – well, some did know each other. That happened, as well. They had been in prison together and now, met again after many years. Now you didn’t always know how somebody thought in 1940 or 42, who had been imprisoned in 1934/35/36 – right? – You know – you did notice and in time you had contact to the political ones. We were all political prisoners. We had made sure of that – you know – that no other one would join us. That was important - even there. The training: We did not have a pass. Well, later on, when we were in Belgium, we did. There was always a corporal walking along with us (with 3 or 5 men) who had to make sure that no one started to talk to other people. But, in Belgium – as we were not the first ones there – they knew that in this punishment battalion 999 there were many political prisoners. That was known. After that we went to France and to Italy, as well.
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