Drugs for German soldiers

[Christoph Awender]

There was a "Merblatt über Ermüdungsbekämpfung" ("Pervitin-Merkblatt") (i.e. "instructions for prophylactics against fatigue") edited 16.06.1943 by
Oberfeldarzt Prof. Dr. med. Otto F. Ranke from the "Institut für Allgemeine und Wehrphysiologie" in der Lehrgruppe C (Forschungsinstitute) der Militärärztlichen Akademie Berlin.
(Bundesarchiv / MIlitärarchiv H 20 / 283, 285)

Dieter Zinke

I have it if someone would be interested.

\Christoph

[PC4U]

Hello Christoph, do you have it in an online version (for example .pdf) or a paper version?

I would be very interested in reading it, or any other mannuals you have. :0)

All the best
Tom Stewart.

[PC4U]

So has this thread died a death then?

[Christoph Awender]

Hello Christoph, do you have it in an online version (for example .pdf) or a paper version?

I would be very interested in reading it, or any other mannuals you have. :0)

All the best
Tom Stewart.

No not yet online. I will scan it after the weekend.

\Christoph

[PPoS]

Yeah, it would be interesting to read .. But I suppose it's in german right ?

[PC4U]

Hello Christoph, do you have it in an online version (for example .pdf) or a paper version?

I would be very interested in reading it, or any other mannuals you have. :0)

All the best
Tom Stewart.

No not yet online. I will scan it after the weekend.

\Christoph

Thank you.
Tom.

[seaburn]

I'm reviving this old thread as it covers the same topic I would like to know more about. Has there been any published evidence since this thread was active that German troops were given drugs before battle ? I ask because I have been reading various testimonies from escaped Allied personnel who were captured by German troops in the first days of the Normandy landing. Many of these soldiers were captured by units of the 12th SS HJ and there is a consistent allegation that the troops were drugged as they were 'crazed and acting in an excited and manic' way - one saying that he could tell they were doped by the state of their eyes.

It was interesting to read a previous post about allegations made by the Americans during the Ardennes battle, I had wondered if the situation with the 12th was a once off, or alternatively that these boy soldiers had been wound up to the point of frenzy by their Officers and were on a natural 'high' as the long anticipated battle finally commenced.

As these testimonies are from the first few days after D Day, its doubtful that it would have been a drug to keep the men awake - it sounds more like (in my very limited knowledge) a drug that would make someone feel invincible and more aggressive. Does anyone have any insights?

[Christoph Awender]

Hello,

Oh sorry I see I promised to scan the document but forgot.

seaburn usually medicaments which keep you awake have the side effect which you describe and it perfectly fits to the first day(s) of D-Day as there was not much sleep recommended and to get during the first decisive hours/days.


/Christoph

[alycatz]

I'm reviving this old thread as it covers the same topic I would like to know more about. Has there been any published evidence since this thread was active that German troops were given drugs before battle ? I ask because I have been reading various testimonies from escaped Allied personnel who were captured by German troops in the first days of the Normandy landing. Many of these soldiers were captured by units of the 12th SS HJ and there is a consistent allegation that the troops were drugged as they were 'crazed and acting in an excited and manic' way - one saying that he could tell they were doped by the state of their eyes.

It was interesting to read a previous post about allegations made by the Americans during the Ardennes battle, I had wondered if the situation with the 12th was a once off, or alternatively that these boy soldiers had been wound up to the point of frenzy by their Officers and were on a natural 'high' as the long anticipated battle finally commenced.

As these testimonies are from the first few days after D Day, its doubtful that it would have been a drug to keep the men awake - it sounds more like (in my very limited knowledge) a drug that would make someone feel invincible and more aggressive. Does anyone have any insights?

Would you have these eyewitness accounts by link?

Regrading your last statment, the drug may be used for the two purposes? Feeling invincible /more aggressive and staying awake for long periods of time.

[David Thompson]

seaburn -- You asked:

As these testimonies are from the first few days after D Day, its doubtful that it would have been a drug to keep the men awake - it sounds more like (in my very limited knowledge) a drug that would make someone feel invincible and more aggressive. Does anyone have any insights?

You might find these articles of interest:

Andreas Ulrich, "The Nazi Death Machine: Hitler's Drugged Soldiers" (Der Spiegel)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/the ... 54606.html
Fabienne Hurst, "WWII Drug: The German Granddaddy of Crystal Meth" (Der Spiegel)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/ger ... 01755.html
Megan Garber, “Pilot’s Salt: The Third Reich Kept Its Soldiers Alert With Meth” (Atlantic Monthly)
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/a ... th/276429/

[seaburn]

Would you have these eyewitness accounts by link?

Regrading your last statment, the drug may be used for the two purposes? Feeling invincible /more aggressive and staying awake for long periods of time.

No, No links on these, this information was not found on the internet. They are from statements of captured Canadian POWs who lived to tell the tale. These statements can be found in the British National Archives and probably other archives in the different allied countries I presume. Two accounts as follows but there are others I've seen which describe German troops as 'Hollering' and 'excitable' leading their captives assuming they were drugged.


Frederick Ragnar Halverson - Royal Winnipeg Rifles

‘The troops that cut us and captured us were SS and Paratroopers. A lot of them were just kids and appeared to be doped’ (WO309/1172- 225. Source: BNA)

Cpl Le Bar- Canadian RWF

‘I always felt the SS troops were acting in a very queer inhuman way and certainly in battle like mad men, not shirking to advance into direct fire. I thought many times that they may have been doped as their eyes were always dilated’ (TS26/856-187-Source: BNA)


Can you explain your last comment, you have repeated what I've written but I'm not sure if you are asking me something here?



'D.T' - Thank you for the links.

[Christoph Awender]

Hello,

Well, don´t exagerate the terms"doped" "under drugs" etc...
The doses "drug addicted Junkies" take are hundreds to thousand times higher as given and used by soldiers in the field. The medical officers giving them out were very well Aware of the health risks and side effects.
The normal hormones etc.. which are produced by the body in life threatening aka combat situations, no sleep, stress etc.. can also cause such symptoms described by allied soldiers. BTW... allies also had their substances...

Dilated eyes-- which means fully opened pupils also under full light which would be a sign of metamphetamine use, yes.
In photos it is impossible to tell what you would like to see.

/Christoph

[seaburn]

I agree 'C.A.' that the young HJ soldiers who are the ones mainly described by the accounts I've seen would have been naturally 'pumped up' as I mentioned in a previous post. It must also be kept in mind that those observations were not made by medical personal and of course the veracity of these allegations could not be proven in these individual accounts, but it also has to be accepted that this is what these captured troops thought at the time.

Do you know if present day forces would be allocated similar substances, ones without the now known side-effects ?