Dirlewanger & Warsaw - again

[Rauli]

Found this:http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/vi ... sc&start=0

Another Sven Hassel or a plausible story?

Opinions?

[Fredd]

I read the whole story in Polish - it's very plausible, I see nothing unbelievable here whatsoever.

[Musashi]

I copied & pasted the article here. Its worth of reading. Please read it carefully.

Below it's the text of the interview with German soldier Mathias Schenk. Text was translated by Hermannek, Alphabet76, Brzeczyszczykiewicz and me. It was only initially verified. The final version will replace this one after it arrives from native speaker.

link to original Polish version is here: http://serwisy.gazeta.pl/df/1,34467,2242556.html

My Warsaw madness. The other side of the Warsaw Uprising.
by Wlodzimierz Nowak and Angelika Kuzniak.
23-08-2004

In Warsaw I took 19 fights on knives and bayonets. In cellars. In Warsaw, cellars were a second city. When you fight in a cellar, it's quiet, you don't see anything. I was faster. I killed that Pole. My most terrible experiences came from Warsaw.


Summer 1944. Mathi Schenk and Peter, his friend from the army, are eating bean soup at some inn. Both wearing the Wehrmacht uniforms. They somehow managed to leave the barracks and go the town. They talk about that fool Fels, and about some guys who yesterday escaped from the army. Mathi can't escape because Gestapo threated that they'll send his father on the Eastern front if he does so. He's the youngest soldier in the 46th Assault Brigade, they call him Bubi. Recently he had his 18th birthday. They're stationing near Bonn. They were incorporated by a trick. First, the Germans searched for volunteers to the SS, then to the new Assault Brigade. None came. So they announced that they need truck drivers. Boys were eager. Everyone wanted to drive. Mathi was lucky that he managed to get there. Germans gave them new uniforms, goggles and transported them near Bonn. They were welcomed by lieutenant Fels:
- You impudent swines, you look like some clowns, take that goggles off!

Since then there wasn't a single word about trucks.

The inn owner turns up the volume on a radio. They're talking about the Fuhrer, there was a assassination, he's probably dead. People ceased talking. Soldiers are riding motorcycles on the street. They hear orders. Suddenly, everyone runs out. They left the food, none paid. The inn owner hides behind the counter. Mathi and his friend escape trough the back door.
Huge mess in the barracks, the sirens are howling.
- Is Hitler dead? - some soldier asks.

- Shut your muzzles! Even if we're totally alone, we'll be loyal to our Fuhrer! Who hesitates, will be shot! - Fels shouts. He orders to place guards around the barracks. Soldiers are laughing - they don't even have their weapons!

After few days they get their rifles and grenades. Readiness. The orchestra was playing. They marched to the train station. They were sure that they're going to France. They were happy with that, because in France it's easier to escape. They had food for two days and lots of red wine in 20-liter barrels. Wagons don't have roofs, there is a hay on the floor. Comfortable. They drank, they sung. They played cards. People on the fields were waving. On the station they sent Bubi on the back of the train to get the next 20 litres of wine. The train was long, when it started to move Bubi couldn't get to his wagon. He sat all night on the stair between wagons. That's why he was the only one sober when at dawn they reached a village. He recognized that it was Poland - he saw flat terrain and houses with thatched roofs. They started drinking again. It was hot - 1st of August. They laid on the hay and listened to the clatter of the train wheels. Suddenly he saw that wood from the planks is splintering. Yelling, blood.
- Someone's shooting at us!
The train started to get back. Wounded people were dying, drunk people were waking up.
- Damn, they carried us on the Russian front!
Even the company's commander was staggering, he was incapable to fight. Some children asked for a bread. Soldier was running trough the filed, with his face covered in blood.
- There's an uprising in Warsaw! - he shouted.

In "Horsefly Village"

Summer 2004. 1200km- from Warsaw to Brullingen, small Belgian village near the border with Germany (on the one side of the street there's a Belgian pub, on the opposite - German one). Beautiful region with windmill power plants. Mathias Schenk lives in a small house with his wife and the youngest son. The house has thatched roof. Their grandparents called this place "Horsefly village" because of horseflies swarm living in the old oak.

There's a Saint Mary of Czestochowa painting over the fireplace. Gift from the Polish farmers, who saved the Mathias' life in 1945. We went to "Horsefly Village" to listen to his relation from the Warsaw Uprising. Relation coming from the opposite side. 78-year old Belgian Mathias Schenk, in 1944 18 year old Sturmpionier (Assault Engineer) is talking. His train was the last one which reached the uprising Warsaw at the 1st of August.
- It's impossible to say... - old man is frowning. - When the bodies are burning, they move. You can hear sounds, similar to moans. Back then I thought that they're still alive. And these flies, worms. How many people were killed in Warsaw? Some 350,000, yes?

The Captain's orderly

- Since I was a child, I always wanted to be a veterinarian. We had a farm. When in 1940 German army entered our village, I was 14. (The Eupen-Malmedy region is today's German-speaking Belgium. As a border area, it came from hands to hands. In 1919 it was accepted as a part of Belgium. Hitler after conquering Belgium incorporated this area to Reich). Some of the neighbours started to greet themselves with "Heil Hitler!". We said traditional "Guten Tag". They looked at us like we were traitors, because we didn't have swastikas in our windows. Nazis were asking my father, why I weren't in the Hilterjugend. They also interrogated my parents because my brothers escaped to the occupied Belgium. We had visits from Gestapo, they interrogated me too. The third brother was hiding in our neighbourhood. They caught him. He returned from the Russian Front heavily wounded.

My talented cousin Daniel was my best friend. He secretly made a radio for us. It could receivept only BBC. But our fathers caught us while we were listening. They’ve beaten us and destroyed the set.

Daniel was drafted to Wehrmacht. He became a radio specialist, later he died at Crimea.

I knew the way trough the border since I was a child. He helped the German Jews in escaping to Belgium, we smuggled food. Last time iI crossed the border on Easter 1944, in German uniform. Germans caught me, but I was lucky - the guard was Mr Furt, a shoemaker from Losheim. Before the war he made shoes for us. Now he let me to escape.

I received my summons for the obligatory work for the Reich at November 1943. My first Christmas outside home. 20 of us jumped trough the fence and went to the Mass. As a punishment we had do clean latrines and run trough the pile of shit singing Christmas carols. Half year later they drafted me to the army, my specialty -was engineer. Some of the boys escaped. I couldn't, because they were threatening me that they'll send my father to the Russian front. I hated the water exercises during my engineer course. I also didn't learn do swim, because our captain took me as his orderly.

I tried to figure out how I could get back home for few days. When our company's commander asked who has enough hens to furnish 100 eggs for the Easter breakfast, I lied and went on a 4-day vacation. I took the eggs from our neighbours. At the village they caught a Russian prisoner, who escaped from POW camp. They forced him to run naked on the street, beating him with batons. At this time there was an instruction how to treat a 'sub-humans'. My mother gave him a pair of shoes and some butter. Our neighbours reported this and next time we didn't received coupons for butter and shoes. When I was going back to the army, my mother gave me a black rosary.

Where have you been, pigs?

We were entering Warsaw, walking the cobblestones. Poles were shooting at us, but we haven't seen them. White flags on some buildings. I jumped in through a broken window. On the stairs I saw a dead man and a woman, both shot once in foreheads.

We were storming house by house, everywhere we saw dead civilians, women and children. Everyone had a hole in the forehead. We made our way to SS barracks. Another company, that drove the lorries, took the wrong turn and got straight to Polish positions. Few of the trucks were on flames, soldiers were running for their lives. Many have been running straight through the line of fire. Seregant fell few steps from me.

Next day we were ordered to capture some road. We went through small gardens. Our commander Lieutenant Fels was hurrying us forward. We had to blow up the doors of the building which from the fiercest fire was shot. We threw hand grenades in. Poles surrounded us. Short knife fight and we run out into the bushes. Four of the guys from our boxcar died. Fels once again was driving us to attack, but Poles were well covered. We could not withdraw because they were shooting at us from the back. All night we were sitting in these small gardens like scared animals. I was thirsty. I found some tomatoes. We were constantly shot at. Next evening the infantry came to the rescue, but we made no progress. Then the SS unit arrived. They looked strange, they had no ranks on their uniforms and smelled with vodka. They attacked at instant crying Hooorrraaay and were dying by dozens. Their commander dressed in black leather coat was raging in back, rallying his men to attack. Then came a tank. We rushed with SS troopers behind it. Few meters to buildings the tank was hit. It exploded and the soldier’s hat was thrown high up. We run back once more. He second tank was hesitating. We were covering the front as the SS men were running out the civilians out of their homes, SS men were positioning them around the tank, forcing some to sit on the armour. For the first time in my life I saw such a thing. They were rushing a Polish woman in the long coat. She was holding a little girl in her arms. People crowded on a tank were helping her to come up. Someone took the girl. When he was handing her back to mother, tank suddenly moved forward. the child fell down under the tracks and got crushed. Woman was screaming in terror. One of the SS men made a wry face and shot the woman in the head. They drove over. Those who tried to escape were killed by SS men.

The attack was successful. Poles were retreating. We chased behind them. Behind us civilians were going out of the cellars with their arms up. They were screaming ”nicht partisan” (we are not partisans). They were screaming. I haven't seen what is happening there because we were exchanging fire with Poles, but I heard as this SS commander in long black coat was shouting to his men to kill everyone including women and children.

Three of us have jumped into a house. We were at the ground floor, Poles attacked from basement and upper floors. All night we were burning some furniture to see something. Time after time we were fighting bayonet to bayonet. At dawn I saw that only two of us are alive. Fellow soldier had his throat slit. In every room there were bodies. The sniper was shooting at us from the next house. We’ve hit him, he fell down but caught the construction with his leg. He was hanging there upside down. He lived for the long time before he died. When we were returning, the bodies of Poles were scattered all over the streets. There was no other way than to walk on the dead people. In the heat they were rotting rapidly. Sun was covered with dust and smoke. Plenty of flies and worms. We were covered with sticky blood. We were welcomed by this fanatic fool Lt Fels. Where have you been, you cheeky pigs? He was cheering the SS for good job. I could eat nothing. We were all vomiting.

We called him "butcher"

In the barracks Bubi was told that this big SS man in black coat is Oscar Dirlewanger, and his people were the criminals released from prisons. He learned more about his ”comrades in arms” after the war. In 1940, at Himmler’s consent, Dirlewanger ordered the poachers out of prisons, because they possessed the shooting abilities and could set up the traps. Dirlewanger himself, the political sciences PhD and NSDAP member since 1923, has also been in prison before - for children molesting.

They were trained in Oranienburg Concentration Camp. They made themselves known for their numerous crimes and atrocities in Lublin area and in Belarus. The losses were being reinforced with new criminals with death sentences on their heads or the SS men from punishment units. In summer 1944 they were upgraded to brigade. At 5th of August 1944, Himmler pushed them to Warsaw.

SS- Sturmbrigade "Dirlewanger" was attacking from Wolska and Towarowa streets. It was ”pacifying” Old Town, Powisle, Upper cCzerniakow and Downtown. In mid August Dirlewanger got the promotion for Oberfuhrer and at the end of September he got the Knight’s Cross (of Iron Cross).

Then in the basements of Warsaw we called him ”a butcher”. Quietly, because in his units the road up to the rope was short. He had a habit of hanging people at Thursdays. Poles or his own people, for nothing. Very often he himself used to kick out the chairs from under his victims feet.

In restaurant, Schenk sits in the corner, always with his back to the wall. "Stupid habit" he smiles it's an Uprising "souvenir" too.

After few days of fighting we were detached to Dirlewanger, 3 Sturmpioniere at each SS platoon. Our job was to make the way for the SS men, blow up all obstacles and doors. Behind us were going Dirlewanger’s horde. They were looking like bums. Dirty and shredded uniforms. Not all of them had weapons, they were taking it from dead. Every morning they used to get the vodka. We Sturmpioniere also were given vodka that we were drinking for empty stomach, before attack, one does not eat. If you get shot in empty stomach, You may survive, if they will shot you in full stomach you die in pain.

Dirlewanger walked on the rear, sometimes rode in a tank, always under a good cover. He rushed his men forward. Some soldiers straggled, he shot them in the back.

Nurse with a tiny white flag

-Usually to open doors of flats and houses normal large crow-bar was enough. To open stronger ones we were setting explosives or cluster made of three grenades. Heavy two winged doors of Bishop’s Palace, blew out in two directions. Everything was purple. In the dining room, food was lying on the table. Still warm. We didn’t try it, because we were afraid it was poisoned.

It's important to know, where to set explosives. From the side, in the middle. All depends where you want doors to fly after explosion. Everything must be done as silent as possible, because Poles were standing behind doors listening and shooting when they heard something. So we sometimes scratched opposing end of doors to mislead the Poles.

I was setting explosives under big doors, somewhere in the Old Town. We heard from the inside "Nicht schießen! Nicht schießen!"(Don't shoot). The doors opened and a nurse appeared with tiny white flag. We went inside with fixed bayonets. Huge hall with beds and matresses on the floor. Wounded were everywhere. Among the Poles there were also wounded Germans lying there. They begged SS men not to kill the Poles. Polish officer, a doctor and 15 Polish Red Cross nurses surrendered Lazaret (Military Hospital) to us. But just after us Dirlewangerers came. I hid one nurse behind the doors I managed to key-lock. I heard after the war, that she survived. SS-men shoot to death all wounded. They were breaking their heads with buttstocks. German wounded were screaming and crying in despair. After that Dirlewangerers ran for nurses, they were tearing clothes from them. We were driven out for guard duty. We heard women's screams. At evening on Adolf Hitler's place, roar was so loud as on boxer's fights. So I and my friend decided to climb the wall to see what was happening there. Soldiers of all units: Wehrmacht, SS, Kaminski's cossacks, boys from Hitlerjugend, whistles, exhortations. Dirlewanger stood with his men and laguhed. Nurses from Lazaret were rushed trough square, naked with hands on their heads. Blood ran down over their legs. After them doctor was brought with loop on his neck. He had red rag maybe from blood covering his face and spike crown on top of the head. All were lead to the gibbet, with few bodies hanging already. When As they were hanging one of the nurses Dirlewanger kicked bricks she was standing on. I couldn't watch that anymore. We ran to our quarters, but before we reached them we saw Kaminski cossacks rushing with civilians. We called those cossacks Hiwis - from Hilfswillige (volunteers, willng to help). Next to them one polish pregnant woman felt. One of the Hiwis turned back and whipped her, she tried to escape on knees, but they killed her running over her with horses.

Poles sang lively song

- We were sleeping in basements. In quarters we drunk a lot of vodka, we talked a lot too. "Maybe tomorrow I will be wounded and return home" - we were saying.

We had nightmares, I screamed in sleep. Then companions woke me up with cold water saying "Bubi, du hast den Warschaukoller" (Bubi, you have a Warsaw madness).

We slept in clothes, continous alarms; "Raus! Raus!" shouted Fels. More than once we could hear the Poles sitting on the other side of wall. Once they even sang lively song. I sometimes cried. When you storm you are not afraid, but in quarters you shake. We drank a lot.

Commando of Ascension

- We demolished a fence which was obscuring view on a big yard. SS planned to storm buildings on other side of it. When friend was battering doors with crow-bar, I saw Pole one my left side. I pulled friends into hole, but both got hit. One got whole mag, second in the lungs, bullet bounced from dog tag. When he was breathing, blood was pouring out of his mouth. I put soil in his lung wound. I was lying with dead and wounded. I pressed against the wall. Friend groaned, Poles tossed two grenades. I threw out back one, second rolled out of my reach. I was red from blood and flesh. Afternoon four from Wehrmacht came with stretchers. We managed to break trough, but wounded friend got three shots and died. I couldn't say a word, I had shakes and was vomiting. Major gave me a day to rest, so I saw burial of my friends. They took their shoes off, threw to hole with other killed and sprinkled with calx. Polish civilians had to do everything.

Friends were falling, they sent us new ones. I had stupid luck, maybe because Fels forced me to action, he wished me to "die like a dog" (Schenk is laughing). I don't think he liked me. Our group of Assault Engineers was called then Himmelfahrtskommando (Comando of Ascension), because we always were first, and Poles were shooting, no one knew where from where, they were shooting. Whhizz of the bullet and you fly to heaven. We quickly learned from clever Poles, how to conceal. they could shot from under slightly levelled tile. Many fought in German uniforms i and spoke German very well. We couldn't wear our metal pots, because Poles were using them too. We were too afraid we start shooting at ours troops.

At the beginning I was a bad shooter. They where punish me for lack of aim. I couldn't shut my left eye. They were suspecting I'm simulating. They sent me to doctor and he told me to shot from other hand. I became left eye shooter. It was quite handy in street fight.

Once in hand combat Pole pulled rifle from my new friend. Fels came in with SS-men and ordered him to retrieve the gun. Boy was all shaking, but Fels drawn his own gun and ordered him once more to follow the Poles. Boy returned quickly badly wounded with knife; he was screaming and bleeding.

I left alone once more. My storm group mates were heavily wounded from knife and bayonet. It was 6 August. From that point dates are fading. Only heaviest fights I can tell quite ordered, but without dates. I remember, that on 14 August I got postcard from pastor from Manderfield, last message from home. On 15 September I was looking at other bank of Vistula river. I saw a Russian tank. then next one and third. They came to bank. We all panicked. Russians should have great view on our positions, they weren't shooting. Tanks disappeared between houses.

Something warmed

- I was lying in the bed on third store. SS officer ordered us to hold the house. I Whole apartment was covered with thick layer of sand. Good idea, I admired owners. I would do the same. They had to work hard. Sand protected flat from fire. "After the war all they will need to do is remove it" I thought. I was throwing gasoline bottles through window at the cinem on the other side of street. Houses attacked with such bottles usually were starting to burn. I thought we smoked out Poles, but they were still shooting and tossing grenades. In the dust of the last detonation I started to run downstairs. When I moved by the window on the staircase, I felt pain like from strike with whip and something hot. Hands and face in blood. I felt I'm seriously wounded. My friends too. They took my pants off and started to roll on the floor laughing. I had small scar on my butt. Bullet hit canteene with coffee.

Gefreiter Bubi in a newspaper

I think Bubi was promoted in that time to the Gefreiter rank. Promotion was automatic after 15 hand-to-hand fights. Every fight was noted in the soldier's military book. Even Fels mentioned something about valor of Schenk. Especially there was article in the front "Das Weichselblatt" (Vistula News) with stated that Gefreiter Schenk freed German prisoners of war.
- It was clear incident. I just blew out next door. I set the load and hear: "Nicht schießen!". White flag in window, Doors opened and 30 German soldiers came out. They were crying from happiness, kissing me everywhere. They said, that Poles that took them captive, treated them well.

For the Warsaw Bubi got Iron Cross of second class

My wife sleeps long and I try to count them all in my mind

- Sometimes in the movies, are scenes from uprising, but there is nothing from what I've seen then. I haven't told that to anybody yet with such great details. You ask about everything. Its your right, but everything awakes again. Whe haven't idea back then that those killed will never die, that they always be with us. Everything happened so quickly. Shouts, shoots. Singular faces. This all stuck in my memory very strongly.

(Schenk hides his face in hands).

- We breached the doors, I think school ones. Children stood in hall and on stairs. Many children. All with their small hands up. We looked at them for few moments until Dirlewaniger came in. He ordered to kill them all. They shot them all, and then they were walking onver their bodies and breaking their little heads with buttstocks. Blood streamed on down those stairs. There is a memorial plaque in that place, stating that 350 children were killed there. I think there was much more of them, maybe 500.

Or that Polish women (Schenk doesn't remember which action it was). Every time, when we stormed cellars, and women were inside. Dirlewanger soldiers raped them. Many times a group raped same women, quickly, still having arms in their hands. Then after one of fights, I was literally shaken. I stood by the wall and couldn't calm my nerves. Dirlewanger soldiers came in. One of them took woman. She was pretty. She wasn't screaming. Then he raped her, pushing strongly her head against table, bearing bayonet in other hand. First he cut her blouse off. Then one cut from stomach to throat. Blood flushed. Do you know, how fast blood is congealing in August..?

There is also those small children in Dirlewanger hand's. He took it from woman, who was standing in crowd on street. He lifted child high then threw it into fire and then shot the mother.

Or that little girl, She unexpectedly went out of the cellar. She was slim and short, something about 12 years old. Torn clothes, hair in chaos. From one side We, from other Poles. She stood by the wall not knowing where to run. She raised her hands, and said "Nicht Partizan". I waved with hand that she shouldn't afraid and should came closer. She was walking with her little hands up. She was squeezing something in one of the hands. She was very close, then I heard a shot. Her head bounced. Piece of bread felt out from her hand. In the evening the platoon leader came by and said proudly: "It was a master shot. Wasn’t it?"

Sometimes children came by. They couldn't find parents. They wanted bread. Small Polish boy brought us food as we were on guard duty. I don't think he was prisoner. I don't know. I had then guard duty in cellar of a textile factory. Boy didn't know German, but we could communicate with gestures. When I had I gave him cigarettes. Passing by SS man was walking by, he waved on boy to follow him. The boy went after him. Then I heard shot, I ran, dead boy was lying on the stairs. SS-man pointed gun at me. He gave me long look, but eventually left. This is how matters were in Warsaw.

Our mascot was crippled boy. Also 12 years old. He lost his leg, but he could jump very fast on the remaining one. He was very proud of that. He always jumped around soldiers, there and back. We said its for luck. He helped a little. One day SS-men call him. He jumped to them willingly. They asked him to jump to trees. I saw from far that they put 2 grenades into his bag. He didn't notice. He was jumping and they laughed at him shouting: "Schneller, schneller!"(Faster, Faster).
Boy blew up.

I usually wake up very early, my wife sleeps longer. Sometimes in the half-dream I see dead in front of me. And sometimes I try to count those I killed, but I can't.

Punishment for blue underwear

- There was shortage of water in the whole Warsaw. There was a bath tube at dressing point, where fresh water was stored. I jumped once to it. Many others jumped too. Known paramedic told me about underwear left in abandoned cellar. It was blue, non regular. I got ride of issued ones and took those blue. Later I got one week of penitentiary company from saregeant. I had to carry mines by the river's bank.

My second penitentiary watch I got for a priest. We breached with explosives back door to monastery-very heavy, they lead to cellar. Monastery huge building near the Old Town, was already very damaged by bombs and grenades. We jumped in pair inside. There was priest standing in front of us. He had cup and waffel in his hands. Maybe this was reflex, I don't know, we knelt and took communion, then third of us entered and did the same. Then SS-men entered, and usual shots and screams, groans started. Nuns were in habits, Few hours later I seen that priest in Dirlewangerers' hands. They drank wine from cup, wafer was lying broken. They were pissing on cross resting on wall. They were torturing priest: he had blooded face, torn gown. We took that priest from them, it was reflex. they were surprised, but so drunk, that they didn't knew what is happening. Next day they also didn't remember what happened. We passed priest to our battalion. I didn't heard about him anymore. But on the road we meet Fels so I got a lone guard duty on bridge I think it was Kierbiedz bridge. Bridges on Vistula river were demolished already, but part of the spans were still standing. Russians had HMG nest on their side of river as we had HMG on our side. I had to stand in the middle of the bridge and gather intelligence. I hid behind steel cranes. Night was peaceful. From time to time HMGs were shooting at each other, rather for viva because of large distance. At the day Russians were moving rather careless. On the back small cars were riding with food and officers with wide emblems observed with binoculars our part of Warsaw. Soldiers were sun burning.

On other penal watch, hid in bale of material in textile factory I watched Poles. In case of attack I had to shot flare and run away. There was 40 of them. Officer in uniform was leading the group. they look terrible. Many wounded. I saw women with arms, civilians, children. Their weaponry was poor. At evening I returned with report, we stormed that hideout in the morning.

I don't remember when we decided to kill Fels. To survive, because he constantly pushed us ahead. In seven or eight we lucky rolled rifles, two were loaded. First time Fels was in front of us we shot him in the back. He felt and we retreated. New commander was much more humane.

Pants heavy from gold

- Today I don't know, if we blew out State Securities Printing House, or maybe Polish Bank. One is sure this was in downtown. We couldn't take that object for long time. They told us to do sap. We dug in pairs, wearing only underpants. We changed on head. When I was in head, I smelt strange smell, than friend stopped to take soil from me. I crawled to him, he lied dead. Sap exit was in cellar. I heard Poles, they probably took it over. At night I crawled out of hole and walking through cellars I managed to rejoin with ours. I couldn't recognise sentry. He ordered me to lie on the ground. I screamed My name and password: "Heidekrug"(Pot of the growth). He asked why I'm wearing only underpants. Eventually he believed me.

Next Day they brought a "Goliath". Civilians had to lead it path, because Poles learned how to detonate a "Goliath" at our lines and many soldiers died. Goliath made a hole in the fence. We were searching for Poles whole night. In the morning a tank came and building was taken. Lots of gold coins lied in cellars. We were stuffing them into pocket so hard that pants were falling from us. Then gold disappeared. Boys were speculating that Dirlewanger took it somewhere.

"I knew who will live"

- That was probably my last action in Warsaw. We were storming some building, i ran through a field. A wounded soldier lied on the ground. I gave him some water from my canteen, than ran foreword to blow some doors. The SS was moving behind us. When I ran back , Dirlewanger stopped me. He pointed to the wounded soldier: "You gave water to this pig?". Only then I noticed, that on a German uniform the wounded has a dirty white-red armband.

"Shoot him!" - Dirlewanger handed me his pistol.

I stood without a move, sick of all of that. Dirlewanger was so furious, that I couldn't understand what he is shouting. This Pole looked at me. I will never forget his eyes. In Warsaw I learned to recognize if a wounded survives next ten minutes, or couple of hours. When one sees so many people dying, you just know who will live. One of Dirlewanger SS-men grabbed a gun from me and shot that Pole.

Dirlewanger shouted he will shoot me on site. Then some Wehrmaht soldiers arrived so he begun to threaten me with a court martial. One infantry officer started a violent discussion with him. I ran away.

- At the end of September three Poles approached me with their hands up. Handed me a machine gun and two pistols. One of them spoke in perfect German. I stood on my post. I didn't know what to do. I said they have to wait, and better not being noticed by anyone. I was lucky, I quickly found our new lieutenant. He took the POW personally and escorted them to the SS.

The last stronghold of the uprising surrendered. Some high ranking officer came, as a representative of the people, with a white flag. We led him to our battalion commander. I saw there our Maj. Wullenberg, Dirlewanger and other commanders. After a couple of hours the Poles arrived, with a mass of people following them. All the wounded were lied down in a huge warehouse of an acetic factory. We were ordered to leave. From the outside we heard screams and shots. I know what happened there.

In the last days of the Uprising I ran across Fels. He was seriously wounded, but survived our shots. I carefully avoided him. I saw Dirlewanger for the last time - he walked among ruins accompanied by two beautiful women. The city was burning, dead bodies everywhere on the streets. His leather coat was wore out. The women - one blonde, one brunette - very elegant, clean. I didn't know if these women were Polish - I was too far.

Remains of Warsaw were being blown apart by demolition squads. We were relocated, but in November we returned to Warsaw once again. Playing soccer. The ball felt into a cellar. I jumped to bring it back. In the cellar there were uncountable human bodies, now almost skeletons.

Soviet, German, or Mateusz

In Ochodza, a small village close to Gniezno, people still remember Mateusz, but not from the time he was hiding in Brzezinski's stable, but as an elegant man who visited the village in the 80's. He arrived in a van packed with food and western clothes. The gifts were distributed by a priest among the parishioners.

We looked into the Libner's farm. Józef Libner died last year. He at the same age as Mateusz; they liked to wrestle, they rolled on the farmyard, but Mateusz, experienced in grappling always won.

Libner's son showed me a date notched on the wall of a wooden lavatory: "1946 M.S." - Our father told us to leave this plank when we've overhauled the lavatory. It is a reminder of Mateusz.

- I notched it with my folding knife, when I was leaving - Schenk is touched, when he speaks about Ochodza. With Józef we were like blood-brothers. We nicked out wrists, and touched them together - like the Indians did.

The retreat of Sturmpioner Schenk from Warsaw is a separate story. He wrote down few years ago. Of all the soldiers who came to Warsaw with him, only three were left alive. During winter 1944 they escaped from Soviet tanks, and SS squads who hanged the deserters on the trees. Starved and exhausted they approached Goscieszyn (Godesberg) near Gniezno, where a point has been set up.

We threw away almost all our weapons, belts and helmets. Some of us have wound they were trying to hide, afraid that their comrades would leave them behind. The Ivans were tracing outfoot steps in the snow. Our way to the forest was cut. We escaped towards the centre of a frozen lake. They didn't follow us but a tank was firing targeting the surface of the lake. One of us started to prey. His prayers become more and more quiet, than stopped. He died. When clouds covered the moon we crawled towards the rim of the lake. The Russians were smoking cigarettes, we crawled between their posts. We hide in the woods but in the morning we know that the tank is following our traces again. I felt tired, exhausted and I lied in a ditch on the edge of the forest. I had a white, camouflage cover on my uniform similar to what the Russians were using.

Polish peasants found me.
- "Soviet?" - they asked.
- "German?" - I nodded
- "Poor kid, Are you hungry?" - The tallest of them asked in German.
They took me to a house. I was afraid. "The Poles are spiteful and shrewish" - I have been taught in the army. When a girl entered the kitchen, holding a big knife I thought the are going to slaughter me. She cut my shoes because they were unable to take them off. My feet and my arm were broken, and I had many frost-bites. They gave me some hot milk. This way I found myself in a farm of Brzewnicki brothers in Ochodza (both already died). The older one, Ignacy I called "father", and Wincenty - "uncle". They called me Mateusz. They hide me in a stable together with three horses, "Mucka", "Gniady" and "Murzyn". During cold nights I slept over a steamer for potatoes.

The Russians who checked our village were taloled by Brzewnicki that I am his seriously ill son. The sick people were carefully avoided by the Russians. The Polish officials were told that I am hiding there for half a year after deserting from Wehrmacht.

Why did they save me? I never learned why. Because of mercy, probably; I looked like a beaten kid. They told me once later that it was because of the black rosary, which they found while tearing the uniform off me.

I would be a Pole

One day, "father" said: "Hitler kaputt", "war kaputt", and Mateusz didn't have to hide any more. The village liked him, and he felt happy there. He was helping them with the farm work.

- They interrogated me in Trzemeszno, a Pole and a Russian. They asked me to take my clothes off. Then checked if I don't have any SS tatoos. On the yard a dead boy was lying in a Hitlerjugend uniform. The interrogators were very suspicious because of the 19 knife fights noted in my military logbook. My "father" avouched for me, then he took my logbook and has hidden it in a wall of his house.

I remember, when local parson returned from a concentration camp. The parishioners walked forward to meet him. "Father" took me with him. The priest walked, holding a walking-stick tightly, skinny, and pale. We drove to a church and for the first time in a very long period I heard “Tantum Ergo” celebration, just like home. The priest walked, singing, through a church and blessed us all. Including me. I felt happy, but also full of shame, and guilt.

Mateusz left Ochodza in June 1946. Before he left Brzewinski family gave him 200 zl, bread and butter.

- A temporary Belgian embassy has been set up in Warsaw. I sat on stairs of a building, which a year before I was trying to capture. People have been living in ruins and cellars. The only tram line joined the two banks of Vistula. I returned home for three months. Through polish arrests, American POW camp in Berlin. The Belgian gendarmerie took me to Brussels for an interrogation. The Belgians didn't want me. I didn't have any ID. Everybody could say he is a Belgian.

I met my future wife after the war. That time, on the Belgian-German border everybody was smuggling. She was trying to smuggle a little pig to Belgium and I smuggled coffee to Germany. We met in the middle of a forest. I returned home with her little pig.


Now, Mathias Schenk has three sons and a daughter. For ten years he attended a penance pilgrimage to Banneux, where Virgin Mary emerged to a little girl. During the 80-ies he organized a help for Poland. 32 times he travelled to Poland with transports of food, clothes and diapers.

- I have been to Warsaw again. I've met the veterans of the uprising. They were nice for me. One of them spoke about how they opened fire to the last German military train arriving to Warsaw. When in Ochodza I didn't know who I am - a Belgian, a German, Mateusz? I didn't even know if Belgium still exists. I thought my relatives are dead. I not a note from them which I received in march 1945 , I would stay in Ochodza.
I would be a Pole, just like you.

Matthias Schenk in 1943 (17 years old)


In 1946 in Poland (20 years old)


Today


Matthias Schenk has told his story also to Dietrich Schubert, a director of the documentary titled "Mathi Schenks letzte Reise nach Polen" made for ZDF.

[Dan E. Moe]

Very interesting! I read the whole text and it was very disturbing some times...

Dan

[Konstan]

Might be wrong, but I was under the impression Dirlewanger himself was never in Warsaw with his SK?

[virtualroofer]

Good reading for partial fiction.

I am sure that there is a majority of truth to it but some of the stuff he quotes about Dirlewanger seem to be not 100% accurate from what I have read.

[David Thompson]

virtualroofer -- Sources please.

[virtualroofer]

D.T.

My response was in regards to this paragraph:

************************
We called him "butcher"
In the barracks Bubi was told that this big SS man in black coat is Oscar Dirlewanger, and his people were the criminals released from prisons. He learned more about his ”comrades in arms” after the war. In 1940, at Himmler’s consent, Dirlewanger ordered the poachers out of prisons, because they possessed the shooting abilities and could set up the traps. Dirlewanger himself, the political sciences PhD and NSDAP member since 1923, has also been in prison before - for children molesting.

They were trained in Oranienburg Concentration Camp. They made themselves known for their numerous crimes and atrocities in Lublin area and in Belarus. The losses were being reinforced with new criminals with death sentences on their heads or the SS men from punishment units. In summer 1944 they were upgraded to brigade. At 5th of August 1944, Himmler pushed them to Warsaw.

SS- Sturmbrigade "Dirlewanger" was attacking from Wolska and Towarowa streets. It was ”pacifying” Old Town, Powisle, Upper cCzerniakow and Downtown. In mid August Dirlewanger got the promotion for Oberfuhrer and at the end of September he got the Knight’s Cross (of Iron Cross).

Then in the basements of Warsaw we called him ”a butcher”. Quietly, because in his units the road up to the rope was short. He had a habit of hanging people at Thursdays. Poles or his own people, for nothing. Very often he himself used to kick out the chairs from under his victims feet.

In restaurant, Schenk sits in the corner, always with his back to the wall. "Stupid habit" he smiles it's an Uprising "souvenir" too.

After few days of fighting we were detached to Dirlewanger, 3 Sturmpioniere at each SS platoon. Our job was to make the way for the SS men, blow up all obstacles and doors. Behind us were going Dirlewanger’s horde. They were looking like bums. Dirty and shredded uniforms. Not all of them had weapons, they were taking it from dead. Every morning they used to get the vodka. We Sturmpioniere also were given vodka that we were drinking for empty stomach, before attack, one does not eat. If you get shot in empty stomach, You may survive, if they will shot you in full stomach you die in pain.

Dirlewanger walked on the rear, sometimes rode in a tank, always under a good cover. He rushed his men forward. Some soldiers straggled, he shot them in the back.
*********************************

I wonder if everyone is taking this story seriously, as a lot of it seems to be post war additions to embellish the individual's story and or to make it seem that this individual knew a lot more than the average "Joe".

I will take this point by point and upon my return home this evening or if I feel the need I will give actual numbers but my main "resource" (aside from all the highly informative posts here) is "The Cruel Hunters", by MacLean which has been discussed here countless times.

In the first paragraph (and as stated in my first post) there is a certain degree of truth in this but does not seem to give the whole story (real story?)). It is the truth that the unit was formed from poachers and SS camp guards, but a large number of the members of this unit were foreign volunteers (Ukrainian, Lithuanian, etc)...lets try not to forget that little fact, as this seems to be overlooked 99% of the time. If I need to give you the actual numbers of German vs. Foreign troops in this unit you'll have to wait but I am sure they are here somewhere in the forum if people really wanted to find out.

Also in the first paragraph is the mention of his "Child Molestation" charges. It seems as though with Dirlewanger this always has to be brought up as with Himmler being a former chicken farmer. I see no bearing on what the man did in Warsaw by bring this up. I will have to consult my reference at home as to the exact nature of this charge but if I remember correctly he was charged for like "joy riding and serving alcohol" to a minor (teenage girl). I am not exactly sure what MacLean dug up but when I read the book I thought there might have been something fishy going on with his conviction. Do not get me wrong, I am sure something went on here but when someone reads "child molester", you may read more into it than the actual offense with this guy and there is plenty more to be offended by with this guy in addition to this offense. Also let me state that he WAS convicted of this charge, there is no denying that.

The next paragraph also fails to mention foreign troops as well as overlooks the fact that the Russian Partisan's in their sector were equally bloodthirsty. It's the old "What came first thing/chicken or egg", if I remember my reading on Dirlewanger his unit was formed AFTER the invasion to combat the partisans that were harassing the German rear. Is it a case of this unit responding in kind to atrocities committed against them or were they just plain vicious to begin with. This unit was formed from poachers, not axe murderers. Point #2 is that many, many units were sent to Warsaw to deal with the uprising, not necessarily this unit because of its reputation per se.

The next thing that seems odd is "he had a habit of hanging people on Thursday". Is this a known fact or do we have some sort of revelation here? We all know he wasn't a nice guy, do we know he had a penchant for murder on Thursday? Where is this individual’s source?

His labeling them as "looking like bums, shredded uniforms, etc". If I remember correctly units were rushed from all over to handle this uprising and combat troops/troops that have been in the field may not look the prettiest. He also mentioned that they all did not have weapons, picking them up from the dead...If I remember correctly this unit was not the best equiped to begin with. What about the US 101st Airborne at Bastogne? Were they not poorly dressed and ill equiped when rushed into the line? I would argue that if they had not been in camp recooperating and were pulled from the line they'd have looked equally ratty as anyone in that situation would have.

The last paragraph also seemed a bit odd as Dirlewanger was awarded the Wound badge in Gold which means he was wounded 5 or more times. I believe the actual number was 7-9 times. He was a decorated soldier in WWI, served in the Freikorps with distinction, earned the Spanish Cross in Spain and earned the German Cross and Knight's Cross (among other WWII decorations)...he does not sound like a soldier that led from the rear.

There is no doubt in my mind that he was a very bad man. There is also no doubt that this unit has a very bad reputation. It seems as if every time we mention this guys name he gets more evil.

As stated earlier if you need actual numbers I can dig them up later but it has all been stated before.

[Rauli]

I´m afraid that I go with lines of virtualroofer. Schenk is telling a collection horror stories, probably heard AND partly experienced while taking part of supression of Warsaw uprising. These things most likely happened but did he witness them all?

And like Musashi pointed out that this story should be read with great caution. Also! I don´t want to insult anyone but there are some passages that make me say "hmmmm..."

Example

Their commander dressed in black leather coat

There is well-known phtograph from Dirlewanger wearing a long black leather coat. I bet that you can find this picture in Maclean´s book.

Another

... soldiers of all units: Wehrmacht, SS, Kaminski's cossacks, boys from Hitlerjugend, whistles, exhortations. Dirlewanger stood with his men and laguhed. Nurses from Lazaret were rushed trough square, naked with hands on their heads. Blood ran down over their legs. After them doctor was brought with loop on his neck. He had red rag maybe from blood covering his face and spike crown on top of the head.

This is pure Sven Hassel - fiction, read his books and what you find almost the same story.

As virtualroofer pointed out

Dirlewanger walked on the rear, sometimes rode in a tank, always under a good cover.

You don´t get wounded twelve times in the rear. You lead your men from the front in a unit like SK Dirlewanger.

There are several explanations to this story. Most likely a reporter that made this document took some editorial liberties and Schenck have during the years incorporated things that he heard and read into his story.

We would like to think that monsters like Dirlewanger were cowards pleading to there lives when facing a tough spot but sometimes they were so crazy that they didn´t understood concept of fear or... humanity.

Best regards,

Rauli

[Benoit Douville]

I believe this story and it is pretty disturbing. Dirlewanger was nothing else than a thugs.

Regards

[virtualroofer]

Benoit,

Do you have any references of Dirlewanger hanging people on Thursdays?

What about the assertion that he was a coward (despite all his military awards?)

There is probably a large amount of truth here but it is so tainted with lies (I believe), 1/2 truths and 60 year old stereotypes of the man and the unit that I cannot tell where the truth ends and the "other stuff" begins...

People can believe what they want to believe, it seems hard when there are facts that get in the way but people can believe what they want.

[Epaminondas55]

I would agree with those who find the Schenk's account believable.

That Dirlewanger would always hang people on Thursdays seems odd, I would want multiple sources before I believed that. However it is believable to me that a rumor that Dirlewanger treated every Thursday as hanging day could be remembered by a young, confused Heere soldier. New recruits are often told all kinds of stories. He is after all reporting what he heard, and he is not claiming that he was a member of the brigade, or that he witnessed the regular hangings.

"Dirlewanger walked on the rear, sometimes rode in a tank, always under a good cover." This does not suggest to me that he was a coward. Schenk does not label him a coward. It sounds to me like he was close enough to the action to exercise leadership, execute stragglers and to suffer wounds himself. How much closer to the action should he be? As a brigade commander I would think he could easily have justified setting up a tactical HQ with a radio in a basement somewhere. I think one could more easily make a case that he was too far forward, acting more like a company or even platoon commander.

Regarding good cover remember that the author of the story is an assault trooper whose job is to move forward first and blow open doors and other obstacles. He then watches infantry storm forward into hand to hand combat, and 19 times is in hand to hand combat himself. Most of his comrades are killed in action. From his point of view all officers have good cover - after all they are not up front blowing up buildings with him!

I think the authors point is that Dirlewanger was a murderous monster, and his men much the same. I guess if we really wanted to be absolutely sure we could try to collect all existing accounts of the man and compare notes. I don't see the project as worth the trouble however, I don't think we will ever see evidence that the man was actually a secret anti-nazi who did all he could to protect civilians from harm.

As to the accuracy of Schenk's account my judgement would be that he is an honest man, recalling events as accurately as he can remember them. No doubt there are some errors in his memory, for that is how memory works, especially as we age. As to looking over a wall and seeing drunken soldiers hanging men and women - I have no doubt that he did so. Did he actually see Dirlewanger? Or some other similiar looking officer? Or did he confuse some other time when he saw Dirlewanger with this specific incident? Was it actually the nurses he saw earlier being hung, or perhaps other women who may have actually been partisans? Did he read some Sven Hassel and think he remembered something when in fact it was a confabulation? Or did Sven Hassel base his account on events that actually happened? I don't know and I don't really care. I think it is most reasonable to assume that Schenk saw something very similiar if not exactly what he described.

All first hand accounts should be read with care considering the imperfect workings of the human brain. I think most combat veterans are honest in their accounts. Absent of solid evidence otherwise I would not be inclined to accuse Schenk of telling lies. First hand accounts of this sort are a valuable addition to the historic record. I think Schenk should be commended for telling his story.

[virtualroofer]

I find it very odd how these first hand accounts of individuals stating perceived stories (against the Germans) that have snowballed overtime from the propaganda of the day into what it is today - barely believable – are taken at face value, no questions asked. On the other hand accounts against the allied forces (sans Russia) are so scrutinized, sources and first hand accounts needed in triplicate, etc and still not believed.

I read one post here earlier about a incident in Italy/Sicily by I believe the 45th US Infantry division and some shootings that occurred of German POWs. The first words out of a member here with many, many posts supporting the allies (regardless) was "Has to be a lie". He had no proof, nothing other than the belief that all allied troops wore white hats and were off saving the world from evil. I have read many of this individuals posts and anyone that has, knows what you are getting with him (and plenty others like him) but still I am generally amazed here!

As stated here before, some things here do not seem accurate and more than likely embellished by someone else or pure fantasy. I am sure there is some degree of truth to some of the story but somehow when I read I cannot overlook inconsistencies and do not mind pointing them out, like his account of his last encounter with Dirlewanger.

In the last days of the Uprising I ran across Fels. He was seriously wounded, but survived our shots. I carefully avoided him. I saw Dirlewanger for the last time - he walked among ruins accompanied by two beautiful women. The city was burning, dead bodies everywhere on the streets. His leather coat was wore out. The women - one blonde, one brunette - very elegant, clean. I didn't know if these women were Polish - I was too far.

This account seems so "Hollywood" that it is either made up or just crazy enough to be true. We all know Dirlewanger liked the ladies but somehow I find it hard to believe he was out walking around smoldering bodies w/two beautiful women. He states he was "too far away" but seems to have been close enough to tell these women were clean, elegant and beautiful.

As stated, I am sure there is plenty of truth here but some of this account - come on!

[Benoit Douville]

Virtualroofer,

Is that really important the fact that Dirlewanger and his unit were hanging people on thursday? Considering all the crimes that he committed with savagery and brutality against innocent civilians... And as far as I am concern, Dirlewanger was a coward no doubt about it, even if he won military Awards before the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, a honorable soldiers don't do things like that.

Here is a source about the German crimes committed during the 1944 Warsaw uprising that might interest some of our readers about that event:

http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/genocide/gcpol4.htm


Regards

[virtualroofer]

Benoit Douville, You obviously can believe what you want to believe.

It is not that I am "hung up" on the Thurday hanging allegation (unfounded from what I have seen thus far) it is the fact the some, including you, are willing to accept many, many glaring questions and inconsistencies in this excerpt because you believe Dirlewanger was a bad man.

I do not think anyone here will dispute the viciousness of the Dirlewanger Unit, nor it's reputation after its participation in the Warsaw uprising. I will go out on a limb and also say there are no fans of Dirlewanger as an individual. From all accounts we are much better off without he or his kind on the planet breathing the same air as you and I.

I will dispute with you (and I forsee no meeting of the minds here) his bravery. No one gets the awards he did, over the course of close to 30 years and be a coward. The Dirlewanger unit was raised to counter partisans who arguably were as bad or worse than the Dirlewanger unit. Were the partisans justified in being this bloodthirsty/murderous against the Germans? That is for another topic I would imagine but would again would like to say that this unit had a VERY large proportion of people (non-Germans) that had a major axe to grind with the Russians and I for one do not believe that Dirlewanger had to force them to be as vicious as they were. The Russian partisans gave as good as they got and probably deserved most of it (my opinion.)

As to your statement "honorable soldiers don't do things like that.", here is the link to the sticky on Allied War Crimes. It seems as though all armies have some bad eggs

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=53295