pullin' rank and other questions

[Sgt. Reese]

an SS colonel meets a Heer General who has the upper hand?

when generals had meetings with hitler did they have to remove thier sidearms or was that only after "the july plot"?

did the Gestopo have uniforms?

[Scott Smith]

an SS colonel meets a Heer General who has the upper hand?

Whoever is in command of the outfit. Once I had a major try to intimidate me. I was a sergeant in charge of a communications site. I told him to go to hell in no uncertain terms, and that if he didn't leave he would be arrested. He was more than welcome to discuss my orders with my commanding officer. A lieutenant colonel in plain clothes also flashed his I.D. while deploying in the airport and essentially tried to do the same thing; our captain just ignored him after referring questions to our colonel's office in California. Afterward we were told they only wanted to check our security. One dumbass actually opened up with an M-60 machinegun using blanks when a high-ranking officer ignored a challenge at our secure-area. He was annoyed but in the wrong and he knew it. I was relieved that nobody actually forked over our cryptographic keylists to anyone with a badge. "If the general isn't on the Access Roster he is working for Ivan" was the motto.

when generals had meetings with hitler did they have to remove thier sidearms or was that only after "the july plot"?

Officers were not searched until after the July Plot. Killing Hitler was ridiculously easy but it was unthinkable even to the usually paranoid Himmler for such a threat to have come from that quarter.

did the Gestopo have uniforms?

Yes, they were usually in the General SS and sometimes wore black uniforms. During the war they usually wore either field grey or more inconspicuous plainclothes and often carried a numbered gorget which was a sort of blanket search warrant and badge of authority like an MP armband. I think detectives had regular badges too. Anyway, Göring founded the Geheim Staatspolizei (GeStaPo) or Secret State-Police, which was later given to Himmler and the SS, which also controlled the regular police and the SD (security service). The RSHA (Reich Security Head Office), headed by Heydrich and later Kaltenbrunner, is usually synonymous with the Gestapo, but this may not technically be accurate. (I'm not an expert in the byzantine world of political police.) The Wehrmacht regular military police, the Feldgendarmerie, also had gorgets and they usually controlled traffic, but were also used for security and counterterror operations behind front lines.

[Sgt. Reese]

thanks friend, how about these? I'm making a 1/6th scale diarama and its good to know the little things.

did Rommel normaly wear a Afrika Corps Field Marshell uniform? (tan) or did he wear a normal grey/green FM uniform?

now i'm pretty sure Hitler never let his officer's smoke in the same room with him but were they allowed wine or beverages during meetings?

how many guards would be in a room with hitler at a meeting? plus, were the bodyguards of the officer's (EX: himmler's guards) allowed in?

[Phaethon]

now i'm pretty sure Hitler never let his officer's smoke in the same room with him but were they allowed wine or beverages during meetings?

Nobody smoked in Hitler's presence - they would adjourn elsewhere to indulge their filthy habits, like the terrace at Obersalzberg. Alcohol and meat were served at meals and functions with the Fuehrer, who would have his water and veggies, and he would comment on the unhealthy diets of his companions, but would not forbid their indulgences.

Mostly gleaned from Speer's Inside the Third Reich, from which this also comes:

The food was emphatically simple. A soup, no appetizer, meat with vegetables and potatoes, a sweet. For beverage we had a choice between mineral water, ordinary Berlin bottled beer, or a cheap wine. Hitler was served his vegetarian food, drank Fachinger mineral water, and those of his guests who wished could imitate him. But few did

and:

Incidentally, even here at headquarters he would often make fun of met eaters, but he did not attempt to sway me. He even had no objection to a Steinhaeger [brand of gin] after fatty food - although he commented pityingly that he did not need it, with his fare. If there was a meat broth I could depend on his speaking of "corpse tea";...

Did I read somewhere that he didn't drink coffee either? Anyone?

Cheers,

K.
--
Ken Cocker, London

[Christian Ankerstjerne]

Thanks for that info, Scott!

I did think, though, that the Gestapo only wore heavy leather coats and had scars on their face

Christian

[Eva]

He did drink coffee- with inordinate amounts of sugar, I might add. And he did, on occasion go off on tirades against smoking and meat eating, as well as stories of how women's cosmetics were made from sewer grease. Alcohol he didn't wholly disapprove of, although he never did parttake. Cigarettes were the vice he preched most openly against; he even offerred a gold watch to any of his 'family circle' who would give up the habit. Herta Schneider and Traudl Junge got their watches, but gave them back when they cheated. Eva, on the other hand, kept her watch and managed to hide her smoking from him until very near the end of things. Gretl Braun Fegelein, in contrast, was offerred a villa by AH id she would give up amoking and categorically refused saying that a villa would give her pleasure upon reciept, but never again and smoking gave her twenty little pleasures a day.

EBH

[Sgt. Reese]

how about these other two?

how many guards would be in a room with hitler at a meeting? plus, were the bodyguards of the officer's (EX: himmler's guards) allowed in?


did Rommel normaly wear a Afrika Corps Field Marshell uniform? (tan) or did he wear a normal grey/green FM uniform?

[Chuck_jm]

did Rommel normaly wear a Afrika Corps Field Marshell uniform? (tan) or did he wear a normal grey/green FM uniform?[/quote]

I have never seen pictures of Rommel wearing the Afrika Corps uniform, are there any??????

/Chuck.

[Eightball]

I pulled this picture out of my collection of Rommel. I'm afraid I can't provide any additional information, but it looks Africa Korps to me.

[Sgt. Reese]

thanks friend I owe ya one.


hows about: who is the highest ranking soldier of germany thats still alive?

[Sgt. Reese]

where can I find Detailed information on SS commando Raids online?

[Phaethon]

Here's a document from the Public Records Office site on Operation Foxley dealing with Hitler's drinking habits (for the purposes of poisioning him):


http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/snapsho ... shot17.htm

Cheers,

K.

[Christian Ankerstjerne]

Most interresting, Phaethon! A tea addict as well, and fond of apple juice too - are there no end to the madness?

Christian

[Sgt. Reese]

and he can dance!!!

next we'll find out he could fit his fist in his mouth!!!