Songs German troops sang in the field

Panzer_ace · Post by **Panzer_ace** » 02 Oct 2002 03:49

[Several topics dealing with the same subject have been merged and renamed by the host, Ivan Ž.]

Does anyone know what songs were sang by the German troops at the front? I have many third reich songs & marches, but I suspect many were not too popular with the troops (like those songs about Hitler)

Also, I'm concentrating my research on the eastern front, so if possible, what songs were sang & were popular with the troops on the eastern front?

ps: was Panzerlied a popular song?

any help will be greatly appreciated

Logan Hartke · Post by **Logan Hartke** » 02 Oct 2002 21:44

Ask Haen.

Logan Hartke

HaEn · Post by **HaEn** » 03 Oct 2002 00:21

Oh yes. We were singing at the top of our lungs at the front, all day long. sometimes louder than others to overshout artillery barrages.

Especially under attack from Tanks the Panzerlied was very popular.

Then when we had been in the mud for a couple of days or longer, we sang Es ist so schön Soldat zu sein.

. But I don't think the question really was meant that way. IF there was any singing at times of rest, it probably was Heimat deine Sterne, or Es steht ein Soldat am Wolgastrand, or Einst sind wir so freudig geritten. i.o.w. some sentimental stuff. But other units may have been different. HN.

Daniel L · Post by **Daniel L** » 03 Oct 2002 00:28

I've read that 'Ich hatt' einen kameraden' was a common song at funerals.

regards

Logan Hartke · Post by **Logan Hartke** » 03 Oct 2002 05:44

HaEn wrote: IF there was any singing at times of rest, it probably was Heimat deine Sterne, or Es steht ein Soldat am Wolgastrand, or Einst sind wir so freudig geritten. i.o.w. some sentimental stuff. But other units may have been different.

Didn't you sometimes sing them when marching? I know some US units in WWI used to use them as cadences basically.

Logan Hartke

HaEn · Post by **HaEn** » 04 Oct 2002 04:42

Logan Hartke wrote:Didn't you sometimes sing them when marching? I know some US units in WWI used to use them as cadences basically.

Yes we always sang when marching, but "at the front" there was very little marching, just a lot of crawling, running, slushing through mud, taking cover, and very little incentive for singing.

On march just about any one song would do. The last popular one i remember was "Mein Regiment, mein Heimatland" . HN.

Oberst Mihael · Post by **Oberst Mihael** » 04 Oct 2002 17:16

HaEn: Will we ever get to see any of your memoirs?

HaEn · Post by **HaEn** » 05 Oct 2002 17:33

Oberst Mihael wrote:HaEn: Will we ever get to see any of your memoirs?

My granddaughter (a major in journalism) is editing it; the problem is that some printing houses, want "less" non battle specific things , like a romance or encounter, an others want "more' to make it more palatable.
Others want "backgrounds", others again "fly on the wall" approach. I am just about 4/5th done with it. But left instructions to go ahead with publishing in the event I croak. The name will be "Chameleon" , "the boy who was cought between the devil and the deep blue sea". The last part is "or so" only Chameleon is fixed. Greetings, HN.

Daniel L · Post by **Daniel L** » 05 Oct 2002 17:46

I think that will be a great subtitle of the book, HaEn. Good luck with the work!

regards

Oberst Mihael · Post by **Oberst Mihael** » 12 Oct 2002 12:16

Can't wait to read it! Thank you!

Gott · Post by **Gott** » 23 Dec 2002 16:13

i'm curious and want to know overall, which piece of music was the most popular among the waffen ss soldiers, particularly during marching...

thx for your help.

HaEn · Post by **HaEn** » 23 Dec 2002 23:31

Just about ANY german marching songs were sung during marches; our kompanie's favorite was "Westerwald", followed by "Fern bei Sedan". Also we sang "Die Schwerter heraus und das Pulver und das Blei", can't find it anywhere on the net. But the words were about; "Die Schwerter heraus und das Pulver und das Blei - und die schwarzen Garden rücken an-- und der Mut ist so groß und das Herz ist so weit - und das Hakenkreuz weht uns voran --- wir sind die schwarze Garde, die nie ein Feind gefällt - - sind Hitler's schwarze Gardisten, das beste Korps der Welt." just from memory. Frohe Weihnachten ! HN

Gott · Post by **Gott** » 24 Dec 2002 07:56

Fröhliche Weihnachten to you all.

Thank you for the info, actually I was specifically looking for SS soldiers on the Eastern Front.

Haen, did you serve in the Ostfront?

WTW26 · Post by **WTW26** » 25 Dec 2002 08:24

HaEn, maybe you also remember this one: "Wir alle stehn zum Kampf bereit wenn Runen und Totenkopf führen"?

HaEn · Post by **HaEn** » 27 Dec 2002 01:37

Friedrich Kleist wrote:HaEn, maybe you also remember this one: "Wir alle stehn zum Kampf bereit wenn Runen und Totenkopf führen"?

No I don't remember that one, but do: Ein junges Volk steht auf zum Sturm bereit . . . Happy newyear. HN