Feldpost - Letters from a German Soldier

[Syt]

[NOTE: I'd like to keep this AAR free from comments so it is easier to read and follow. There is a distinct comments thread for this AAR, however, and I'd be delighted if you'd take your time to direct all your comments, suggestions, or criticisms there. Thanks you! ]

Leutnant Peter Kressner

Idar-Oberstein, 22. Dezember 1935

Liebe Mutter, lieber Vater,

Last week I have finally been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. The courses and endless training exercises seemed at times to be endless, but now I finally have made it. Your son is an officer! I am sure that grandmother will be very proud, as she always wanted me to become a soldier, like her father. And who knows, maybe I will fight the French as he did in 1871? But such thoughts are far away. I am too happy with my new rank at this moment, and I have to be very careful not to try to impress everyone with it. I don't want to make myself unpopular. And besides, I was just a Fähnrich but a week ago.

Tomorrow I will depart for Münster to take my new command. I will be in the VI. Armeekorps of General von Kluge. I will take the 2nd platoon of the 3./426 Kompanie of the 26. Infanteriedivision. Hauptmann Werner will be my commander. I have heard good things about him. He is supposed to be a nice man, educated, polite, just, and intelligent. I will soon be able to verify these claims.

I include with this letter a photo of myself with my new rank. Be sure to show it to everyone. And please say hello to Marianne from me.

I love you and am your faithful son.

Euer Peter

German Stamp from 1935


[OOC: After my exaggerated U.S.S.AAR (which is slowly drawing to an end) I thought it time to do a more serious AAR, more narrative based. As the title and this first post suggest, it will be based on the experiences of Peter Kressner, as told by his Feldpost-letters.

House rules:

• - I will try to play historically, so no wild annexion sprees. Main goal is Lebensraum in Russia.
  - Whenever I make demands on another nation, I will try to keep historical. I will make demands but once. Should I be denied, it means war.
  - I will try to settle with the Western Allies (preferrably peacefully) before turning East.
  - I will try to join forces with Mussolini at the historically correct instance and help him in his conquests.
  - I will ally with Japan only if they go to war with the Western Allies, too.
  - I will play on High difficulty and furious AI aggression.
  - I will try to keep research historical (tanks, fighters, tac bombers, subs...).

I hope you people will enjoy. ]

 

[Syt]

Köln, 13. März 1936

Liebe Mutter, lieber Vater,

I am sorry that I didn't write any sooner, but the last three months have been busier and more exhausting than I would have imagined.

I have by now settled nicely with my new men. The 2nd Platoon of the 3./426 is one of the best units in the whole Armeekorps VI. The men are sturdy, rough, and they perform well in maneuver. They did play a few pranks on me when I first got here, but my Zugfeldwebel, Hauptfeldwebel Klausen, assured me that it was not meant to hurt me but to welcome me. And indeed the jokes were good humoured. Having been three months with these men now I already feel attached to them, and I hope that should battle occur at one time in the future I will see all of them again. My commander, Hauptmann Werner, is an educated man, well studied, and has graduated from the officer's school only five years before me. He is timid, and well respected by the men under his command.

HptFW Klausen is a man that would be to your liking, Father. He likes beer, enjoys football matches, and he is, like you a supporter of the Hamburger SV, the club of his hometown. He is well over forty and has fought in the Great War on the western front. After the war he had decided to stay in the army since he knew not what to do else. He has great knowledge and experience, and I know I can fully trust and rely on him.

You will certainly read it in the newspapers or have seen it on the Wochenschau, but a week ago, we moved back into the Rheinland. The men were singing Wacht am Rhein all the while. I am glad that the Führer took that move. Remember how the French took the Sarre in '23 to press their will onto us? That will no longer be possible now. And now that the Sarre voted to come back to the Reich last year, who knows how the French will react?

I know that this move is against the Versailles Treaty, but do you consider that treaty fair? Has anyoone in the Reich ever considered it to be a just treaty? I don't think so. Germany needs to defend her borders, and this is what we will do. Speaking of it, I hear that you, Father, have been contracted to help in building fortifications in the West. This is good news, and it certainly honors me that your construction company helps building fortifying our borders in the west - to imagine that my family has a share in erecting the Westwall...

Adolf Hitler is probably the best that has happened to our country since the war. He has gotten rid of corruption, he got the economy back on the track, and he almost eliminated unemployment. And he managed to restore self esteem in the people, pride for their country and the grandeur it is capable of. I've never been interested much in politics, or the party, but I think I should really take a closer look at their program and goals. Maybe even read Mein Kampf. But I guess I will be too occupied with my job here in the immediate future. After all, some armies are to be supplied with divisions of the new Pz-I tank. I find this interesting, because most countries have their tanks spread out into their infantry units. Why would we need divisions made up only of armor? But I guess the Oberste Heeresleitung knows what they're doing.

I will try to write more frequently again. Tell Marianne that I received her letter, and that I will write her again soon. And send my greetings to Uncle Karl-Heinz for getting the job with the developers at Krupp. I hear their gun research gets along nicely!

I love you all!

Euer Peter

German Infantry moving into Rhineland