The Schwartzeis Saga: A Family Trying to Make Sense of Confusing Times. (BI AAR)

[Uriah]

The Schwartzeis Saga: A Family Trying to Make Sense of Confusing Times

Thursday 1st April 1937
​

It might be the first day of spring, but Berlin is determined to resist the seasonal change. The sky is dull and overcast, and steady rain pours on the Schwartzeis house in Berliner Straße.

The family is sitting around in the parlour, some in armchairs, some on the lounge. The housekeeper, Hilda, has brought in a few extra chairs to accommodate the rest.

“Nor much to report for February I’m afraid” says Erich Schwartzeis. “The shipyards along the North Sea and the Baltic are still flat out, but there have been no tenders for new naval craft. What capacity there is for new construction has been grabbed by the new labour organisation, the Deutsche Arbeitsfront. I know it is supposed to represent the employers as well as the worker, but that is just words – it is all about benefits to the employees. Not that I have any problems with it of course. It is a wonderful institution.”

Workers and scientists unite in the Deutsche Arbeitsfront
​

Several of the younger members of the family look relieved – they obviously had been worried that one of the elders of the family was going to express dissatisfaction with a major initiative of the Party.

“No, as an employer I am more than happy to pay slightly higher wages in exchange for stability and increased productivity. Even the “job security” regulations that make it harder for us to sack slackers are worth it, even if we have had to find spots for them to waste their time. But where was I?

That’s right, the ship building contracts. The DAF has ordered several big ocean liners, maybe as many as six! The first, the “Wilhelm Gustloff”, will be ready in a few months. And a massive recreational complex has been started on the island of Rügen. It is lucky that the causeway to the island opened last October or the ferries would never have been able to deal with the crowds expected. The rumour is that the resort at Prora will be able to hold 20,000 people when finished!”

Decades later, the DAF workers’ resort is still imposing​

“If it is ever finished.” Hermann Schwarteis is not impressed. “I hear priority for building materials was given to the new tungsten storage facility in Württemburg and the new factory complex in the Rhineland.”

“That might be true” replies his son. “But some of my workers have already had a “Kraft durch Freude” holiday.

Anyway, to return to the topic of government decisions, I did hear that the demand for chrome to make toughened steel for the Kriegsmarine’s capital ships has led to a new deal with Turkey.”

“Yes, the Turks demanded a lot of manufactured luxury goods in return for chrome, which annoyed some government officials.” Sigmund Schwartzeis smiles at the memory. “They seemed to find it intolerable that anyone could want something in return for helping build the Wehrmacht. I suspect that diplomacy is not a trait that gets you far in the Party.”

Seeing that the conversation was once more veering into dangerous ground, Margarethe Schwartzeis turned to Hilda.

“How about your son Siegfried? Any news from Spain? Is he safe?”

“Safe and sound, thankyou, Frau Schwartzeis. I think that last month I told you that the talk was that our soldiers were going to go into the mountains and head for the city of Huesca. Well, that is what happened. The past few weeks they have been pushing east and now they are in position. Siegfried doesn’t say a lot about the military side of things, but he hints that an assault will take place soon.

But not much fighting, and he is now saying that it is getting a bit boring – all he does is repair vehicles that have been damaged by the primitive roads. Though he does mention that while there is not real opposition, that the lead units are constantly suffering from snipers.”

Republican snipers harass the Nationalist forces moving towards Huesca.​

“Rudolf says that our soldiers in the south are also on the move – at last!” Ilse von Willemberg appears both pleased and concerned that her son is entering a battle zone.

“He says that General Hoth has indicated that his objective is Malaga, a city on the Mediterranean coast. The panzer division has been grinding its way forward and from what Rudolf says an attack is imminent. He says he is being careful, but I do worry that he might try to get too close to the fighting – he is so keen to get a good story that sometimes he forgets he is not supposed to be part of the army.”

Malaga: peace before the storm​

“He does mention that there has been some sort of reorganisation lately – that the front-line commanders have been spending a lot of time talking about “fire-brigades”. From what he has been told, it is some sort of military tactic just adopted by the Heer. Something about small, self-contained units that can be sent to deal with sudden problems, but he has no real detail.”

“It is new mobile warfare doctrine just developed by our military theoreticians”. Ilse’s husband Günter von Willemburg takes over. “I am surprised that Hoth has moved so quickly to adopt a suggestion by OKH, but I suppose that if part of his role is to evaluate new military tactics and equipment, that he and von Esebeck will be under orders to try these things out.”

Hermann Schwartzeis can contain himself no longer. “I hope that whatever they decide to try that they do it soon. Of course, I am glad that our casualties in Spain, as far as we know, are minimal, and that both our boys are unharmed, but I can’t help but think that not a lot is being achieved. We have had tens of thousands of men in over there for months, but the front lines don’t seem to have changed much. When will Franco do something serious? Or is this adventure in Spain to turn into another bloodbath like the last war?”

German soldiers in World War 1: surely the Wehrmacht will not allow Spain to become another battle of the trenches?​

Herr Schwartzeis’ question is left hanging. Nobody has an answer, yet nobody wants to change the subject. The session winds up, with all those present taking away the same image of the endless trenches of the Western Front.

 

[Uriah]

The Schwartzeis Saga: A Family Trying to Make Sense of Confusing Times


Saturday 1st May 1937​

Feeling that she is being observed, Ilse von Willemburg looks up from the letter she is writing.

“Oh, you are all here. Sorry, I was just finishing a letter to Rudolf in Spain. Let me just find a stamp for it and I’ll be ready.”

The housekeeper, Hilde, silently moves to the writing table in the lounge and, opening a small draw, reveals a sheet of postage stamps.

“Oh, the Hitler birthday stamps. I thought we had used all those up. After all, it is nearly a month since they were released.”

A commemorative sheet of stamps to celebrate the birthday of Adolf Hitler: “If you want to save a people you can only think heroically”​

“I think we are supposed to still be celebrating” says Sigmund Schwartzeis. “Though I am not sure why this year is so important. I mean last year we did not have special stamps issued, and there while there were some celebrations, nothing like this year’s rallies. If I were a cynic, rather than a trained diplomat, I would say we are seeing the beginning of a cult of the individual.”

Citizens in a frenzy of enthusiasm at a rally to celebrate the Führer’s 48th birthday​

As has happened before, Sigmund’s blunt but insightful comment generates a variety of both positive and negative responses with just one similarity: they are all silent.

It is young Kurt von Willemburg who fills the growing gap in the conversation.

“Did any of you hear of the amazing developments in aircraft engines? No? Well the entire Engineering Faculty at TH Berlin is buzzing with the news from England. One of their scientists, Frank Whittle, has been working on this for a few years, but a couple of weeks ago he showed a working protype of a jet engine!”

An illustration of Frank Whittle testing his prototype​

“Very impressive I am sure my dear” replies his mother Ilse “but what on earth is jet engine?”

“It is a completely new way of powering aircraft, mama. Instead of an engine turning a propeller, this engine sucks in air and pushes it out in an incredibly fast “jet” of air. Who knows how fast a jet powered plane could go? Much faster than anything we have now!”

“I am sure the Royal Air Force is very pleased”. It is clear from his tone that Günter von Willemburg is not too pleased with his son’s obvious enthusiasm. Perhaps he feels the British success does not reflect well on the Waffenamt. “We too have been having success with this new technology. It will not be long before we have an actual jet plane. You may not hear of this research at TH Berlin, but a young physicist working for Heinkel has some promising results.”

Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain: he is close to having not only a jet engine, but a jet aircraft​

Having defended the reputation of German science, Günter continues. “In any case, I am sure the British are more excited about the launch of the “Ark Royal”. That too is a breakthrough, the first ship designed from the start to be an aircraft carrier. It can carry more than 70 planes the British claim. Though the ship may be unlucky – our agents in the United Kingdom tell us it took four tries for the champagne bottle to smash at the launching ceremony!”

The British press made much of the launch of the Royal Navy’s latest capital ship​

Frau Schwartzeis has had enough of both technology and foreigners. “Enough about the Royal Navy – what about our boys in Spain?”

“My son says that General von Esebeck has at last launched the attack on Huesca that has been planned for so long. Reading between the lines, it seems it is not going too well. Siegfried says that once again his unit is flat out repairing tanks and other vehicles, and many are so badly damaged that they are only good for scrap. The Spanish are not giving us any help and we are up against the International Brigades again. It is the mountains though that are our worst enemy: Siegfried says that most of the damage is not from fighting but just from trying to move around.”

It is tough for Condorgruppe (Nord) in the mountains of Aragon​

“What about the Luftwaffe? Does Siegfried mention anything about the Luftwaffe?” It is clear that Karl von Willemburg’s sympathy for the long-suffering troops on the ground is less than his interest in his fellow pilots.

“He did mention that the old Heinkel 46C bombers are being replaced by the new “Stukas”. About half the bombers he sees flying to the combat zone are Ju-87s, and he said that soldiers he has spoken to say that it is not that the Stukas are faster but that their bombs are so much more effective. The Heinkels dropped about 20 little bombs, about 10 kilos each, but the Stukas drop a big 250 kilo bomb and a few 50 kilo bombs. They blast the enemy out of fortified positions, and they make a horrible screaming sound as they dive down. Siegfried says that captured prisoners report that the Spanish are terrified when the Stukas attack.”

A kette of Stukas of Condorgruppe over Spain: a frightening sight for the enemy​

“You seem more interested in aircraft than in your own brother” interjects Isle von Willemburg. “Though I am sure Rudolf wishes he was in the north. He is complaining that nothing is happening in the south. 3.PzD is still sitting north of Gibraltar. General Hoth seems in no hurry to get to grips with the Republicans. He spent so long preparing for his big assault on Malaga that the Spanish took it before he was ready.” It is clear from Ilse’s tone that she is quite content that the greatest danger facing her oldest son is boredom.

“Maybe that delay is something to do with politics.” Sigmund Schwartzeis is always ready to see a political reason for everything. “General Franco has now seized all power and has merged the Carlists and the Falange. All other parties have been dissolved and only the new Falange Espanola Tradicionalista y de las Juntas Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista can operate. That only happened a few weeks ago, and I expect the local commanders are having to adjust.”

“What a mouthful.” Frau Schwartzeis is amused. “What on earth does it mean?”

“They actually just call it the FET y de las JONS, but it means “The Traditionalist Spanish Phalanx and the Councils of the National Syndicalist Offensive”. The important thing is that it means that Franco is now the unchallenged leader of the Nationalists. I don’t know if you are aware, but Germany has formally declared that it has sent a military attaché to observe the war, and that he is with Franco’s headquarters. Which makes our position pretty clear.”

The emblem of the FET y de las JONS: the yoke and arrows​

“But there have been some significant political events much closer to home.”

“You don’t mean those fantastic articles in the press about the new “Germania” do you?” interjects Ingrid Schwartzeis. “I can tell you my father predicts that it will never happen. The amount of steel and concrete needed would eat up all our production for years. Even building the “Volkshalle” or the “Ruhmeshalle” or whatever Speer calls it would take a decade.”


A model of the “Volkshalle”: to get an idea of scale, the Brandenburg Gate can be seen at the bottom, just to the right of centre.

Sigmund laughs. “No, that’s not what I meant, though I have to say some very senior people in the Party act as though it will be built. No, I was referring to something that didn’t get much publicity but has been the focus of a lot of attention in the higher levels of the government. It was the meeting of the Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg with Mussolini in Venice. Or, to be more precise, what Mussolini said at that meeting. In essence, the Austrians were told that Italy would not intervene should Germany exert any sort of pressure on Austria.”

The Venice meeting as reported in the cinema newsreels by Fox Tönende Woschenschau​

“That is a change” says Herr Schwartzkreis. “A major change. Since the break up of the k.u.k. Austria has relied on the Italians to guarantee its sovereignty – it is barely able to support itself let alone defend itself. Schuschnigg must be wetting himself.”

“Hermann!” Frau Schwartzkries is mortified. “Not on front of the grandchildren and the staff!”

“Sorry dear, I was just a bit taken aback. This throws the whole relationship between Germany and Austria into a different light.”

“Correct” replies Sigmund. “Who knows what Hitler will do now he has been given a clear run at our neighbour and his home country?”

And on that note the family meeting breaks up.

 

[Forster]

I see you are back. I don't check the aars much anymore, everything seems to be you tube. You should have your dedicated readers on a distribution list so you can notify them when you finally decide to rejoin us.
Welcome back, and as usual, I will be following this. Great story so far.

 

[Uriah]

I see you are back. I don't check the aars much anymore, everything seems to be you tube. You should have your dedicated readers on a distribution list so you can notify them when you finally decide to rejoin us.
Welcome back, and as usual, I will be following this. Great story so far.

Thanks Forster. Good to see you are still around. Sadly I have no list of "dedicated readers" or I would have let them know that after about 4 years I got the bug to write again. But it is true that the number of people prepared to read an AAR appears to have dropped sharply - I can't see this saga ever reaching 500,000 hits like in the past.

 

[Forster]

Two things:
1. you tube
2. you've been gone so long no one remembers you

You need to be more active and write a lot.

 

[Uriah]

The Schwartzeis Saga: A Family Trying to Make Sense of Confusing Times


Tuesday 1st June 1937​

While it is still bright daylight at 6PM, rain drizzles down on Berlin, various members of the Schwartzeis family make their way to the monthly meeting in the house in Berliner Straße. The older members arrive in motor cars: the young have to make a dash from the Fehrbelliner Straße U-bahn station or the Heidelberger Platz Bahnhof.

With raincoats and umbrellas stored away, the group settle down, most with coffee but a few needing something stronger to fortify themselves for the session.

“Thank you all for arriving so promptly. It seems to me that an awful lot happened in May.” Herman Schwartzeis looks around his extended family. “Who wants to go first?”

As several family members started to speak, a calm but firm voice silenced them.

“I think that for once Hilda should tell of us how her son is going. He is closest to danger, at least for now.” Hermann’s wife Margarethe smiles at her daughter Ilse, whose son Rudolf is with Condorgruppe South, near Gibraltar. “Unless things have changed drastically, Rudolf is still enjoying a holiday in Spain, paid for by the “Berlin Illustrirte”.

“Thank you, Frau Schwartzeis. I did receive some mail from my son Siegfried, as well as some interesting news from my other son, Franz.

“Firstly, Siegfried’s letters. I think last time I mentioned that Condorgruppe North was fighting to capture a place called Huesca. The town has at last been taken, but there was some heavy fighting. Not just in the town itself, but all around. Siegfried himself has been involved in the actual fighting – he is careful to downplay it, but I can tell that it was dangerous. Let me read this bit of his letter:

Even the irregular Republican forces have some heavy weapons, courtesy of the Soviets​

“While the tanks and infantry were busy in the town, our base in the mountains nearby came under attack, and Werk-Statt Kompanie X had to defend itself. All those hours practising to shoot my Kar 98 were not wasted. I don’t think it was regular Republican forces that attacked us, more like partisans. They didn’t seem to wear uniforms, and there was no assault. Just a few hours of rifle fire from the slopes around the camp area. Nobody from our unit was hit, but there were a few casualties from some of the administrative units, and several men were killed.

I have no idea if we hit any of the partisans. I hope so – we fired off enough bullets. But when they left after a few hours we couldn’t find any sign that they had taken any losses.

Nothing to worry about mama. Not a scratch on me, and I can say I have been in combat. The worst thing was we lost a lot of time and the backlog of vehicles to repair is getting worse. The final assault on the city was hard, with a lot of tanks damaged.”

Panzer IIs, despite being better armoured than the Panzer I, also suffered in the street fighting in Huesca​

Hilde pauses. “You can see why I am concerned. Siegfried is safe for now, but it was pure luck that the enemy was not firing on his unit. What sort of war is it when men who are not in combat units come under attack? Siegfried is a mechanic, not a real soldier.”

“I am afraid, Hilde, that in modern war there is no “front line”” says Günter von Willemburg. “Our top theorists tell us that the next war, and I think I can say there will be a “next war”, will not be a war of front lines like the last. It will be fluid, with fast moving units striking deep into the rear of enemy forces. In fact, there has been a research project on the use of elite units as “Fire Brigades” to deal with such incursions.”

“Well send some of those firemen to protect my son then.” It is clear Hilde is not reassured to be told that she can expect her son to be in combat on a regular basis. “He says that now they are driving forward to some place called Lleida.

But turning to my son Franz. You might remember he works for the Deutsche Reichsbahn, something complicated to do with timetables and routing trains across the country. Anyway, he tells me that the Heer has been making his life difficult, with massive troop movements. A total of 14 infantry divisions have been sent west, seven to the French border and seven to the border with Belgium and Holland.”

A meal stop on the way west​

“I did wonder if that would be noticed” says Günter. “Erich Beschenhager has been given command of the “Westwall Armee”, while Friedrich von Paulus will lead the “Benelux Armee”. The first part of a total reorganisation of the Heer. It may be a while, but every division in the Wehrmacht can expect to be allocated to a new army. There has also been a change in training for garrison units – that should make them more effective and free up troops for combat.”

“Domestically there has been a lot going on as well.” Sigmund is keen to make a contribution, perhaps feeling that military affairs have been dominating the discussion. “Not the least of which has been the demand by the Spanish Republicans that we withdraw our military attaché from Franco’s headquarters. As you might expect, given that we recognise the Nationalists as Spain’s government, we have ignored this, but the demand created a lot of hilarity among our diplomats. More seriously, everyone was delighted when the US Congress finally passed the latest Neutrality Bill. One of my colleagues is not so happy – he has concerns about what he calls the “cash and carry” clauses. He thinks they could allow the US to aid combatants in any future war, despite its claiming to be neutral.”

President Franklin D Roosevelt signs the Neutrality Act​

“Putting international affairs to one side, I think the most significant event of the month was the announcement by the Führer that Frederick Porsche was ready to start producing the long-awaited “Kraft-durch-Freude Wagen”. I really hope they come up with something more catchy: some officials refer to them as the “Volkswagen” but I hear that the less serious call the car the “Käfer”. A wonderful moment for the workers of Germany, the opportunity to own a car of their own, but there are rumours the Wehrmacht wants to requisition almost all production.”

An idyllic moment in advertising: a family with its Volkwagen and Volsempfläger​

“How can you think the opening of a car factory has had more effect than a disaster like the destruction of the “Hindenburg”?” interrupts Ingrid Schwartzeis. “The sight of that magnificent aircraft burning will be in my mind forever. I wish I had never seen that newsreel. But even without that, there was the funeral of the victims back in Germany, in Cuxhaven. That moved me to tears as well.”

The funeral of those killed in the “Hindenburg” disaster was a national event​

“Of course that was a moment of great emotion, and I am sure it will be some time before we forget the tragedy. But life will move on. But from the point of view of the future of our country, and of our business, I think there are things of more importance.” Erich Schawrtzeis is not concerned with contradicting his wife, though her expression should warn him of trouble looming.

“For instance, events in Russia are disturbing. I saw it reported that Stalin had claimed the North Pole, and that a General Tukhachevsky has been executed.”

A young Tuchachevsky and his wife, who was of course also executed.​

Everyone looks at Sigmund: this is where his diplomatic sources, as well as his close contacts with high-ranking Party officials, gives him a distinct advantage over the rest.

“Yes, what is going on in Russia is startling even the most experienced observers. A state of madness seems to have taken over. The North Pole claim was just to highlight that a group of Russians made it to the Pole, but the executions are serious. Tukhachevsky was not any general: he was a leading military theorist and a Marshal of the Soviet Union. His death is a serous blow to the Red Army. And he is not alone. There have been other executions, and one of the most powerful men in the Soviet Armed Forces, General Gamarnik, has committed suicide. Our spies tell us there is a bloodbath, with the arrest of thousands of army officers.”

“All of which is great news to the Wehrmacht” adds Günter von Willemburg. “Some of the best of our future enemy’s military thinkers eliminated and the armed forces completely disorganised, and all without us risking the life of one soldier. If only Spain were as easy! Our losses are not heavy, but they are delaying the expansion of the Heer. I should add to the summary of events in that country that the Republicans have replaced their leader: Cabellero has gone, replaced as President by Juan Negrin.

Negrin (far left) visits the front lines with Miguel Azaña and Generals Miaja and Campesino​

“Coincidentally, there were changes in England. Not just the crowning of the new king, George VI, but a new Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain. A much more aggressive leader than Stanley Baldwin but he still has to deal with a British public that is very much against any increase in military spending.

“And one more thing before I shut up – our son Sigmund says that he is now moving towards Malaga. He thinks Hoth might be ready to actually do something in the next few weeks. Sigmund is not happy at sitting around while all the action is in the north.”

“This has been a busy month” says Hermann Schwartzeis. “I did see that Herbert Backe has been replaced by his mentor, Richard Darré as Domestic Minister. I gather Backe was allocating too much factory space to civilian luxuries and Darré will ensure the military gets priority.”

“I heard that too” responds his son Erich. “Navy officers often grumbled to me about the “waste” of factories that could be doing something more useful. Though the topic that dominated discussions around the bars and dinner tables of Wilhelmshaven was the latest generation of heavy torpedoes.”

“That might interest sailors but the talk among the officers at the pilot training school was the Luftwaffe’s new medium bomber. They say the Heinkel 111 is to be the backbone of the bomber arm for the next 10 years!” Karl von Willemburg’s face is flushed with excitement.

The prototype of the He 111​

“I am afraid that means it will be the main bomber in the next war then” says his grandfather. “I get the impression from all this that we are slowly moving that way. Oh well, at least it is good for business. Which reminds me, I have a lot of work to do this evening: there is no rest for the wicked!”

At that subtle hint the group breaks up, taking advantage of a break in the rain to dash to cars or to the nearest railway station.

 

[Forster]

If the SS gets word of these meetings, things may not go so well for the family.