I Could Have You Shot For This...

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"Sepp?"

"Hey Fritz, what's going on?"

"Did you hear about the incident over in 2nd Company's sector the other day?"

Quickly Josef "Sepp" Kleinschmidt pulled the younger man out of the line they were in. Once they were out of earshot he leaned in and whispered, "Be careful, I heard about it. The Feldpolizei are around as well as the Gestapo. Don't forget, we're back in the Reich now."

"Surely there can't be anything wrong with talking about..."

"I would not take any chances Fritz, there are informers everywhere."

Indeed there were, the captain commanding the 2nd Company had already been interrogated by the GFP, been stripped of his rank without benefit of trial, and sent to a penal battalion in Russia.

Leutnant Florian Neumann sat waiting for his interrogator to join him. Though it was supposed to be hush-hush and streng geheim,¹ he was already aware of his company commander's fate. Neumann was a very junior officer, he had been promoted from the ranks shortly after D-Day when he had personally destroyed three American tanks and led the remnants of his platoon in repulsing a very strong attack on an important position, he was also a holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, and proudly wore the Close Combat Clasp in Silver over the right breast pocket of his tunic.

Though junior in rank, Neumann was a tough combat veteran, after serving two years in Russia, he feared almost nothing. A little bird had whispered to him of the captain's downfall. Neumann had liked the man, but he was no combat soldier, having joined the division in late August from a supply depot well behind the lines. The door began to open, Neumann sat up straight.

The man who came into the room wore spectacles, had slicked back oily hair, and wore a rather rumpled suit. He looked like a clerk in an unsuccessful accounting office, a lesser man may have discounted the newcomer based on his appearance, but this was the very man who had sent Hauptmann Klaus von Hayek to the Eastern Front as Grenadier von Hayek, member of a Strafbataillon.

"So, Herr Neumann, you do understand that I could have you shot for the behavior of your men?" The seedy little man pulled no punches, going for the throat at the outset.

"Yes Herr Feldpolizeidirektor,² I am well aware of that. Which is why, you may note, that there was no second occurrence of desertion from my company."

The small man paced back and forth behind the small table and studied the lieutenant for a few long moments. "That was you who ordered the machine gun to fire upon the men attempting to desert to the enemy?"

"Yes sir."

"Those men were not even from your platoon, why would you..."

Neumann interrupted the policeman, for that is what he had been in civilian life, "Yes sir. After the three men of my platoon had deserted the night before, I ordered the platoon to be on highest alert. I posted myself at the machine gun position near where the deserters had gone over to the enemy. It was Hauptmann von Hayek's idea to be on a higher state of alert. I had already placed my platoon sergeant under arrest and..."

"Ah yes, Oberfeldwebel Krause I believe..."

"Yes sir, he has been..."

"Oberfeldwebel Krause was shot at regiment this morning. After his arrest he berated the Feldgendarmerie sergeant who took him into custody, called him a, hhmm, where is it?" The man looked through the papers he had brought in with him, "Ah, here it is. He called the sergeant an ass kissing Nazi stooge. So, we had him shot for defeatism."

Lieutenant Neumann shifted in his chair, he had expected the sergeant to be reduced in rank perhaps, but shot? Now he was getting nervous.

"I see that bothers you lieutenant, that we had your sergeant shot."

Neumann sighed, ran his fingers through his hair then nodded, "Yes sir. He was a good man in combat, though he had been slightly shaky lately, I thought his nerves were shot. I had no idea things were that far gone."

"He had no faith in the ultimate victory of the Reich! We could not let that attitude spread! You do understand that your Knight's Cross and your record in combat are the only things standing between you and a field court martial, yes?" The policeman had slammed both hands down on the table when he had said that, while Neumann was startled, he showed no sign of it, other than his pulse increasing somewhat. Having spent long periods of time under Soviet artillery bombardment, sudden noises didn't phase him. Much.

The policeman pulled out the chair on his side of the table and sat down, he pulled out a cigarette case and offered Neumann one.

"Thank you Herr Feldpolizeidirektor, it has been a long day."

"I should imagine so lieutenant. I must say, your regimental commander speaks highly of you, he has also directed your battalion commander to give you the 2nd Company. Can you make sure no more of your men seek to desert the Fatherland? Can you handle that?"

"I suspect my men will be too busy fighting the Amis in the days to come to worry about desertion. Their chief concern will be staying alive I would think."

"Very good lieutenant, you may return to your men." The policeman stood, as did Neumann.

As the policeman turned to leave, he paused, "Oh, by the way, lieutenant, Heil Hitler."

"Yes, Herr Feldpolizeidirektor, Heil Hitler!!"

The policeman chuckled and left the room.

Leutnant Florian Neumann discovered, much to his chagrin, that he was sweating like a pig. He had been completely unnerved by the little policeman.

"I'd rather face Soviet T-34s in a blizzard than sit down with that little bastard again." He muttered under his breath as he left the building where he had been questioned. He looked around to make sure no one heard him. He was learning that it paid to be careful what one said, and to whom.

During the First World War, only 18 Germans who deserted were executed. However, the Germans executed 15,000 men who deserted from the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. (Source)

¹ Top secret
² Equivalent rank to a major