
When The Battle of the Bulge movie came out, my father took me to the beautiful old Runnymede Theatre to watch it.
When they sang Panzerlied, the older men in the audience - they would have been late 30s or early 40s - not only knew the words, they sang along and stomped their feet!
So lots of German veterans in the theatre?![]()
The skilful and scientific use of your bombers was the cause of our defeat in France. Reinforcement in the Normandy area was almost impossible. France, in which all means of transportation were interrupted, was the cause of our defeat.
I' ve heard many young Armor officers sing this, especially Fri nis! Also some not so young.The audience seemed high spirited.
After all, it was Germany's last major offensive.
They had lost France.
General Heinrich Hans Eberbach, CO of Panzer Group West, put it this way on 26 Sept., 1944:
I hear it's likely even more ... lively in showings in places like ArgentinaSo lots of German veterans in the theatre?![]()
I' ve heard many young Armor officers sing this, especially Fri nis! Also some not so young.
A great tune. I did not understand the words, because the men in the audience were singing it in German.
I was at a GATES party after a BLACK BEAR when late at night - and after many a Whiskey-Cola (them not me - I'm a beer guy) - a group of junior tankers broke into the "Horst Wessel" song which resulted in a whole lot of embarrassed glances from the folks I was talking to at the time.Ironically this was a popular tune in the British Parachute Regiment after a few beers, probably still is, but I don't recall these being the words we used.
On joint exercises with the German Falschirmjager I recall that they were forbidden to sing it... until after a few beers were deployed of course
Just finished watching āSink the Bismarckā. How all those officers kept those jackets so pristine at sea and in the office is a testament to the tailors of London!
Also, when that Lieutenant Commander went to the fleet admiral to complain that the captain wouldnāt let him leave early to see his girlfriend. I just laughed that the Fleet admiral didnāt throw him out of his office and that the captain didnāt chew him a new asshole for screwing up the divisional system!
