Through Hell for Hitler

by Henry Metelmann

Here is the extraordinary story of one man’s war. This book portrays the gradual awakening in the mind of a young Hitler Youth ‘educated’ soldier of a Panzer Division, bogged down in the bitterest fighting on the Eastern Front, to the truth of the criminal character of what he is involved in.Having in mind that about 9 out of 10 German soldiers who died in WWII were killed in Russia, the book throws light on the largely unreported heroic sacrifices of Soviet soldiers and civilians often against seemingly hopeless odds, without which Europe might well have fallen to fascism. It deals less with grand strategies, tactics and military technicalities than with the human involvement of ordinary people, from both sides, who were caught up in that enormity of a tragedy, that epic struggle in Russia.It throws light on the chasm which existed between officers and men in the sharply class-divided Wehrmacht with most of the top rank officers having been drawn from the old imperial aristocracy.

Genres: History, War, Germany, Nonfiction, World War II, Military History, Military Fiction

206 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Tim Mercer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting read. The author wrote it many years after the war and as such it probably compromised a bit on the details and sequencing but still it is an good story. I think that because of the distance between events and writing it is more like a series of recollections than a detailed narrated story.

Note that the author ended up a committed communist so that has coloured a lot of his descriptions of his interactions. With few exceptions he hated his officers who he describes as aristocratic and snobbish with not a lot of intelligence. On the other hand the Soviets he comes into contact with are painted much nicer as friendly and smart. You will need to filter this out as you go.

Beyond this this are some good excerpts of life on the Eastern Front in WWII. He was trained as a tank driver but as such he also spent a lot of time driving trucks and half-tracks as well. His duty ran the gamut of garrison work, line defence, assaults, and retreats. He was operating on the northern flank of Stalingrad when the Soviets encircled the city and he retreated with various remnants. Eventually formed into kampfgruppes, he continued to fight on foot and was captured and the escaped when his unit attacked the Soviets.

One story that didn't feel right was where early in his service he fell in love with a Crimean girl that he suspected of being a partisan. It felt a bit embellished by distant fond memory especially as he didn't denounce her.

Overall worth reading for it's honesty but the length of time between the experience and the writing show. 3.5 stars

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cant reccomend it, everyones tastes are different when it comes to memoir's but this is mainly about the mundane side of the war, when it does come to combat hardly a paragraph is spent written on it. Also seems to suffer from 'hind sight is perfect syndrome', some of the things and discussions he has with his comrades and prisoners seems a little too far fetched to be known by the general ground troops during the war. Doesnt feel completely honest, seems a bit white washed.

[Gray Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Courage, hardship and leadership- a tough story

Authentic Story of a piece of history no one should ever have been called to endure. Young being mostly early 20’s Tough, courageous, skilled these Panzer troops really lived a fast and furious life. Maybe the first ‘live fast die young’ practioners. I enjoyed the tales of hardship and courage immensely.

[B COOK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read.

What a fantastic read. Highly recommend this for any and all who love history or just want to know more of the daily life of the German soldier in the eastern front.

[Kevin Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't normally do sweeping reviews but I can't help but add my 2 cents on what I just experienced with this book. I found Henry to be very likable, and did not get a sense that the crimes he committed were that horrendous... but perhaps it's easy to overlook them when reading from his perspective and not the perspective of those who were affected by them. For example, when his unit was ordered to burn down a hut with many Russian villagers in it: we never learned (because he never learned) what became of them. Surely it was horrendous. Furthermore, I suppose, there's something of an element of "just following orders". In that instance he didn't really have a choice... if he were to go against his superiors he would have been dead or otherwise. I don't know. Perhaps I am too forgiving of him, I'm not sure.

This was up there with Dr. Viktor Frank's "Man's Search for Meaning" for me. It's amazing to me how such horrible times can bring out both the best and the worst in Man - this was, in fact, a central theme of Dr. Frankl's work. Horrific elements aside, I found Henry's experience to be utterly interesting, and at times even comical, like when he and three German prisoners drove a jeep unguarded through the United States.

And what to say about love? The love story with Anna brought me to tears and made me reconsider what it means for me to love in my own life. The fact that it isn't fiction makes it all the more compelling. It was powerful when he said that if he and Anna could love, why could the world not?

It was utterly upsetting for me to see how cruel people were to him - American, French, and even German - after leaving Russia. After feeling like I bonded with Henry, and knowing how much he had suffered, to see even his own countrymen laughing at him and even blaming him for losing the war was utterly discouraging. Understandable? To an extent I suppose. But still, utterly discouraging. It is sad just how deep hatred seems to run in the human heart.

I found it interesting when he said the ages of 18-26, when he was a soldier and a prisoner, are the formative years of any man's life. I reflected upon that, and I absolutely agree. When I was 18 I started drinking and using drugs, by 21 I had a drunk driving "accident" that was my fault (luckily, nobody was hurt), and by 22 I was sober. From 22-26 I spent the rest of my time figuring some things out, and at 31 I now feel I have my head about me. I guess you could say that I had my own little war, even if it paled in comparison to what Henry and others like him experienced.

I originally decided to read this as a follow up to Beevor's "Stalingrad", in order to get some real-life context on what happened during those pivotal moments of the war and of humanity. Little did I know that I would be getting a deep look into what it means to be human.

Perhaps I am wrong, I don't know, but as I hinted at before, I was taken aback at times by Henry's self-flagellation. I noticed that not only at the end, but at the beginning, when he modestly shared that he had always thought that he had little to share. How wrong he was! What he wrote was one of the most compelling pieces of writing I've ever had the privilege of partaking in.

So perhaps I am wrong, and perhaps I am too quick to forgive and not sensitive enough to those he had harmed. But there's something inside me that says that maybe we've all got a little Henry Metelmann inside of us. We've all done bad things, we've all made mistakes, but even so, there's something deeper in us that is worthy of expressing, sharing, and being loved. At the age of 31 years I feel absolutely privileged to have been given this perspective, and while I selfishly hope to enjoy it for myself, at the end of the day I want to be able to give a little of it back, too. That, I think, would be a life worth living.

Though you can never read these words, thank you for this, Henry, and for what it's worth, I forgive you.

[Bernard Fredericks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an official history of how it was to be a German soldier during their invasion of the Soviet Union, as part of Operation Barbarossa, during the Axis victorious years after the destruction of French armies, and their subsequent surrender, but instead a personal, honest, but harrowing, diary of events in the uniform of the Wehrmacht.
This auto-biography reveals the protagonist's transfer from the French scene: train transportation across his beloved German and through Poland to join the thrust of the German army deep into Russia; the sudden horror of Stalingrad and then the shocking reversal of fortune as the German Panzers are halted and then thrown back into bitter retreat.
Subsequent humiliating defeat on their own soil, finally ending with unconditional surrender to the Allies in the May of 1945.
His time as a POW in the USA and then England. Discharge in his native Germany, but soon return and resettlement in England, marriage and later, his son -a product of his union- persuading him to write a personal script of those difficult years from old diaries he still possessed.
The text reads similar to British or American soldiers' reactions to WWII experiences, with regard to events during and after training, and subsequent reassignment to front line units.
In conclusion, a thoughtful and alternative Second World War reading experience.

[Andres Cordoba · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkably solid book from a former Nazi this book is a great analysis of the ground zero ideologies, emotions, and harsh realities of war. As a description of war, it focuses on the Eastern front, though calling it a typical war book would be quite inaccurate. This book instead focuses on the people involved, weaving only as many details of the Eastern Front's growth and collapse as necessary. As a description of the driving forces and thoughts of the author it serves well, and the author is no coward to the atrocities he has committed. Rather it guides his prose in description of people's purpose and will to resist and survive. Seeing the humanity of the wiped out remains of both sides, only humanity, in its worst and best stand out. if you wish to see the disastrous march of the Nazi's and the unthinkable spirit of the Soviet's against unthinkable horrors, read on.

[Duane Dipert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rich man's war; poor man's fight

Interesting memoirs of a German soldier on the Eastern front. The author goes through considerable soul-searching as he meets and lives with Russian peasants, and starts to understand that they and he are locked into circumstances pretty much beyond their control. They mutually hate the war and killing and suffering caused by men in power and are pawns for Hitler and Stalin.

[charles norman naylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and honest reflections of a very crazy time

Always fascinated by observations of different groups who fought in WW2 this book seemed to give a good recount of the day to day life of a soldier who was caught up in a fury not of his making. Amazing more is the fact he survived the madness.

[James Doucette · Rating 5 out of 5]

War from the point of view of a German soldier

This unvarnished story of world war two in Russia from the point of view of a German soldier is captivating and straight forward. Brutally is unflinching. As the war progresses the writer discovers his humanity. The lies of the Nazis are exposed.

[Edward L · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review

This book Reiterates the hell that the average German soldier experienced on the Eastern Front during WWII. It explains how they endured as a human being despite the sacrifices and hardships they experienced.

[Dylan Berwick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to like this book but couldn't get into it. Forced myself to finish it.

[Adrian Farr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to say first that I did like this book. It doesn't make 5 stars for me because it seems to transition directly from Stalingrad to the France/German border. What did happen in those 2 years? One must also understand that the authors later politics were communist.
There are periods of calm, as is true of any warfare, periods of excitement too.
Read it once.

[Rose]

940.54 Met

[Alex Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

flowed well I thought...a little soppy. I felt I was there sometimes, good to here a REAL soldiers perspective

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read but seemed to be stunted in places and lots of denials about not taking part in atrocities.