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Panzers on the Vistula: Retreat and Rout in East Prussia 1945
This WWII memoir of a Nazi officer is one of the most revealing firsthand accounts of the German retreat on the Eastern Front.
A second lieutenant of the 4th Panzer division, Hans Schäufler commanded a Jagdpanther tank destroyer in rearguard actions against the Red Army in East Prussia in 1945. Then, as an infantryman, he took part in the doomed defense of Danzig before escaping across the Baltic in a small boat. His personal story offers a rare glimpse into the chaos and suffering endured by tens thousands of soldiers and civilians during the collapse of the Third Reich in the east. Along with vivid descriptions of the appalling conditions in Danzig and the fear and panic that gripped the city, Schäufler’s account provides valuable insight into the German army’s tactics as they fell back before the Soviet advance. While acute shortages of men, equipment, ammunition and fuel crippled the defense, the soldiers went on fighting for a lost cause in the face of certain defeat.<
A second lieutenant of the 4th Panzer division, Hans Schäufler commanded a Jagdpanther tank destroyer in rearguard actions against the Red Army in East Prussia in 1945. Then, as an infantryman, he took part in the doomed defense of Danzig before escaping across the Baltic in a small boat. His personal story offers a rare glimpse into the chaos and suffering endured by tens thousands of soldiers and civilians during the collapse of the Third Reich in the east. Along with vivid descriptions of the appalling conditions in Danzig and the fear and panic that gripped the city, Schäufler’s account provides valuable insight into the German army’s tactics as they fell back before the Soviet advance. While acute shortages of men, equipment, ammunition and fuel crippled the defense, the soldiers went on fighting for a lost cause in the face of certain defeat.<
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 25, 2018
The last days of World War II on the Eastern Front, especially in the area formerly known as Prussia, were chaotic and horrific for almost everyone on the German side. Incessant attacks by Russian planes, artillery, tanks and infantry taxed the small German forces to the utmost, and thousands of civilians were caught in the middle as they tried to escape the onrushing Russian forces as well.
The author served in the 4th Panzer Division and was one of those who were trying to hold back the Russians in order for the civilians to make it to safety. This book covers his experiences in that hectic, crazy time, and it's a disjointed tale of retreat, suffering, hunger, bravery and deprivation. There is very little combat related by the author himself, but several very good passages from the experiences of others help provide examples of the bitter fighting. It's only at the end when the author manages to board a small ship for the journey back to Germany that his story stays on one path. There are a couple short chapters at the end which relate the stories of some who ended up in Russian captivity, and these definitely confirm the author made the right choice to try and return to Germany. There are also a few instances in which either the author or the translation is incorrect, such as when American Superfortresses bomb German positions (there were no Superfortresses in Europe) and various assertions by the author that planes bombing them in the night were American, when they most likely were Russian.
There's a good selection of photos in the middle and a collection of maps at the beginning of the book which I didn't find very helpful. Overall, a fairly good, quick read which could have used more editing to improve the narration.
The author served in the 4th Panzer Division and was one of those who were trying to hold back the Russians in order for the civilians to make it to safety. This book covers his experiences in that hectic, crazy time, and it's a disjointed tale of retreat, suffering, hunger, bravery and deprivation. There is very little combat related by the author himself, but several very good passages from the experiences of others help provide examples of the bitter fighting. It's only at the end when the author manages to board a small ship for the journey back to Germany that his story stays on one path. There are a couple short chapters at the end which relate the stories of some who ended up in Russian captivity, and these definitely confirm the author made the right choice to try and return to Germany. There are also a few instances in which either the author or the translation is incorrect, such as when American Superfortresses bomb German positions (there were no Superfortresses in Europe) and various assertions by the author that planes bombing them in the night were American, when they most likely were Russian.
There's a good selection of photos in the middle and a collection of maps at the beginning of the book which I didn't find very helpful. Overall, a fairly good, quick read which could have used more editing to improve the narration.
December 31, 2018
Panzers on the Vistula – Excellent Book
Like many Polish descendants I have a dog in this fight as you would say, so it was a bittersweet retreat of the Germans, and the Russians went on to replace the Germans they pushed back. Like many Poles I will point out that most of East Prussia was Polish lands they occupied and ethnically cleansed from 1792 to 1914. Hence one of the reasons why Danzig was never Pole free and why there was a compromise at Versailles to accommodate the Poles and Germans.
This account of the retreat of the Panzer divisions from Russia is by a tank commander Hans Schäufler. This book is the harrowing account for those on the wrong side of World War 2, in the final days of combat, when Germans were having to fight street by street in a battle that they knew was doomed.
This is a very blunt account, there is no embellishment, every name and every detail is real. It must be remembered that things were already hard for most Germans but would get worse for anyone that had fought against the oncoming Red Army. This then tells the extent Schäufler had to take to stop being captured by the Soviets. Any soldier or officer that the Red Army captured besides being tortured were often sent back to Russian where they were put into camps and it could take up to ten years after the war for them to leave. Others were lucky, they died in the camps.
This is one of the most honest accounts, that does make tough reading in places, whatever you think about enemy combatants they are still human. It is refreshing to still hear a voice from the past who is no longer with us, but he has put into words what many others felt and their fears.
An excellent book and a message from history.
Like many Polish descendants I have a dog in this fight as you would say, so it was a bittersweet retreat of the Germans, and the Russians went on to replace the Germans they pushed back. Like many Poles I will point out that most of East Prussia was Polish lands they occupied and ethnically cleansed from 1792 to 1914. Hence one of the reasons why Danzig was never Pole free and why there was a compromise at Versailles to accommodate the Poles and Germans.
This account of the retreat of the Panzer divisions from Russia is by a tank commander Hans Schäufler. This book is the harrowing account for those on the wrong side of World War 2, in the final days of combat, when Germans were having to fight street by street in a battle that they knew was doomed.
This is a very blunt account, there is no embellishment, every name and every detail is real. It must be remembered that things were already hard for most Germans but would get worse for anyone that had fought against the oncoming Red Army. This then tells the extent Schäufler had to take to stop being captured by the Soviets. Any soldier or officer that the Red Army captured besides being tortured were often sent back to Russian where they were put into camps and it could take up to ten years after the war for them to leave. Others were lucky, they died in the camps.
This is one of the most honest accounts, that does make tough reading in places, whatever you think about enemy combatants they are still human. It is refreshing to still hear a voice from the past who is no longer with us, but he has put into words what many others felt and their fears.
An excellent book and a message from history.
March 17, 2020
A Greater book than you expected
Mr. Scheduled began his career with the German army as a radio operator in a tank Battalion in the Kurland pocket. I did not think he would see much action, but I was wrong. His commander led from the front. You will read of tank engagements, and the word of breakdowns and fuel shortages in the last two years of war.
Soon his unit was transferred West of Kurland to a pocket on the Vistula of which little has been written. Now due to losses he becomes a tank killer on foot. They hold the pocket as refugees escape. Each page is interesting or fascinating. Scheduled also includes pages written by other soldiers who had an exciting experience.
The author later escaped from the pocket in a small craft, enduring a life endangering storm. He lands in Germany, but makes his way to Sweden. T her he was incarcerated and later turned over to the Soviets for four years.
An exciting and interesting book about an area and unit about which little has been written. I recommend this book highly to folks interested in the Eastern Front during WW II. I will read this book again another time.
Mr. Scheduled began his career with the German army as a radio operator in a tank Battalion in the Kurland pocket. I did not think he would see much action, but I was wrong. His commander led from the front. You will read of tank engagements, and the word of breakdowns and fuel shortages in the last two years of war.
Soon his unit was transferred West of Kurland to a pocket on the Vistula of which little has been written. Now due to losses he becomes a tank killer on foot. They hold the pocket as refugees escape. Each page is interesting or fascinating. Scheduled also includes pages written by other soldiers who had an exciting experience.
The author later escaped from the pocket in a small craft, enduring a life endangering storm. He lands in Germany, but makes his way to Sweden. T her he was incarcerated and later turned over to the Soviets for four years.
An exciting and interesting book about an area and unit about which little has been written. I recommend this book highly to folks interested in the Eastern Front during WW II. I will read this book again another time.
July 7, 2019
Strong read
A really well out together book depicting the fortunes of this panzer division by the people who were there. This was a particularly nasty phase of the war and opened my eyes more about the behaviour of the allies and so called neutral countries of the Baltic. The killings written about by air attacks by the Americans and British show just how well we followed the Geneva convention and how history is controlled by the victors. A savage war with savage actions but well worth reading. The author comes across as honest and obviously knowledgeable having been there.
A really well out together book depicting the fortunes of this panzer division by the people who were there. This was a particularly nasty phase of the war and opened my eyes more about the behaviour of the allies and so called neutral countries of the Baltic. The killings written about by air attacks by the Americans and British show just how well we followed the Geneva convention and how history is controlled by the victors. A savage war with savage actions but well worth reading. The author comes across as honest and obviously knowledgeable having been there.
January 17, 2021
Something of a niche book but quite novel in focusing on the final days of the war at ground level. No grand discussions of strategy here but it does convey (often quite powerfully) the sense of frustration, powerlessness and general horror being experienced. It is also an interesting insight into why the whermacht resisted as long as it did even though the outcome was inevitable. Probably one for more serious historians of the period than casual interest but its short length makes it one the more casual student of this period should consider.
September 20, 2020
Pleasantly surprised by this account,
specially considering the area of operations and the timeframe, written in a way that catches the attention. These type of accounts are great as they describe the ordinary soldier experience and the problems suffered in the field. It also provides an first-hand insight to the massive evacuation of East Prussia population, seldom talked about.
specially considering the area of operations and the timeframe, written in a way that catches the attention. These type of accounts are great as they describe the ordinary soldier experience and the problems suffered in the field. It also provides an first-hand insight to the massive evacuation of East Prussia population, seldom talked about.
December 15, 2021
The retreat is covered at an operational level. I would have preferred a more ‘down in the weeds’ book. The only personal experience recounted in depth was the author’s boat trip to safety after Germany surrendered. After that he has some short chapters on the experiences of other Germans in Soviet POW/internment camps.
January 1, 2020
The suffering of all soldiers and civilians was incredible
A soldier to the last. A good read. The story of the struggle on the eastern front is both sad and fascinating.
A soldier to the last. A good read. The story of the struggle on the eastern front is both sad and fascinating.
August 31, 2023
In January 1945 war ‘came home’ to Germany with a vengeance when the Red Army re-crossed the border into what was then known as East Prussia. The retreating Axis forces had conducted the war on the Eastern Front ruthlessly and the population of the Soviet Union had suffered grievously as a result. Soviet retribution was pre-meditated and expected. Whilst the horrors about to be visited on the people of East Prussia can perhaps be understood from a historians perspective, they were nevertheless a source of huge distress to many people who had not previously experienced the full extent of total war.
It is perhaps ironic that what remained of Heeresgruppe Nord (other than the major part isolated in Kurland) secured the survival of about two million German nationals by holding open key ports for the Kriegsmarine to evacuate the Prussian population under Operation Hannibal. One might be tempted, therefore, to paint the Axis defence of East Prussia as a humanitarian effort but this would be an over simplification. Certainly survivors from the Stuffhof Concentration Camp and its’ satellites would not have appreciated such an interpretation of events – 3,700 inmates were driven into the icy cold Baltic under the muzzles of machine guns at Palmnicken in the month that the East Prussian border was irrevocably breached.
The troubling context aside, this is a remarkable book which provides an authentic eye witness account of the capture of Danzig, mass evacuations from the Frische Nehrung and the desperate plight of those who actually made their escape – initially to the Hela Peninsular and then to relative safety in Northern Germany and Sweden. In the first couple of months of 1945 the author commanded a Jagdpanther tank destroyer serving with the 4th Panzer Division. As fuel shortages became acute and resupply became impossible he transferred to the infantry.
It is remarkable how German command and control continued to operate effectively right until the very end in May 1945. This was in large part made possible by the extraordinary resilience, heroism and ingenuity of the fighting units still in the field. The men of the 4th Panzer Division clearly played a critical role in what Schaufler later described – with some justification - as “the greatest rescue operation in human history”.
Aside from the fascinating descriptions of the fighting, the book also covers the immediate period after the cessation of hostilities. The author escaped East Prussia in a dramatic boat journey and this is described in detail along with the recollections of others who went into Soviet captivity – some via neutral Sweden. The text is accompanied by a series of excellent maps, powerful contemporary images and a useful timeline.
There is one thing that this reviewer would take issue with and that is the use of the word ‘rout’ in the book’s title. The Axis forces defending East and West Prussia did so with skill and, as this excellent book shows, discipline was maintained until the very end despite the inevitability of total defeat in the face of a highly capable attacking force under the leadership of one of the most able Soviet commanders - Konstantin Rokossovsky.
It is perhaps ironic that what remained of Heeresgruppe Nord (other than the major part isolated in Kurland) secured the survival of about two million German nationals by holding open key ports for the Kriegsmarine to evacuate the Prussian population under Operation Hannibal. One might be tempted, therefore, to paint the Axis defence of East Prussia as a humanitarian effort but this would be an over simplification. Certainly survivors from the Stuffhof Concentration Camp and its’ satellites would not have appreciated such an interpretation of events – 3,700 inmates were driven into the icy cold Baltic under the muzzles of machine guns at Palmnicken in the month that the East Prussian border was irrevocably breached.
The troubling context aside, this is a remarkable book which provides an authentic eye witness account of the capture of Danzig, mass evacuations from the Frische Nehrung and the desperate plight of those who actually made their escape – initially to the Hela Peninsular and then to relative safety in Northern Germany and Sweden. In the first couple of months of 1945 the author commanded a Jagdpanther tank destroyer serving with the 4th Panzer Division. As fuel shortages became acute and resupply became impossible he transferred to the infantry.
It is remarkable how German command and control continued to operate effectively right until the very end in May 1945. This was in large part made possible by the extraordinary resilience, heroism and ingenuity of the fighting units still in the field. The men of the 4th Panzer Division clearly played a critical role in what Schaufler later described – with some justification - as “the greatest rescue operation in human history”.
Aside from the fascinating descriptions of the fighting, the book also covers the immediate period after the cessation of hostilities. The author escaped East Prussia in a dramatic boat journey and this is described in detail along with the recollections of others who went into Soviet captivity – some via neutral Sweden. The text is accompanied by a series of excellent maps, powerful contemporary images and a useful timeline.
There is one thing that this reviewer would take issue with and that is the use of the word ‘rout’ in the book’s title. The Axis forces defending East and West Prussia did so with skill and, as this excellent book shows, discipline was maintained until the very end despite the inevitability of total defeat in the face of a highly capable attacking force under the leadership of one of the most able Soviet commanders - Konstantin Rokossovsky.
March 6, 2025
A short memoir written by an officer in the highly acclaimed 4. Panzer-Division. The division with the highest amount of Knight's Crosses awarded during the war, surpassed only by the the 2. SS-Panzerdivision "Das Reich".
The author tells the tale of their hopeless struggle with the Soviet Juggernaut in the fields and cities of West Prussia. Although the war was long lost the Wehrmacht continued the struggle in the hopes of saving the population of the region from massacre. A sad story of self-sacrifice, heroism and ultimately defeat. At least the author had a happy ending by enduring a difficult and deadly journey by motor boat to the main German lands where he surrendered to the British. Many of his comrades went in to Soviet captivity never to return again.
A fast and easy read I recommend it to everyone interested in the last days of the fighting on the Eastern front. The translation, hunting tanks (sic), and the proof checking, no such thing as a heavy Panzer battalion 664, could've been better.
The author tells the tale of their hopeless struggle with the Soviet Juggernaut in the fields and cities of West Prussia. Although the war was long lost the Wehrmacht continued the struggle in the hopes of saving the population of the region from massacre. A sad story of self-sacrifice, heroism and ultimately defeat. At least the author had a happy ending by enduring a difficult and deadly journey by motor boat to the main German lands where he surrendered to the British. Many of his comrades went in to Soviet captivity never to return again.
A fast and easy read I recommend it to everyone interested in the last days of the fighting on the Eastern front. The translation, hunting tanks (sic), and the proof checking, no such thing as a heavy Panzer battalion 664, could've been better.
May 8, 2024
A detailed account of what one man saw and experienced in the last moments of WWII on the Eastern Front. Book was easy to read and follow, though I would have preferred if the maps had been placed with the chapters they corresponded to. I was a hard to find where things were taking place since the places are no longer named in German or may have been under a local name.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews