AS I KNEW HIM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 2, 4 January 1943, Page 2

AS I KNEW HIM

FEDOR VON BOCK A PRUSSIAN JACKBOOT When I was asked whether I had met Fedor von Bock, Commander-in-Chief of the German Assault Corps in the Stalingrad sector, I had. to answer: “One does not meet von Bock, one has to endure him." In peacetime this German Reichswehr general had already made a singular reputation tor himself by his treatment of both officers and men under his command, declared an officer who served on his staff, writing in the Sunday Dispatch. After a long run in the Reichswehr Ministry and the staff ot the First Reichswehr district (Berlin), von Bock in 1924 was given a field command as commander of the 2nd Battalion of the Fourth Regiment of Infantry. The new battalion commander assembled. his troops on the barrack square and delivered to them one of his famous speeches about “glorious dying in the field.” adding a hint that he would know how to take practical steps "to increase the efficiency of the battalion."

The "practical steps” were rather unusual ones. They turned out to be the methods of a man who even then, in 1924. could be described as a military, self-contained one-man Gestapo organisation. At that time it was uijusual for any officer to don mufti and then to sneak behind the manoeuvre grounds to watch his captains drilling and exercising their companies. “In Disguise”

Von Bock equipped himself with fishing gear—although he knows nothing about that sport—sat beside a river bank at tour o clock in the morning. threw out his line, and when, halt an hour later the first platoons were arriving to start their river crossing, they could scarcely notice a little uglylooking civvy sitting on the banks of the river, hat pulled well over the eyes. As soon as the companies returned to their barracks they were greeted by their battalion commander, who first gave them a dressing-down, then assembled his subordinate officers and almost always showed a grave lack of tact by telling off his captains in front of their lieutenants. One officer at* er another asked for transfer, and received it. Young office is detailed to the 4th Infantry prayed that'the,.' would not be under von Bock’s command

Two years later, however, these methods had so far won the approval of the divisional commanders that von Bock was made regimental commander and colonel over the heads of many staff officers.

As regimental commander, von Boel: even went to the length of buying t nrivate car. besides his ollicial army limousine, to be able to appear unannounced behind the troops on marches.

and then to tell the battalion commanders what he thought of them and their troops. Immoderate Demands

Perhaps all this anticipated the spiri' of the new era, because this slavedriving did get this ambitious man within a short while, into higher command.

The crack Ist Cavalry Division was his reward. Here, surrounded by a number of General Staff officers oi hi* division, after some ollicial manoeuvres. he developed the habit, of prolonging the tedious and fatiguing evr-