Just in time for the end of the war 75 years ago, Robert J. Huber published the second edition of his book “The End of the War in the Isarwinkel”.
Bad Tölz / Gaißach– The work, expanded by 50 pages and equipped with many new photos and graphics, provides in the first part a large panorama of the end phase of the Second World War, describes the military combat techniques and the progressive state of the art in weapon technology, before the author on the The basis of the American "war diaries" evaluates the military events in the Oberland and in the Isarwinkel.
In order to understand the author's "military-historical" approach to the subject, one has to go into his CV: Robert J. Huber, born in 1959, was an active officer in the Bundeswehr for a long time before he switched to school service 20 years ago and became an economist and taught technical subjects. He has been working as a high school teacher in Hohenburg since 2012. In the rank of lieutenant colonel, he wrote so-called “war diaries” during major maneuvers, which contain a meticulous description of all important processes in the style of a shorthand.
"By accident" came across American war diaries
Huber came across the American war diaries, which were only released five years ago, “by accident” via the teacher Vroni Müller, who has been writing a local chronicle for years. They are difficult to read because they are written with many abbreviations. Huber's view of events from this U.S. Army perspective is the special feature of the research.
A mushroom cloud is shown on the cover of the book, which is irritating and disturbing: Huber is convinced that the Americans originally developed the atomic bomb for the war decision in Germany. Until 1945, they would have had no clear insight into what Nazi Germany's weapon technology (rumors of "miracle weapons") still has - and what the "Alpine Fortress" is all about. It could often be read that the Ludwigshafen industrial area was intended as a target, but after the Americans had already occupied the southwest, Huber considered an alpine valley to be a realistic option towards the end of the war. Fortunately for Germany there was no alpine fortress and the war ended three months before atomic bombs became available. They then fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt captured in Bad Tölz
For a long time, the Americans assumed that the “Alpine fortress” based on the Swiss model was very difficult to capture and shifted the focus of their military operations more to southern Germany. But the closer they came to the Alps, the more this worry should evaporate. When they had advanced from Weilheim to Beuerberg on May 1, a ten-man reconnaissance squad managed to get a piece of hussar: After a corresponding tip, they entered Bad Tölz at dusk and captured Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt (70), who was here went to the cure for his circulatory disorders. Huber added: "Probably in the Tannenberg house, but I still lack the final proof."
Robert J. Huber is the author of the book on the end of the war in Isarwinkel.
Robert Huber speaks of "reasonable assumptions" that von Rundstedt gave the Americans extremely detailed information about the weaknesses of the defending 17th SS weapons division during his surveys at Hirschberg Castle on the Haarsee (east of Weilheim).
There is no other explanation for the fact that the US Army immediately withdrew strong units and only penetrated small parts of the Union, without cannon fire and area bombing, to Tölzer Land: "A responsible military only risks that if he has absolutely reliable information With this, Huber underpins his thesis that Bad Tölz and the Isarwinkel owe it mainly to Rundstedt, that they got off relatively lightly.
Arrested in Bad Tölz was a very big fish
Huber found an interesting detail in the evaluation of the US war diaries: In the defense of a Loisach Bridge by child soldiers, as described by Gregor Dorfmeister in his novel "Die Brücke", the adolescents shot a tank on fire, but contrary to Dorfmeister's assumption, there was no US Soldier died. Huber: "What burden would this knowledge have taken from his soul!"
Again to Generalfeldmarschall von Rundstedt, who was one of the highest ranked soldiers of the Wehrmacht and previously commander-in-chief of the Western Front. In contrast to Wilhelm Keitel and Alfred Jodl, for example, who were sentenced to death for active involvement in war crimes and the murder of civilians, Rundstedt was not held accountable to the Nuremberg war tribunal. Huber: “His state of health alone doesn't explain that. The Allies must have come to the conclusion that the senior officer in the Wehrmacht was a soldier who was still in the old Prussian tradition. ”
History researcher Martin Hake from Tölz says of the book and von Rundstedt: “Huber's special military knowledge has advanced research. Von Rundstedt was highly regarded by the Americans. His arrest in Bad Tölz was a big fish and a message that received the highest attention and immediately went all the way to Dwight D. Eisenhower. On May 1, however, it was all over, and his arrest was no longer decisive for the war. ”But his statements would have made a significant contribution to the Americans being able to leave the Isarwinkel to the right and advancing towards Berchtesgadener Land, Obersalzberg and Linz with all their might.
The book "End of War in the Isarwinkel" has been published by BoD Norderstedt. 147 pages; numerous pictures, bibliography and QR links; 12.80 euros; ISBN: 978-3-7519-1966-1.
Rainer Bannier
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"A gruesome sight": contemporary witness remembers the last days of the war in Bad Tölz
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