Slaughter at Halbe: The Destruction of Hitler's 9th Army

The wounded who were unable to move remained lying where they were. My wound had become worse in that I now had fever and was shivering. I carried Traudel with my good arm about three kilometres towards Halbe, but my shoulder wound began bleeding from the effort and I lost so much blood that I could not go any further. Some comrades took Traudel on by vehicle to Halbe.

The whole break-out area lay under a frightful hail of fire such as I had never ever experienced before throughout the war. When I reach Halbe several hours later, it was no longer possible to get through. All the streets were jammed with shot-up and burning vehicles. While looking for Traudel at the many wounded collection points, I was wounded again by a shell exploding three metres away from me, getting splinters in the left knee and thigh. With the help of a comrade, I was able to slip into the cellar of the nearest house, where civilians bandaged me. I lay down there and was found by the Russians when they took the village during the course of the evening. A Russian officer had me immediately bandaged by a Russian medical orderly and came back two hours later with a German doctor and two stretcher bearers, who took me to the dressing station. My enquiries about Traudel were unfortunately unsuccessful. Traudel wore a small label with her Cottbus address on it under her coat, as I saw myself. Hopefully she has found her way to you in the meantime.

The whole episode in the Halbe area from 26 to 30 April was a catastrophe. From the 140,000 men who were in the pocket, more than 20,000 were killed and 10,000 wounded.

The fate of Frau Buhlmann and your Traudel has had the same effect on me as if they were my nearest kin. And during the few hours that I sat together with Traudel in the foxhole, I grew as close to the child as if she had been mine.[9]