completely corrupt Göring the ‘Reichsmarschall’ who can’t
grovel deep enough to his so-called ‘Führer’ has the imperti-
nence to tell us that the structure and responsibilities of the gen-
eral staff are all wrong... .”
Thus he escaped both bomb and purge. Still, it would not
have escaped Göring’s attention that when Hitler broadcast to
the world late on the twentieth, to prove he had survived, he
invited Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz to speak next, before the
Reichsmarschall.
For reasons of power politics Göring decided that the division
bearing his name, the Hermann Göring Division, must become
the savior of East Prussia. He had recalled it from Italy, and it
was now assigned to defend the Rominten Heath. In a fighting
speech on July , , to his Escort Regiment its élite unit
he made plain his belief that a blessed Providence had inter-
vened to save Hitler. He assured them that the new bazooka
(Panzerfaust) issued to them made each man superior to a Rus-
sian tank. “You should see what a rabble the Russian infantry is!”
he encouraged them. “For brave men even tanks hold no fears,
because now a staunch man can defend himself even at close
quarters against tanks.” But he also said, “Any soldier who
throws away his arms, even a pistol, in order to retreat faster,
puts himself beyond the pale of honor and obligation: each and
every one of you, whether NCO or soldier, has the duty to shoot
cowards like that on the spot.”
Just as the British and Americans in Italy now speak of
your division with awe, the Russians must learn to
fear you too.... Comrades, you must make this
pledge: You may give ground in Russia that is not
decisive but never in Germany. Not one German
woman or German child must fall into their bestial