Panzer Commander: The Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck (CASSELL MILITARY PAPERBACKS)

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As a professional soldier I cannot escape my share of the collective guilt; but as a human being I feel none. At the beginning of May 1940 the unit was moved to the Eifel mountains area, in preparation for the invasion of France. The battery thus engaging the enemy, Luck spent the remainder of the day furiously trying to plug the gaps in his line. As the morning wore on, the defenders on the coast were overcome and the British beachheads secured. Assuming the story is fact, the 88mm guns at Cagny had indeed stopped the British advance, inflicting heavy casualties on the 11th Armoured Division.

Hans–Ulrich Freiherr von Luck und Witten (15 July 1911 – 1 August 1997), [1] usually shortened to Hans von Luck, was a Colonel in the German Armored Forces ( Oberst der Panzerwaffe) during World War II. Luck's reconnaissance battalion led the division's advance into Belgium, reaching the Meuse in three days.In any case, von Luck did his time for five years as a Russian POW, without any suggestion he had been anything other than a 'good' German officer and commander.

After this a regular 5 pm cease fire was established, and the two sides swapped information about men captured and their conditions. He surrendered to the Russians and was held as prisoner in GULAG camp for 5 years, then released back to West Germany. Hans–Ulrich Freiherr von Luck und Witten (15 July 1911 – 1 August 1997), usually shortened to Hans von Luck, was a German officer in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II.Luck, now a major, assumed command over the 3rd Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion of the 21st Panzer Division. Later, Luck relates the increasing desperation of the German army as they realize (from about 1943 onward) that the war is lost and they are fighting for survival and increasingly diminishing chances of being allowed something more than unconditional surrender. If you have concerns about the language in this record, or you have information to improve it, please share your feedback. Sajer wanted to shine light on the appalling suffering of the ordinary German soldier in the East, whereas von Luck's (worthy) agenda is to bring together former enemies in an embrace of mutual respect, forgiveness, tolerance and understanding, unity to make sure the conflict that engulfed the world 1939-45 is never allowed to happen again.

Luck was brought up in a strict household by his adoptive father, in what was a typical "Prussian" manner, a manner which he believed was ultimately to his benefit during the hardships of later years. Luck, now a Hauptmann, was attached to the Division HQ, and the division was attached to 3rd Panzer Group under Army Group Center.Not that I doubt Luck's personal conduct — I'm sure he was a conscientious commander who followed the Geneva Convention.