Vampir: From Teenage Flak Auxiliary to Night-Fighting Machine Gunner in WWII Fischer Rolf
Rolf Fischer was born near Bremen in 1927. At age 15, he and his classmates were called up to serve as auxiliaries at the local antiaircraft defense battery. Here Rolf and his friends experienced…
Specifikacia Vampir: From Teenage Flak Auxiliary to Night-Fighting Machine Gunner in WWII Fischer Rolf
Rolf Fischer was born near Bremen in 1927. At age 15, he and his classmates were called up to serve as auxiliaries at the local antiaircraft defense battery. Here Rolf and his friends experienced Allied bombing raids, death, and killing. Along with the young auxiliaries, the flak battery comprised wounded front veterans and Soviet prisoners of war, referred to as "Hiwis." Rolf describes in great detail how all three groups interact and learn to work together. At age 17 Rolf is called up to the regular army and is sent to basic training with the 65th Regiment, 22 Luftlande Infanterie Division, at Delmenhorst. From there he is sent to a specialized machine gun-training facility in Denmark. Here Rolf and other handpicked recruits are taught to use MG 42s equipped with infrared optics. This early night-fighting gear was sometimes referred to by the Germans as "Vampir" (Vampire). The author