''The Willing Flesh'' (,

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

) (English translation published 1956) is a

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

Willi Heinrich Willi Heinrich (1920–2005) was a German author and soldier. During the Second World War he fought in the 101st Jäger Division, which suffered massive losses on the Eastern Front, and his combat experiences inspired his first successful novel, ...

, chronicling the Eastern Front combat experiences of a depleted infantry

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...

during the 1943 German retreat from the Taman Peninsula in the Caucasian coast of Russia. In the United States, the novel was published in 1956 by Bobbs-Merrill Company under the title ''Cross of Iron''. Thus the 1977 Hollywood film directed by

Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic ''The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institute ...

used this title.

Historical basis

The literary and cinematic "Sergeant Steiner" character may be based upon Johann Schwerdfeger (b. 24 November 1914, in Plein bei Wittlich) who soldiered from 1935 to 1937 in Infanterie Regiment 84, and in 1939 was transferred to the Third Company of Infanterie Regiment 186 of the 73rd Infantry Division, at the Polish Campaign's start. In June 1942, after serving in Jägerersatzbataillon 75, Schwerdfeger joined Jäger Regiment 228 of the 101st Jäger Division, who fought in the Don Bend, at Rostov, and at

Maykop Maykop (russian: Майкоп, p=mɐjˈkop Help:IPA/Russian, mɐj'kop); ady, Мыекъуапэ, Mıéquapə ) is the capital city of the Republic of Adygea in Russia, located on the right bank of the Belaya River (Kuban), Belaya River (a tribut ...

, in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

, and joined the retreat through the

Kuban Kuban (Russian language, Russian and Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Кубань; ady, Пшызэ) is a historical and geographical region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Pontic–Caspian steppe, ...

and the Taman Peninsula, the setting of the novel ''Das Geduldige Fleisch'' (''The Willing Flesh''). On 17 May 1943, Feldwebel Schwerdfeger was awarded the

Knight's Cross Knight's Cross (German language ''Ritterkreuz'') refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that often denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield. Most frequently the term Knight's Cross is used to refer to the Knight's Cr ...

as a platoon leader in the First Company. In April 1944, in the breakout from Hube's Pocket, he was severely wounded, and was awarded Oak Leaves for his Knight's Cross on 14 May 1944; moreover, Sergeant Schwerdfelger also earned two tank destruction badges. In two passages of ''The Willing Flesh'' (the novel's English edition), Meyer tells Stransky that Steiner saved Lieutenant Colonel Brandt's life; in the original German edition, "Meyer" is named "Schäfer", and "Brandt" is named "Strauss". From ''The Willing Flesh'' (''Cross of Iron''), in English: During the war, a similar action occurred to the First Battalion of the 228th Jäger Regiment. Two German military history books about that division chronicle how one of the battalion's companies was surprised and pinned down by two Russian regiments and eleven tanks of the 296 Division, who had crossed the Donets River the night of 19–20 May 1942.

Characters

The Platoon

* Feldwebel Rolf Steiner * Unteroffizier Krüger * Obergefreiter Karl 'Schnurrbart' Reisenauer * Private Dorn * Private Hollerbach * Private Pasternack * Private Dietz * Private Kern * Private Zoll * Private Maag * Private Anselm

High Command

* Lieutenant-Colonel Brandt (regimental commander) * Captain Stransky (battalion commander) * Captain Kiesel (regimental adjutant) * Lieutenant Meyer (company commander) * Lieutenant Gausser * Lieutenant Triebig (battalion adjutant) {{DEFAULTSORT:Willing Flesh 1955 German novels German-language novels Novels set during World War II Novels set in Russia German novels adapted into films