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, in the Caucasus, and joined the retreat through the Kuban 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 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:
Steiner saved his life once ... It happened at Studenok on the Donets River. Brandt was already the battalion CO then. The Second Company was situated, as far as I know, right on the riverbank. The Russians had succeeded in crossing the river at night. In the battle, the Second Company was almost completely wiped out.
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.
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. Commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several companies, each typically commanded by a major or a captain. The typical battalion is built from three operational companies, one weapons company and one headquarters company. In some countries, battalions are exclusively infantry, while in others battalions are unit-level organizations.
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 100–250 soldiers and usually commanded by a major or a captain. Most companies are made up of three to seven platoons, although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure.
Cross of Iron is a 1977 war film directed by Sam Peckinpah, featuring James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason and David Warner. Set on the Eastern Front in World War II during the Soviets' Caucasus operations against the German Kuban bridgehead on the Taman Peninsula in late 1943, the film focuses on the class conflict between a newly arrived, aristocratic Prussian officer who covets winning the Iron Cross and a cynical, battle-hardened infantry NCO.
The 100th Jäger Division, initially designated 100th (Light) Infantry Division, was a light infantry division of the German Army during World War II. As such, it was provided with partial horse or motor transport and lighter artillery. Light divisions were reduced in size compared to standard infantry divisions. The Walloon Legion was briefly attached to this division from January 1942 to May 1942. During the latter stages of the war, the division was composed of members from most of Germany's geographic areas and many German-speaking Walloons (Belgian/French) and the People from Upper Silesia
Willi Heinrich 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, Das geduldige Fleisch (1955), published in English translation as The Willing Flesh in the United Kingdom and as The Cross of Iron in the United States (1956). He later wrote a series of popular genre novels and potboilers in the 1970s and 1980s.
The 17th Panzer Division was a formation of the Wehrmacht in World War II. It was formed in November 1940 from the 27th Infantry Division. It took part in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, and in the winter of 1941–42 participated in the Battle of Moscow. In November 1942, the division was sent to the southern sector of the Eastern Front where it participated in Operation Winter Storm, the failed attempt to relieve the surrounded troops at Stalingrad. The division was held in reserve during the Battle of Kursk in 1943, and thereafter retreated through Ukraine and Poland, before ending the war in Czechoslovakia.
The Imperial-Royal or Imperial Austrian Army was the armed force of the Habsburg monarchy under its last monarch, the Habsburg Emperor Francis II, composed of the Emperor's army. When the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1806, it assumed its title of the troops of the Austrian Empire under the same monarch, now known as Emperor Francis I of Austria.
Alfred-Hermann Reinhardt was a highly decorated German Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords of Nazi Germany.
Walter Scherff was a German army officer and military historian with the rank of Generalmajor, who was appointed by Adolf Hitler to the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht in May 1942 to compile the history of the war, as the Führer's Commissioner for the Writing of Military History.
Max Wünsche was a member of the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany and a regimental commander during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.
Hartwig von Ludwiger was a German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. Ludwiger was responsible for numerous atrocities committed throughout the Balkans. After the war, he was charged with war crimes in Yugoslavia, convicted, and executed.
Curt Badinski was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who held several divisional commands. He reached the rank of Generalleutnant and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Badinski surrendered to the American forces in August 1944 in the Falaise Pocket.
Otto Fretter-Pico was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. A veteran of WWI and the younger brother of General Maximilian Fretter-Pico, he took part in operations from Poland to France, and from the Soviet Union to Italy. Fretter-Pico commanded artillery units before commanding the 57th Infantry Division and the 148th Infantry Division. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.
Lieutenant-General Omer Lavoie, CMM, MSC, CD was a senior officer in the Canadian Army and the Canadian Armed Forces. He was the commander of the 4th Canadian Division until the summer of 2014. He was promoted to major general in January 2016, and appointed commander of 1st Canadian Division. He served as battle group commander of the 1 RCR Battle Group, Task Force 3-06, from July 2006 to February 2007 in Kandahar, Afghanistan. In 2021, he served in the Canadian Army.
The XXV Reserve Corps was a corps level command of the German Army in World War I.
Gerhard Glokke was a German general.
The 270th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II.
