Heart of the 6th Army

In a sometimes deeply moving novel Heinz Konsalik brings forth the horrors experienced by the German army in Stalingrad. I read this book many years ago in German and was very impressed by it. It deals mostly with a group of people, two German doctors, a couple of German soldiers, a Russian doctor and her lover as well as a few fascinating people throughout. The novel manages to capture the feeling of both groups of combatants at the time, the strong feeling of protection for mother Russia by the Russians and the suffering and homesickness of the German soldiers. Little is made of the typical Nazi "Endsieg" or of racial superiority. The typical German soldier is simply getting by and surviving although occasionally an officer dreams of great conquests. Mostly the book dramatically oversees the life of Dr Koerner and Dr Porter, two German doctors operating in a cellar in the vicinity of the "tennis racquet", the notorious city block constantly changing hands between the Russians and the Germans with horrific casualties the result. The cellar is simply overwhelmed with casualties and the doctors make do as best they can with few medical supplies or supplies which pile up in mountains but are not delivered due to beaurocratic idiocy. Somehow they survive with typical black humour of the MASH variety such as when one officer mentions some comment which makes little sense and the doctors answer by suggesting he take a "lead cure" easily available at any local city block, similarly when referring to the enormous number of dead, one of the doctors mentions that there is maybe enough room for the next corpse in Grave crater number 5 corpse level 10. It is the friendship formed between a German soldier "Knoesel" and a Russian officer "Kaljonin" which is simply remarkable a pure gem in the suffering surrounding the two men. Knoesel hearing the rappings of the Russian when trapped under tons of rubble, digs him out and is surprised that he is Russian, Kaljonin instead leaps into his arms for his rescue and both become deep friends. The death of Kaljonin near the end is tragic as he celebrates the end of the battle while dressed in German uniform (in order to seek his love unnoticed by the Germans) and runs towards his comrades only to be shot down as an enemy. One of the very best of books without many of the prejudices evident in Konsalik's other main war story "Doctor of Stalingrad". Konsalik's portrayal of bothy Russians and Germans is impressive and he doesn't shirk from showing men's weaknesses or their strengths.A great book and worth reading in German if you are bilingual.