miRS-tonpon - Sturmpanzer.com

i Iff #1The earliest and best known school* of this fype, however, issituated at PLASSENBURG near KOLMBACH, and is now called OT Reichsschule PLASSENBURG-. It was established in the twenties as an SSideological centre and was used by Nazi members of the NationalaozialistischerBund deutscher Technik (Nazi League of GermanTechnicians}. The League was founded by Fritz TODT, and theschool, beautifully situated as it is, in Bavaria, rapidly becanea Nazi retreat, to which flocked high ranking Nazi engineers andother technicians to discuss ways and means of putting intopractical operation the strategic and economic plans of what wasto become the "Third Reich.. A -Tif '•« ».* i 1 .- 1 :'-•other Fohrerschule, this time under the supervision of anSA leader, are located respectively in the other two OT MainInduction Camps: NEU ISENBURG', near FRANKHJRT, and INOWLQDZ, inPoland. Here the prospective OT Leaders underwent a four weeks'course in all phases of instruction having to do with service inthe OT. Another school of this type in German controlled territoryi s reported to have been located at POSETJ.A sixth school was located at THE HAGUE, in Holland (NieuweParklaan 28-30)* The course given here i s described simply as'Lagerwesen 1 (Camp Administration). Again an SA Leader J(SA Sturmbannf&hrerAIDINGER) i s in charge. The instructors were NOOs. inthe OT and included a number of Dutchemn.* This school graduatesabout 30 men a month.Beside the general Fuhrerschulen there are training schoolsfor specific assignments. The most important of these is theFront fuhrerschule (Training School for Front Area PersonnelOfficers). Candidates were mostly selected from among seniorworkers and other supervisory personnel. In France men of the rankof Truppfflhrer (equivalent to sergeant) and higher were selected totake a course at the Frontfdhrer at PCNT CALLEC. This course lasted27 days, and was followed by an 8-day course at the Schutzkommando(SK: Security Guard) West at PCNTIVY, where a school had beenfounded in 1942, controlled by the SS. This eight-day course servedto familiarise the future Frontftthrer with the functions of the SK.After this, the candidate was returned to FONT CALIEC for a final10 days. Most Oberbauleitungen were urged to send as many as sixmen from their sector at one time to take the course.The OT also conducts Lshrlager der Frontftthrung (Front AreaPersonnel Training Camps). FrontfQhrer candidates in need of arefresher or preparatory course attend classes there for a month insuch subjects as Nazi ideology, Order and Discipline, Comradeship,Soldierly Conduct, Obedience, Gas-, Fire- and Air-raid Protection,Guard Duties and the Duties of the SK. OT Reichslehrlager FRIESACK(Brandenburg) i s one such training camp.Besides the above-mentioned Lehrlager, the OT operatedErziehungsund Sohulungglager (Disciplinary Camps). These are not somuch training as disciplinary establishments for recalcitrant anddelinquent workers. They are run by OT-SA and SS personnel.Frontftthrung personnel was mainly of German nationality untilwell in 1942. The growing manpower shortage, the vast increase inforeign personnel, and ensuing difficulties owing to languagedifferences and foreign customs resulted in the selection of reliableforeign OT men with leadership ability for NCO training.After having attended anNCO training school, this type ofcollaborationist personnel could be promoted up to the rank ofObertruppftthrer. Most trusted among these various foreign elementswere at the beginning the "Nordics", Norwegians, Danes, Dutch,Flemings and Walloons; later, Frenchmen, Italians and Anti-Soviet-136­