Martin Steglich (left), French (center) and Heinz-Georg Lemm (right.) Just listening to these two veterans of almost six years of combat in World War II was a historical experience all by itself. They knew everything about the infantry regiment, the backbone of the German Army. Both began the war as lieutenants and platoon leaders, and ended the war as Infantry regimental commanders.
Eduard Dietl, Army Colonel General, was born on July 21, 1890 in Bad Aibling. During World War I, he was a winner of the Iron Cross 1st Class and was wounded three times. During World War II, he served as commander 3rd Mountain Division and as commander 20th Mountain Army in Finland. He was a winner of the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, but died on June 23, 1944 in a plane crash at Mürzuschlag, Austria. His last words were to the pilot shortly before take-off: “No, we are not going to fly over the plain. The clouds are six hundred meters above the ground. I know the area and am glad to finally be back in my mountains. I want to see them from above once more. In Finland, everything is flat. We will fly from Graz along the valley that goes to Judenberg. From there we will follow the Semmering trace that goes to Mürzuschlag and from there to Vienna.”
