To: Father
August 12th, 1944
It was not but yesterday that I read about your adventures in Signal. I have sent a copy to Sebastian, since it is not available within Berlin proper from what he has said. I shared your exploits with my men, and their desire to be relieved from garrison duty has greatly increased. However; I must constantly remind them that there has been no acknowledgement of the expected realignment of forces in the country. My sentiment is with my men. I share their desire to witness combat; but I have become accustomed to the privileged life that garrison duty brings. Denmark is a safe country. The people are friendly, and treat us with respect, even though deep down I know they do not enjoy our presence here.
I would highly recommend that you come and visit Copenhagen; you don’t have to stay long, only a week. The city itself is marvelous with the amount of history available at ones finger tips. I was honored the other day to see the King, Christian X, riding from Amalienborg Palace without guard. It is hard not to respect a man who show visibly shows a sign of non-militant resistance.
You will have to write me before departing for the city. I advise you to send two letters for I have recently requested leave and will be visiting home beginning August 16th. Address one to my present location, and one to home. I cannot wait to see both mother and sister! I have not seen either of them for a good six and a half months. It has been even longer since I’ve seen you father. I wish we could see each other again. Mother wrote me recently and said you had a chance to visit her recently, but were unable to attend. She was terribly heartbroken, but I am sure that she has become use to the disappointment caused by the war. I hope you can find time to perhaps visit us while I am on leave for two weeks.
Until then, your son,
Philipp Schnack
Copenhagen, Denmark
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To: Father
August 14th, 1944
Father, your personal account of the E-50 caused a great tingling down my spine. I cannot wait until the tank becomes the mainstay of the panzer divisions for a multitude of reasons; one of them being that the tanks currently garrisoning Berlin are obsolete compared to what the Soviets have been throwing at us. Your accounts; which I have shared with my comrades, have earned me nothing but jealous remarks; and praises from my superiors about the legacy and determination of the Schnack family. I must remind you, that you have created a near insurmountable record for both Philip and I to achieve. Dare I say that perhaps you are on the way to passing grandfather’s marvelous feat of stopping the cowardly Emperor Napoleon III? I can only hope that Philipp, Rhiley and I can live up to the previous generations of Schnacks.
Once a week I often find myself invited to parties thrown by well off dignitaries. I personally do not know these men for their glorious feats, but I know their real purpose for inviting me. I have been constantly asked to seek your favor for the benefit of these men. I haven’t written to you about the requests, because these men do not deserve their requests. What have they done when compared to the reputation we have established? I think the most thrilling meal I attended was with Feldmarschall Guderian the other day on the 8th. I know Herr Guderian obviously does not need a favor, for his own reputation precedes him.
One simply does not get an invite to supper with the Chief of Staff of the Wehrmacht by mere chance. In his study, we spent hours discussing the evolution of the tank and the usefulness the tank his displayed on the battlefield. The most interesting sub-topic of the entire discussion was the proposal of super heavy panzers to counter what has been seen by the Russians. Guderian and I are both of the opinion that these tanks are worthless, for there is no bridge within Berlin, let alone the country capable of supporting an immense weight of 100 tons! I think may have offended the Feldmarschall slightly when I exclaimed that even a young first lieutenant understands that mass production of medium tanks like the E-50 or even the E-75 is more suitable to type of warfare we have seen that a beastly 100 ton or more tank.
I would like to write more in this letter about tanks and invites to meals, but I must get to the point. I will be on leave for the next month and returning to see mother. If you find time, please come and visit. It has been awhile since I last saw, though it was only mere months ago in Berlin.
Your son,
Sebastian Schnack
Berlin, Germany