Description
"Prost!", between battles on the Bergepanther
German tank crews of World War II with Bergepanter
The difficult living conditions during combat, the constant nervous tension and stress experienced by the majority of Wehrmacht soldiers, required some kind of mental relief. One of these ways was drinking alcohol. In his memoirs, former Wehrmacht soldier Guy Sayer notes: “At the front there is as much vodka, schnapps and liqueur as there are machine guns. It’s easier to make a hero out of anyone.” Alcohol could also reduce the pain of the wounded. The main alcoholic drink in the Wehrmacht was schnapps, and German soldiers, especially tank crews, could also be given liqueurs. Officers often had captured French cognacs or wines, which were captured in such large quantities that they were consumed even when surrounded, as was the case, for example, near Stalingrad in the winter of 1943. However, very often the distribution of alcohol to troops was a bad omen, as it often occurred before major battles an
