In the autumn of 1943, the regiment left Grafenwöhr for Croatia, where it was to assist in anti-partisan operations.
They had a good relationship with the Croats, but the Serbs were partisans and, in Asger’s words, “unpleasant company.”
In Croatia, the regiment was divided into three battalions, each consisting of four companies. They had not yet received any artillery pieces, but the 12th Company was designated as the heavy company—in name only.
The one week of leave he had spent in Austria had not been entered in his Soldbuch, so in October–November 1943 he was granted 14 days’ leave to Denmark, where he saw his daughter for the first time, as Elly had given birth to her in the meantime.
A Soldbuch was a military service record book in which all matters relating to a soldier were recorded, including his pay (sold), leave, assignments, and other service details.
Oranienburg, Leningrad
From Croatia—where the climate had been quite pleasant—the regiment was transferred in December 1943.
They traveled by train in cattle cars to Oranienburg, a position just outside Leningrad. There they encountered snow and bitter winter cold.
Their routine consisted of standing guard for two hours and then sleeping for four hours.
Sometimes they were ordered to advance; at other times they had to withdraw. As Asger put it, sometimes they had to “make themselves scarce.”
They slept in holes dug into the ground.
There were no sleeping bags—only a greatcoat and a piece of tent canvas for protection.
The winter cold was not as bad as the days when they were soaked through by rain.