Aldebrando von Württemberg-Application

[Marius]

Username: Aldebrando
Character Name: Aldebrando Lucius Herzog von Württemberg
Rank: SS-Standartenführer (SS), Stabsführer (HJ), Hauptabscnhittsleiter (NASDAP)
What Army Will You Serve Beneath? : Nazi/German Army
Nationality: American
Character History:

Aldebrando Lucius von Württenberg was born on the warm spring morning of March 14th 1912. His father had served the German Empire during the Great War as an officer in the Heer, and had achived the rank of Generalfeldmarschall, shortly after the war he retired from Military service and took up a Political Office as a Member of the Secular Branch of the German Reichstag, replacing his own father who had died of natural causes near the end of the war. He very quickly found the other members of the Reichstag to be decadent and unappreciative of their National Identity, though he did find solace amid the fledgling Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, this decision would prove integral to his young son’s future. Aldebrando was raised in an environment of luxury (as was afforded by his families title, wealth and military prestige), and would want for nothing. He was also a very well behaved and quiet boy, and thus his Father would bring him to many rallies and NASDAP events. Aldebrando took to the NASDAP Ideology like a fish to water, and on his 10th birthday he would be enrolled as one of the founding members of the Jungendband der NASDAP (which would later become the Hitler-Jugend), thus following in his father’s footsteps. As well despite his family being based out of Altshausen, he would be the 4th member on the roll. Aldebrando would thus petition his parents to allow him to live in the family’s home in Berlin, so he could remain near the heart of NASDAP activities at the time, he would spend over half the year alone in the house with none other than the serving staff, and the occasional visit from his parents and NASDAP Officials. He would host regular parties for the local NASDAP officials as well as hosting meetings for the Jungendband der NASDAP. Due to his having been raised in an aristocratic and political family the staff was trained for hosting, and so was the young Aldebrando. Aldebrando quickly became known for his strict adherence to the tenents of the Jungedband, and was often totted by the NASDAP leadership as being a perfect model of Aryan Youth, and what members should strive to be.
In the same year as his enrollment in both the NASDAP Party (right after his father as 10th member), and in the Jungendband der NASDAP, he was invited (along with his father) to Coburg beside Adolf Hitler, and packed into the train with nearly 800 other people. They would descend on Coburg with a marching band and would march through the streets. In the ensuing brawl, Aldebrando would lead the other German Boys in combat versus the inferior Reds. In the end Adolf Hitler and his Germans were victorious and would return to Munich. Aldebrando would later be awarded the Coburg Medal for his service beside Adolf Hitler. The next year Aldebrando and his father were present during the abortive Beer Hall Putsch, both Aldebrando and his father marched with the other members of the ‘Old Guard’ on the Government Center, unfortunately the coup was thwarted by Judases amid the NASDAP supporters. Two days later Aldebrando watched as his father was arrested on charges of High Treason. During the trial Aldebrando’s father vehemently swore that his son had nothing to do with the Putsch, and that he supported the NASDAP Party whole hartedly. The german government choose Aldebrando’s father as the scapegoat on which they would pin the sentencing of the NASDAP Party. Aldebrando would watch with tears in his eyes as his father was hung outside the Riechstag the next day. He swore that day that he would follow in his father’s footsteps and support the NASDAP Party with his life. While Adolf Hitler was in prison Aldebrando would write to him daily, calling Adolf his ‘Seele Vater ‘ (Soul Father). Adolf would write back of his admiration for the boys father’s sacrifice, and that it shall never be forgotten.

During the repression of the NASDAP party, and thus its affiliated youth groups, Aldebrando, now Duke von Württenberg, would secretly run meetings out of his cellar for the Jungendbund von NASDAP, as well as regular dinner parties for the surviving & free members of the NASDAP Party. When Adolf Hitler was released in December 1924, Aldebrando and the other supporters arrived at the Prison to pick him up; the future Fhurer of all of German would ride in Aldebrando’s car. Aldebrando would continue to host meetings with the reformed NASDAP party out of his parlor, and would often be present. Many of the Leadership Corps began to call him “Kleiner Leiter” (The Little Leader) for his unfailing support of the NASDAP Party. At the behest of Aldebrando himself, his uncle took over the family’s seat amid the Reichstag, as He would also enroll in the SS, due to his having been a protégé of Heinrich Himmler. He would also enroll in the University of Berlin, to take degrees in Psychology and German History. His time amid the halls of the University would be marked by many of his professors by his being one of the Brightest Stars to pass through their classes in their lifetimes. He would stay on good terms with them for the rest of his life. As well during this time, he enrolled as an instructor in the Hitler-Jungend, his having achieved various high ranking awards while a member of the corps himself (The Gold HJ Badge w/Oak Leaves, as well as both the Proficiency and Marksmanship Badges) as well as his being a member of the ‘Old Guard’ and the SS, assured him a place amid the Leadership. He would also be awarded the Golden Berlin Gau Badge w/ Diamonds for his support of the NASDAP Party over the years. During his time in School he would participate in the organization and planning of almost every HJ Event. At this time he would also begin working with Himmler, Wirth, and Darre on the foundation of the Ahnenerbe (Studiengesellschaft für Geistesurgeschichte‚ Deutsches Ahnenerbe e.V: Study society for primordial intellectual history, German Ancestral Heritage, registered society). He would stay connected to this almost paranormal society throughout the rest of his life.

One year before his graduation he was asked separately by both Himmler and Von Sirach t o assist with the planning of the new NAPOLA Schools, he would have a strong voice in their organization and setup. Aldebrando would graduated from the University in 1934 and would enroll in the Waffen-Schutzstaffel, he choose this route as he wished to continue his support of Adolf Hitler and the NASDAP in a more tangible way. Due to his choice to enlist in military service, he would formally step down from his political office, and have his uncle take his place. He rose through the ranks of the SS easily enough, through a mixture of Skill, history and most importantly his closeness to various members of the NASDAP Leadership. He was assigned as the official SS Liason to the HJ & the Reich Youth Office, as the SS had been trying for years to have more control over the youth group which had up till then been under the direction of the SA. This position would afford him almost unhindered access to both Heinrich Himmler and Adolf Hitler, both of whom he reported to over the years on his activities. He would spend the next 5 years in what amounted to primarily an administrative position: Moving from HJ to HJ promoting the SS and manipulating the instructional courses to favor the new SS ideologies as they came out of the Institute of Race and Culture. He would also choose to head his own HJ unit, who were regarded as elitist as they were all handpicked by Aldebrando for Skill, Bloodline, and Noble Heritage. He would teach them personally ignoring much of the HJ approved teachings and focusing solely on the materials handed to him by the Institute of Race and Culture. The unit would be known as Aldebrando’s Boys, and each was allowed to wear a single Sig Rune, an award that would come to be known as prestigious among the rest of the HJ as it was awarded sparingly. Many of his Waffen-SS peers would come to think of Aldebrando as weak and incompetent in matters of combat competency, despite besting every one of them that choose to call him out, by the often soft-spoken academic. Though anyone who saw him with his HJ Unit knew where he truly shined. He was a leader and most importantly a teacher, instilling fanatical loyalty in his boys with little more than a word. He would often be seen wandering the streets of Berlin, the SS Headquarters, or any of the many HJ Parade grounds & Schools with his small unit around him in protective formation as he taught them of the matters of Honour, Loyalty, and Discipline. He would also shine on the testing field as he taught and tested his boys in the matters of combat.
In 1937 Von Sirach called Aldebrando back in to consult on a new idea that Dr. Robert Ley were discussing, that of the Adolf Hitler Schools, an even more elite education system than that of the NAPOLA Schools. At this point in time the SS had basically seized control of the Education system and wanted a format that allowed for the formation of its own officer corps. Thus Aldebrando would be assigned as the SS-Liaison to this program as well. When Arthur Axman replaced Sirach in 1940, Aldebrando found a kindred spirit amid the leadership of the HJ, and would Counsel Axman on how to go about reforming the HJ into an auxiliary unit that could perform wartime duties. His plans jumped up tenfold when in 1943 when the NASDAP Military Leadership began looking to the HJ to replenish lost troops, they found a trained and disciplined, some would say Fanatical, unit of boys who were capable in the arts of war. In that same year Aldebrando would be brought out of his shell and placed as the second in command of the 12th-SS-Panzer-Devision Hitlerjungend, under the overall Command of Oberfuhrer Fritz Witt, who was himself a veteran of the LSSAH. All of his boys came with him and would serve at his side, as his & the Command HQ’s personal honour guard unit. He would lead the unit through the battles at Normandy Campaign. On 6th of June 1944 the allies began Operation Overlord, Oberfuhrer Witt advocated that they follow orders and await orders from the Fuhrer to deploy in defense of Normandy, but Aldebrando advocated swift and decisive action, but begrudgingly followed orders. They would not be deployed until 16 hours after the initial reports. Aldebrando, despite having been ordered to hold off, made sure that the entire unit was on high alert, and ready to deploy at the drop of hat. This would prove useful in shaving sometime of their deployment, as the Allied Fighter-Bombers would hinder their time as well as the time of the 21st Panzer Division. They were able to assemble at the Evrecy staging area at just before 2200 hours that same day. Aldebrando’s 1st Leibstandarte SS Jager Company (Die Jungen von Aldebrando: Aldebrando’s Boys) were the first to arrive followed shortly by the bulk of the 12th SS Panzer Division. As they were the body guard of the Command HQ of the 12th Division it was their job to set up the staging area and prepare the HQ, they were trained for this so by the time the bulk of the troops arrived they had a fully operational HQ to work with. Throughout the next few days his little company saw little combat, only fighting when they had to move from one location to another. On June 11th Aldebrando and his boys were forced into close-combat in the town of Rots, where they would be faced with the 46th Royal Marine Commandos. They performed admirably, and were able to disengage in time to take minimal losses and fulfill their orders of making it to Veniox to establish their new HQ. Though many of their peers didn’t make it out of that town. On June 14th after the HQ had been reestablished in Veniox the Command was hit by Naval Artilary Barrage. In the aftermath of the destruction Aldebrando (who was now deaf in his left ear, and wounded), took up the mantle of leadership until Meyer was ordered by the High Command to take command of the unit.

For his service to this date in the War, Aldebrando would be awarded a Wound Stripe, & Order of the Iron Cross Second Class. In response to the naval assault on their Field HQ, and the loss of their CO, Aldebrando wrote out an order to his unit to shoot all Officer at the outset of every engagement, for the short term this would not come into play. In late July Aldebrando was called back to the Wolf’s Lair to consult with the High Command on his observations on the front. He would spend a total of 2 weeks there from July 10 till July 24. He was present in the conference room on July 20 during the explosion, and was woulded, taking shrapnel in his left hand and wrist, neither of which worked quite right again. Over his time he consulted both in group meetings and in private (With Himmler and Hitler), on the abilities of the Hitler-Jugend and his personal observations of the invasion. He would return to his HQ late in the day of the 25th and immediately resumed his duties in consulting with and coordinating the defense during the Allied Operations Cobra and Bluecoat. Over the course of August the 12th Panzer Division would see heavy losses while fulfilling their orders. IN short they were ordered to secure the escape routes for the other German forces in the area, and they would suffer heavily for it, by the time they were ordered to pull out, they were down to less than 10 tanks, no Artillery and aside from Aldebrando’s weakened unit (as a portion of them had died or been returned to Berlin after the assault on the HQ back in June), most of the infantry were wounded. The retreat would mark the end of the relatively easy deployment of his unit and he would find himself leading them in more and more combat operations, and spending less and less time in the HQ. Through the remainder of the war he would be involved in various infantry operations as well as joint operations throughout Hungary and Austria. The final action that Aldebrando was called out for was to command a joint operation of Panzer and Infantry units ordered to capture the American Base near Linz, Austria, on May 5th 1945. Unfortunately for this operation, the intelligence boys screwed the pooch on this one, and sent them into an American trap. Due to Aldebrando’s leadership and knowledge of tactics, he was able to pull the majority of his men out, but in the process cut himself off. He would steal an American jeep and escape into the nearby woods. Later that evening he would engage an American scout, and come out of it with a fatal wound that would be the death of him. He was recovered after the fight by what remained of his boys and brought back to the 12th Panzer Division (or what remained of it as they were down to 10,000 men), and would be patched up by the doctor. He would do his best to lead the men, since at this time wracked with Despair at the loss of Berlin and the Death of Hitler had pretty much allowed the stoic and calm Aldebrando to lead. Aldebrando understood the man’s grief and kept his secret from the men, and issued all orders in the CO’s name. On may 8th Aldebrando fell down beside the road, and his few remaining boys tried to encourage him to go on, but he knew his time was up. He made a decision then that he would forever be remembered for. He removed his dog tags and SS Honour Ring and handed them to his protégé (a boy who had followed him faithfully and unfailingly since he first joined the HJ, and looked to Aldebrando as a father). He then spoke to them giving his final speech, which they would pass on to the other survivors.

“You must live on, you must survive. For you are Germany, though the Fuhrer has left us, and the Germany we love so dearly shall pass away and fade into antiquity. You have the honor and duty to maintain it in your hearts, and to speak fondly of it to your children. Go and surrender to the Americans, but do so with the Honour that we have always been known for you are Hitler’s Boys and you are my boys. Now go, leave me, for now I must go and stand beside my Selee Vater, and guide all of you when your time comes.”

The men left him, but for his protégé he gave the papers he had drawn up so many years ago when the boy’s parents had been killed in a bombing run, that made the man his official heir, and thus the new Duke of Wurtemburg after his death. That man would be the last to see him, and as he crested the hill he heard the gunshot that would end Aldebrando’s life. Later that day the remaining 10,000 men of the 12th SS-Panzer Division “Hitlerjugend” would surrender to the American Forces at Enns, and in a final act of defiance, spurred on by the words of Aldebrando, refused to drape their vehicles in white flags, instead marching in to the American Base with heads held high and saluting as if on parade.

Writing Sample:

The Operation had gone poorly; someone in Intelligence had really screwed the pooch on this one. The 12th SS-Panzer-Division had been deployed to attack an Allied base, and were informed that there would be little to no resistance as the bulk of the Allied forces were deployed in other locations, and would not be back for several days. Unfortunately this was not the reality, when the 12th Division arrived the base was at half staff, and no more than an hour into the conflict the remaining half of the Allies arrived and flanked the 12th Division. Aldebrando had been one of the senior officers during this deployment and had done his best to coordinate his Boys, Aldebrando’s Boys were an elite Unit of the 12th Division made up of boys from the HJ who had been personally trained and groomed by Aldebrando for their careers in the SS. But in the end he had to call off the attack and order cover fire so the Boys could get away. In the process Aldebrando had gotten away in a ‘Liberated’ Jeep he had acquired from the Allied motorpool. Unfortunately the escape route he had orchestrated for his boys had been cut off by the advancing troops, so he was forced to retreat in another direction. He drove through most of the afternoon and into the late evening before the Jeep sputtered to a stop. Aldebrando exited the vehicle and kicked it venomously. By his estimate he was was still far too close to the enemy base, not to mention that he was still behind the line, so he checked his compass and map and began the long hike through the woods to German Controlled Territory. Aldebrando was making good time as he advanced through the forest, his time in the HJ as a child had taught him many things about orienteering and being an outdoorsman. It was a little past midnight by his estimate when he realized that there were other people near him in this patch of wood, he made no outward sign that he realized his predicament. He continued to walk along at his pace, being as stealthy as the situation allowed. He was unsure from the sounds of the other person if it was his Boys, who would be searching for him, or if it was an allied scout, either way he was not about to take any chances.

Aldebrando circled back on himself a few times, to get a good lay of the terrain, and finally dropped himself down into a small gully. The crevice of earth was just large enough to house his body, and allowed him to drop far enough under the surface that the possible enemy wouldn’t see him till it was too late, while still allowing him the mobility to spring from his location. Aldebrando stilled his breathing, and said a short prayer in his head. He then watched and waited. Minuets that felt like hours passed as he stared up through the trees to the stars beyond, then he saw it, a man sized silhouette above him, the man was walking around the gully, so as not to get caught in it. Aldebrando slowly drew his trusty HJ dagger, and hid it under the folds of his Great Coat, and counted the man’s steps, he estimated that the man would have to be no less than 5 steps and no more than 10 beyond the gully for his attack to work, so he counted. As the man’s steps counted down Aldebrando slowly rose from the gully and crouched to attack, at the last moment his dagger dragged on a rock causing the man to turn as he leapt toward him. The man brought his rifle up to defend himself, but it was only partially effective. Aldebrando’s HJ Dagger caught the man’s hand, and the rifle caught his wrist. The pair entangled as they fell, sending their respective weapons flying from them. They rolled down the slight embankment in a mass of grey and black in the light of the moon. They came to a stop a few feet from each other in a shallow stream. Aldebrando acting on instinct drew his SS Dagger and leapt at the man, he drove the blade home, bringing it up under the man’s ribcage and lodging it firmly in the man’s still beating heart. He feel of the knife sheathing itself in the man’s flesh brought a sense of excitement and orgasmic bliss to Aldebrando, who continued to twist the dagger as he watched the man’s life slip away. Aldebrando looked down toward where the knife was lodged, and saw that the dying man had successfully pierced him as well. The Bayonet was lodged firmly in his thigh about 14 centimeters from his groin. He let out a slight chuckle as he watched the man’s limp hand slip away from the handle of the Bayonet. It brought some perverse pleasure to Aldebrando to know that it took a dead man to fell him, it seemed that all that mobojombo that Himmler had spouted was true, for throughout all his engagements Aldebrando had never been wounded let alone as critically as this. He fell backward into the cool stream, his blood sending black tendrils downstream. He braced himself, and gritted his teeth as he pulled the blade through his flesh, it is funny he thought, the feeling that is caused by pulling a blade out, it was similar to the feeling of a pulling a noodle out of your throat, or the piercing of your flesh with a needle, but far more tangible. The blood continued to flow soaking his uniform, it reminded him of how it felt when he was a young boy who had wet his pants, and though this time the wetting could kill him not just have his ass red for a week. He removed his baldric belt and drew it tightly above the wound, fastening a makeshift tunicate. Slowly the wound stopped bleeding, so Aldebrando leveraged himself up and dragged his crippled ass toward the corpse of his enemy. He pulled the blade out and cleaned it on the man’s uniform, then sheathed it again. He then reached over and ripped the man’s rank bars from his uniform and placed it in his pocket. He then began the slow climb back up the embankment. Once he went over the top, he began the arduous hunt for his discarded blade. He found it imbedded in the ground, and drew it out re sheathing it. He realized then, as the adrenalin was wearing off, that he wouldn’t be able to make it 5 yards from here without some form of assistance and reluctantly retrieved the rifle of his fallen foe, and used it as a crutch.

Aldebrando continued to walk for a few hours, till he fell from exhaustion and blood loss. He slipped into a fitful sleep. He was shaken awake and instinctively drew one of his blades and brought it up, but stopped himself as the reality of the situation came to him, standing over him were three of his Boys, he quickly re-sheathed the blade. He tried to leverage himself up, but his leg protested and threw him to the ground again. The boys chuckled, and Aldebrando couldn’t help but join in. They helped him up again and two of the older ones helped bear his weight as they made their way out of the forest and to a waiting car. Once in the moving car, Aldebrando fell into sleep again though this time by the vibration and comforting movement of the vehicle. He was awakened again when they arrived at base camp. The Boys helped him to the SS Surgeon, who quickly began treatment. Once the wound was sewn up and blood was being feed intravenously to Aldebrando, the Surgeon sent the boys away, then rolled a chair up beside his long time friend.

“Herzog… Aldebrando, there is something I have to tell you.” The man said with a somberness to him, that Aldebrando had never known.

“What is it Doctor? You never call me by my first name.” Aldebrando said with a bit of concern in his own voice.

“The wound was deep, and angry. Not to mention that because of our current state of affairs, I couldn’t treat the wound as well I would’ve liked. I can’t assure you that you will survive this one.” The man informed him, Aldebrando took the information in stride, he had always expected to die, and what better way than in service to the Reich.

“I understand Doctor, but don’t tell the Boys, they are in need of strong leadership, and if they have to worry about me, then they won’t be able to serve our Fuhrer. Now if you have a cane, then I have medals to give out, and commendations to sign.” The doctor sighed heavily, but nodded his ascent. He retrieved a cane and handed it to his friend. Who patted the doctor on the shoulder and said.

“Everything will be allright, you’ll see.” He then set his face like flint and head out of the room, to be greeted by his unit, who screamed their happiness at his swift recovery. The last thing Aldebrando heard from the doctor as the door shut and the voices of the jubilant boys overtook him was,

“I hope so my friend, I hope so.”

Approved/Denied?: Neither Yet
Staff Notes:

Alright. I was going to wait for Austin to accept this. But I think, this deserves the rank you asked. And I hope you stick around, commander! Austin can add any comments if he wants.

-Mike

My only comment....Wow......


Welcome aboard,

~Austin!