The Willing Flesh

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The Willing Flesh is the English Language edition of Das Geduldige Fleisch, a book written by Willi Heinrich about the experiences of a platoon on the Eastern Front during the German withdrawal from the Taman Peninsula, Crimea, in 1943. It was first published in 1956.

A film, Cross of Iron, was directed in 1977 by Sam Peckinpah based on this book. Later editions of this book have been called Cross of Iron in reference to the film.

The character of Steiner may be based on the real life historical figure Johann Schwerdfeger, who was born on 24 November 1914, in Plein bei Wittlich.

From 1935 to 1937 he served with Infanterie Regiment 84, transferring to the Third Company of Infanterie Regiment 186 (73rd Infantry Division) in 1939 after the start of the Polish Campaign.

In June 1942, after service with Jägerersatzbattaillon 75, Schwerdfeger joined Jäger Regiment 228, which was part of the 101st Jäger (Light Infantry) Division. The division saw action in the Don Bend, at Rostov and Maikop in the Caucasus, and joined the retreat through the Kuban and the Taman Peninsula, the setting of the book The Willing Flesh.

On 17 May 1943, Feldwebel Schwerdfeger was awarded the Knight's Cross as a platoon leader in the First Company. In April 1944, during the breakout from Hube's Pocket, he was severely wounded and on 14 May 1944 was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. He was also awarded two tank destruction badges during his military service.

In the English edition of the book, Meyer tells Stransky that Steiner saved Lieutenant Colonel Brandt's life in two passages (Meyer is called Schäfer in the German edition and Brandt is called Strauss).

"Steiner hat ihm einmal sein Leben gerettet." and “Es war bei Studenok am Donez. Strauss führte damals schon das Bataillon. Die zweite Kompanie lag, soviel mir bekannt ist direkt am Donez. Den Russen war es gelungen, bei Nacht über den Fluss zu kommen. Bei den Kämpfen wurde die zweite Kompanie fast völlig aufgerieben…" ( “Steiner saved his life once…. It happened at Studenok on the Donez. Brandt led the battalion at that time already. The second company was situated, as far as I know directly at the Donez. The Russians had succeeded in crossing the river at night. In the battle the second company was almost completely rubbed out.")

In real life, a similar situation occurred to the First Battalion of the 228th Jäger regiment. Two historical works on the division, in German, chronicled how a company of the battalion was surprised and pinned down by Russian forces (two Regiments and eleven tanks of the Russian 296. Division) that crossed the Donez in the night from the 19th to 20th of May 1942.