[dsetzer]

In January of 1945 the Russian army made a push for the Oder river, the border between Germany and Poland. The attack centered on the city of Steinau.


When the first Russian tanks arrived on the bank of the river the Germans were caught completely off-guard. They considered Steinau to be a quiet sector and there were few if any combat-ready companies stationed there.


In the panic that ensued, orders were given to mobilize the students of the German military school located nearby in Glogau. Children aged 12 – 15, still in their school uniforms, were issued single-shot bolt-action rifles and sent to stop the Russian tanks. The results of that action were predictable.


I have been unable to find references to this incident on the Internet.


Is anyone able to point me to sources for more information about this tragic chapter of the war on the Russian front?