A Bridge Too Far...Who is Ludwig???

This has been driving me crazy for a long time. In the movie, Maximillian Schell protrays SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Wilhelm Bittrich. His sidekick is Hardy Kruger who protrays somebody that Schell calls "Ludwig". Who is Ludwig? Is he a real person. I believe in the movie his is a Brigadefuhrer but I have no such luck finding a commander of the 9th SS or 10th SS commmanders with that name. Does anybody know so I can sleep better?

 

I'm rushing this as I've got to go to work but I thought Kruger's character was a 'composite', partly of Heinz Harmel ?

( later )

I'm fairly certain the 'other half' of the composite character was Walter Harzer

( I'm very willing to be corrected on this....)

[ 19 September 2002, 12:43 PM: Message edited by: Martin Bull ]

 

Its been too long since I last watched the movie to know.

I have several film cells from this movie too, but cannot afford to get pics made yet--its $10.00 a sheet.

However--I do have 4 of my Cross of Iron cells done and when Gary, Greg and I next have out militaria meeting--im going to have Gary post them here on the site.

 

I'm getting there !

I've gone back to Iain Johnstone's 'The Arnhem Report' ( an obscure paperback about the making of 'A Bridge Too Far' ).

Kruger's character was indeed fictional, and based on three German officers, Harmel, Harzer, and ......... ????

[ 19 September 2002, 03:17 PM: Message edited by: Martin Bull ]

 

Thanks. At least that let's me know I'm not crazy. I have been trying to find out who that character was in my research. No wonder it drove me crazy...he did not exist. And I thought all of the characters were suppose to be real.

 

Attenborough would have liked all the characters to be actual, but William Goldman had to 'manufacture' certain characters to make the script run smoothly.

So for instance, the para Doctor is a 'composite', the Olivier character is fictional, the South Staffs did not fight their way through to Urquhart, etc etc.

I guess we always have to remember that these films are first and foremost items of entertainment. The late General Urquhart perhaps put it best of all : -

'The film is a reasonably accurate spectacular, but not a true documentary'

 

I think if we expet a film to convey such a complex event and be 100% accurate we are really asking too much: there is a General public out there who don't want to have to read Ryan in order to put it all in context.

I think it's a brilliant film, no patriotic bull and much more balanced: although it may go too far in pinning most of the blame on Boy Browning.

Was the third character comprising Ludwig the one armed one legged Major Knaust? This character (seemingly determined to die in installments) was in command of the other significant armoured formation present, the Knaust Kampfgruppe.

Jumbo

 

Knaust - I think that's the one ! He even looks just a little like Hardy Kruger.....

Absolutely right about the film, Jumbo. In case I gave the wrong impression, it's one of my all-time favourites. I watch it again and again and.......

 

I thought Hardy Kruger had all his limbs and eyes!

 

I meant in the face - dohhh, you know what I mean !

 

PzJgr--I was at Barnes and Nobles bookstore last night before the rains came and was reading a book called: The History of the 2nd SS Panzer Korps.

There was a pic in there that showed Bittrich and had mentioned the name Ludwig (I forget the last name) and it turned out that this Ludwig was the Artillery Commander in the 9th SS Div (at the time of the Arnhem battle). Could it possibly be that that could be who he (in the movie) was referring to?

 

Carl, it would make sense since the character in the movie was responsible for blowing up the bridge in Eindhoven (I believe). I could swear that the character in the movie was wearing Brigadefuhrer insignia but I could be wrong. Also, it could be a hollywood fluke. But this would make sense. Good catch Carl.

 

In the film, Hardy Kruger tries to blow Nijmegen bridge. In actuality , the officer responsible was... Heinz Harmel ( Ryan, p351 ).

 

oh noooo! I'm starting to get confused again!

 

Thanks PzJgr.

Sounds like the typical hollywood--making such obvious mistakes. If I get a chance to go back to B&N today--ill make it a point to look up the Artillery officers full name and rank for you.

 

HI Carl and PzJgr: I think this is the guy you are thinking of: SS Lt Col Ludwig Spindler, Commander of Kampfgruppe Spindler which was a Armored Artillery Rgt with the 9th SS Panzer Div.

 

Thank you Steve--yep--that was who I was talking about. Also thanks for saving me the extra trip to the bookstore.

 

Finally -
The three officers combined to make Hardy Kruger's 'Ludwig' were : -

Ludwig Spindler ( 9th SS )
Heinz Harmel ( 10th SS )
Walter Harzer ( 9th SS )

Major Hans-Peter Knaust, a key figure in the battle, was Commander of Panzer-Grenadier Training & Replacement Battalion 'Bocholt'.

My sources are a combination of Johnstone's 'Arnhem Report' and Kershaw's 'It Never Snows In September'.

 

If I remember correctly, wasnt Hardy Kruger dressed in a black Panzer uniform? instead of a Grey-Green Panzerjager uniform--that should have been worn by his character--or at least a Grey-Green tunic.

 

I've found the ranks of the three officers : -

Obersturmbannfuhrer Walter Harzer ( in temporary command of 9. SS-Panzer-Division )
Brigadefuhrer Heinz Harmel ( commander : 10. SS-Panzer-Division )
Obersturmbannfuhrer Ludwig Spindler ( commander : SS-Panzer-Artillerie Regt. 9 ).

Spindler was not involved with bridge destruction ; he commanded an ad-hoc kampfgruppe fighting in north-west Arnhem.

There is a photo of Harmel wearing black 'tanker's' uniform ; he was aged 37 at Arnhem which would roughly fit with the Hardy Kruger character.

All this information is from the new 'market-Garden : Then & Now' volumes which are an absolute mine of photos and information !

[ 22 September 2002, 01:07 PM: Message edited by: Martin Bull ]