Many thanks to Graeme Reid for the masthead drawing & design - © 2005 (www.gnreid.co.uk)

Blitzfreeze

Chapter by chapter - Book covers - Other languages - Quotes


Introduction to Blitzfreeze


The English translation of Blitzfreeze is not as easy to read or as imaginitive with the curses and abuse which makes earlier translations so attractive. Worst of all it has Tiny talking in a ridiculous Cockney dialect which is almost impossible to read without picturing him as some character from Eastenders.

There are also hundreds of footnotes explaining the simplest things (SMG = heavy machine gun etc etc) which also get on the nerves a bit.

Fortunately, Blitzfreeze has at least two classic Sven chapters: 'The Meat Depot' where Porta and Tiny decide to "inspect" a supplies depot and end up having an outrageous feast at the expense of the feldwebel in charge (who is not quite convinced that they are Gestapo inspectors but really can't take the risk of challenging them). Also, 'The Mongol Captain' chapter where the section goes to Moscow dressed as NKVD led by a mad criminal named Vasjli.

We also get our first proper meeting with Chief Mechanic Wolf.


Blitzfreeze chapter by chapter:


1. The Girl Sergeant
Attack on Russian tank unit (including female soldiers). Porta gets hold of some coffee.

2. The Via Dolorosa Of Herr Niebelspang
Some tank battle stuff. Long, long speech from Porta!

3. Anti-tank
Description of anti-tank fighting.

4. Porta Helps The Padre
Another long story from Porta. The section retreats in a tank... and then by cow (you need to read that bit).

5. The Tepluschka
Descriptions of winter cold and wolf attacks. Description of Finland. Section finds a Tepluschka (rail wagon). Description of food.

6. The Meat Depot
One of the great Sven Hassel chapters. Porta and Tiny visit a supplies depot and carry out an inspection. Long description of enormous feast.

7. Before Moscow
More fighting.

8. The Mongol Captain
Chief Mechanic Wolf makes his big entrance and does some business with Porta. The section goes to Moscow with a group of Brandenburger commandoes. They are led by Vasjli. They attack a tank factory and make the long trip back - managing to spy on a few women along the way.

9. The Generals Depart
Big Russian counterattack, retreat, description of booby traps.

10. The Partisan Girl
Long retreat through the snow. Visit to Russian village. Foot amputation. Long return through Russian/German lines - lots of wounded (including Sven and others in the section). Hospital train to Poland.


Blitzfreeze book covers

(Click links to view)
Finnish cover for Herran Hylkäämät
English cover for Blitzfreeze
French cover for Je les ai vu mourir
English cover for Blitzfreeze
Spanish cover for Los vi Morir


Blitzfreeze in other languages

Danish:Glemt af GudFrench:Je les ai vu mourir
Finnish:Herran hylkäämätNorwegian:Glemt av gud
Swedish:Jag såg dem döDutch:Regiment des doods
Spanish:Los Vi MorirRomanian:Moarte si viscol
Italian:L'ultimo assaltoGerman:x
Turkish:x  

Selected quotes from Blitzfreeze


Concerning Julius Heide:
"In his opinion orders should never be questioned or even wondered at. Ordered to march to the moon he would pack his kit as regimentally perfectly as a recruit, swing his gun over his left shoulder, draw eight weeks rations, crack his heels together and turn smartly to the left. Erect as if he had a broomstick stuck up his back he would march in the direction of the moon and keep on marching, either until he dropped dead or somebody gave a counter-order."



On the subject of lice:
"They give us a Deutschemark for every good specimen we turn in to the medical orderly. He puts them in a test-tube and sends them to Germany. We've never found out what they do with them back there. Porta has a theory that they wind up in a concentration camp for lice in which scientists are attempting to breed a special Aryan louse just intelligent enough to lift its front leg in the Nazi salute if Adolf should happen to pass by."



Porta deals with a Supply Depot Feldwebel:
"'Listen to me you son of a blown-up bitch that dropped her miscarriage in a sewer. I'm looking for a Soviet turd I can fill your cock-sucking mouth with before I put you on the next train to Iron Gustav at Torgau you sow-bellied lump of striped shit. Message ended!'"



"We all longed to be back in France. Then we were wealthy. Porta and Tiny did big business. In partnership with a Marineobermaat they once sold a fully armed torpedo-boat. Tiny reckoned on receiving an English decoration when the war was over. The two shady gentlemen who had bought the torpedo-boat had promised him one."



"He was posted to a miserable frontier district, where the people were so suspicious of one another that they took their bikes in to church with them, which is a thing they do in certain parts of France..."




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