NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Battle in Berlin

The Battle of Berlin was decided outside the city during the initial phases of the battle. The Battle in Berlin was fought once the city was surrounded and the Red Army of the Soviet Union forced their way thought to the centre of the city. The first Soviet ground forces started to penetrate the outer suburbs of Berlin on the 23 April 1945. The battle continued until the May 2 when General Helmuth Weidling, the commander of the Berlin Defence Area, surrendered to Marshal Georgiy Zhukov. Combatants Soviet Union Poland Germany Commanders Georgiy Zhukov Ivan Konev Konstantin Rokossovskiy Vasiliy Chuykov Adolf Hitler â€ Gotthard Heinrici Helmuth Reymann Ernst Kaether (one day) Helmuth Weidling # Karl DÃ¶nitz # Wilhelm Mohnke # Strength 2,500,000 soldiers, 6,250 tanks, 7,500 aircraft, 41,600 artillery pieces [1] 1,000,000... Red Army flag The Workers and Peasants Red Army (Russian: Ð Ð°Ð±Ð¾Ñ‡Ðµ-ÐšÑ€ÐµÑÑ‚ÑŒÑÐ½ÑÐºÐ°Ñ ÐšÑ€Ð°ÑÐ½Ð°Ñ ÐÑ€Ð¼Ð¸Ñ, Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya; RKKA or usually simply the Red Army) were the armed forces first organized by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918 and that in 1922 became the army of the Soviet Union. ... April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (114th in leap years). ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... General Helmuth Weidling was the German officer who surrended Berlin to the Soviet forces in the final stages of world war two. ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgi Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov (Russian: Гео́ргий Константи́нович Жу́ков) (December 1, 1896 - June 18, 1974), Soviet military commander and...

Combatants Soviet Union Poland Germany Commanders Georgiy Zhukov Ivan Konev Konstantin Rokossovskiy Vasiliy Chuykov Adolf Hitler â€ Gotthard Heinrici Helmuth Reymann Ernst Kaether (one day) Helmuth Weidling # Karl DÃ¶nitz # Wilhelm Mohnke # Strength 2,500,000 soldiers, 6,250 tanks, 7,500 aircraft, 41,600 artillery pieces [1] 1,000,000... The Battle of the Oder-Neisse was one of the last pitched battles of World War II. It was fought over four days, from April 16 until April 19, 1945, within the larger context of the Battle of Berlin. ... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Gotthard Heinrici Georgy Zhukov Strength 100,000 men 512 Tanks 344 artillery pieces 400 Anti-aircraft guns 1,000,000 men 3,155 Tanks 16,934 artillery pieces Casualties 12,000 Killed 33,000 Killed The Battle of the Seelow Heights was one of the... Combatants Soviet Union Poland Germany Commanders Georgiy Zhukov Ivan Konev Konstantin Rokossovskiy Vasiliy Chuykov Adolf Hitler â€ Gotthard Heinrici Helmuth Reymann Ernst Kaether (one day) Helmuth Weidling # Karl DÃ¶nitz # Wilhelm Mohnke # Strength 2,500,000 soldiers, 6,250 tanks, 7,500 aircraft, 41,600 artillery pieces [1] 1,000,000... Combatants Third Reich Soviet Union Commanders Theodor Busse Ivan Konev Strength 80,000 280,000 Casualties 30,000 killed 25,000 Captured up to 10,000 civilian dead 20,000 killed The Battle of Halbe lasted from April 24 to May 1, 1945. ...

The Soviet offensive

The battle of the Oder-Neisse

The sector in which most of the fighting in the overall battle took place was the Seelow Heights, the last major defensive line outside Berlin. The Battle of the Seelow Heights was one of the last pitched battles of World War II. It was fought over four days, from April 16 until April 19, 1945. Close to one million Soviet soldiers and more than 20,000 tanks and artillery pieces were in action to break through the "Gates to Berlin" which was defended by about 100,000 German soldiers and 1,200 tanks and guns^{[citation needed]}. The Battle of the Oder-Neisse was one of the last pitched battles of World War II. It was fought over four days, from April 16 until April 19, 1945, within the larger context of the Battle of Berlin. ... The Seelow Heights were the scene of the bloodiest battle on German soil during the Second World War. ... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Gotthard Heinrici Georgy Zhukov Strength 100,000 men 512 Tanks 344 artillery pieces 400 Anti-aircraft guns 1,000,000 men 3,155 Tanks 16,934 artillery pieces Casualties 12,000 Killed 33,000 Killed The Battle of the Seelow Heights was one of the... A pitched battle is a battle were both sides choose to fight at a chosen location and time and where either side has the option to disengage either before the battle starts, or shortly after the first armed exchanges. ... April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ...

On April 19, the fourth day the 1st Belorussian Front broke through the final line of the Seelow Heights and nothing but broken German formations lay between them and Berlin,. The 1st Ukrainian Front having captured Forst the day before was fanning out into open country. One powerful thrust was heading north east towards Berlin while other armies headed west towards a section of United States Army front line south west of Berlin on the Elbe. April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... There are communes that have the name Forst in Germany Forst (Unterfranken) Forst, Baden Forst, Mittelfranken Forst, Eifel Forst, HunsrÃ¼ck Forst, Lausitz Forst, Bavaria Forst an der WeinstraÃŸe Forst, Odenwald in Switzerland Forst, Switzerland, in the Canton of Bern Other Forst, Algund, a commune in South Tyrol This... This article is about a river in Central Europe. ...

By the end of 19 April the German eastern front line north of Frankfurt around Seelow and to the south around Frost and had ceased to exist. These breakthroughs allowed the two Soviet fronts to envelop the German IX Army in a large pocket east of Frankfurt. Attemps by the IX Army to break out to the west would result in the Battle of Halbe.^[1]^[2] The cost to the Soviet forces had been very high between 1 April and 19 April, with over 2,807 tanks lost,^[3] including at least 727 at the Seelow Heights. April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... Frankfurt (Oder) ( Sorbian/Lusatian: Frankobord ) is a city in Brandenburg, Germany located on the Oder River, on the German-Polish border directly opposite the city of SÅ‚ubice. ... A pincer movement whereby the blue force doubly envelops the red force. ... Combatants Third Reich Soviet Union Commanders Theodor Busse Ivan Konev Strength 80,000 280,000 Casualties 30,000 killed 25,000 Captured up to 10,000 civilian dead 20,000 killed The Battle of Halbe lasted from April 24 to May 1, 1945. ... It has been suggested that April Fools Day be merged into this article or section. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ...

The encirclement of Berlin

On 20 April, Hitler's birthday, Soviet artillery of 1st Belorussian Front began to shell the centre of Berlin and did not stop until the city surrendered. After the war the Soviets pointed out that the weight of explosives delivered by their artillery during the battle was greater than the tonnage dropped by the Western Allied bombers on the city. 1st Belorussian Front advanced towards the east and north-east of the City. Combatants Soviet Union Poland Germany Commanders Georgiy Zhukov Ivan Konev Konstantin Rokossovskiy Vasiliy Chuykov Adolf Hitler â€ Gotthard Heinrici Helmuth Reymann Ernst Kaether (one day) Helmuth Weidling # Karl DÃ¶nitz # Wilhelm Mohnke # Strength 2,500,000 soldiers, 6,250 tanks, 7,500 aircraft, 41,600 artillery pieces [1] 1,000,000... April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ...

1st Ukrainian Front had pushed through the last formations of the northern wing of Army Group Centre and had passed north of Juterbog well over halfway to the American front lines on the river Elbe at Magdeburg. To the north between Stettin and Schwedt, 2nd Belorussian Front attacked the northern flank of Army Group Vistula, held by the III Panzer Army.^[2] Jüterbog (2002 pop. ... This article is about a river in Central Europe. ... This article is about the German city. ... Motto: none Voivodship West Pomeranian Municipal government Rada miasta Szczecina Mayor Marian Jurczyk Area 301,3 km² Population - city - urban - density 413 600 1372/km² Founded City rights 8th century 1243 Latitude Longitude 14°34E 53°26N Area code +48 91 Car plates ZS Twin towns Berlin-Kreuzberg... Schwedt (or Schwedt/Oder) is a city in Brandenburg, Germany. ... The Army Group Vistula (also known as Army Group Weischel) was formed in 1945 to protect Berlin from the advancing Soviet armies marching from the Vistula river. ... The German Third Panzer Army (German: ) was a German panzer army that saw action during World War II. The Third Panzer Army was a constituent of Army Group Centre and fought in the Battle of Moscow in late 1941 and early 1942. ...

By April 24 elements of 1st Belorussian Front and 1st Ukrainian Front had completed the encirclement of the city.^[4] April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (115th in leap years). ...

The next day, 25 April, the 2nd Belorussian Front broke through III Panzer Army's line around the bridgehead south of Stettin and crossed the Rando Swamp. They were now free to move west towards the British 21st Army Group and north towards the Baltic port of Stralsund. The Soviet 58th Guards Division of the 5th Guards Army made contact with the US 69th Infantry Division of the First Army near Torgau, Germany on the Elbe River.^[5] April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (116th in leap years). ... Motto: none Voivodship West Pomeranian Municipal government Rada miasta Szczecina Mayor Marian Jurczyk Area 301,3 km² Population - city - urban - density 413 600 1372/km² Founded City rights 8th century 1243 Latitude Longitude 14°34E 53°26N Area code +48 91 Car plates ZS Twin towns Berlin-Kreuzberg... The British 21st Army Group was an important Allied force in the European Theatre of World War II. // Normandy Commanded by General (later Field Marshal) Sir Bernard Montgomery, it initially controlled all ground forces in Operation Overlord. ... Stralsund is a city in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. ... The 69th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War II. World War II Activated: 15 May 1943. ... Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the U.S. First Army. ... Torgau is a town on the banks of the Elbe in northwestern Saxony, Germany. ... This article is about a river in Central Europe. ...

Throughout the day of 25 April, the encirclement of Berlin was tightened even more. Soviet spearheads entered Zehlendorf and Neukoelln. There was fighting at the Teltow Canal. The Berlin suburbs of Adlershof, Alt-Glienicke, Tegel, Wittenau, Reinickendorf, Mariendorf, and Lankwitz were over-run. German troops withdraw into positions in central Berlin. The new front line was Schoeneberg Town Hall, Halle Gate, and Belle-Alliance Square.^[6] April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (116th in leap years). ...

Battle in Berlin

Tactics

A Soviet combat group was a mixed arms unit of about eighty men in assault groups of six to eight men, closely supported by field artillery. These were tactical units which were able to apply the tactics of house to house fighting that the Soviets had been forced to develop and refine at each festung stadt (fortress city) they had encountered from Stalingrad to Berlin.^[7] A fireteam is a small military unit of infantry. ... Urban warfare is modern warfare conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. ...

The Germans tactics used for the urban warfare that took place in Berlin was dictated by three considerations. These were: the experience that the Germans had gained during five years of war; the physical characteristics of Berlin; and the tactics used by the Soviets. Most of central districts of Berlin consists of city blocks with straight wide roads with several waterways, parks and large railway marshalling yards. It is predominantly flat but there are some low hills like that of Kreuzberg that is 66m above sea level. Much of the housing stock consisted of apartments blocks build in the second half of the 19th century most of those, thanks to housing regulations, and few elevators, were five stories high built around a courtyard which could be reached from the street through a corridor large enough to take a horse and cart or the small trucks used to deliver coal. In many places these apartment blocks were build around several courtyards one behind the other each one reached through the outer courtyards by a ground level tunnel similar to that between the first courtyard and the road. The larger more expensive flats faced the street and the smaller less expensive ones could be found around the inner countyards. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 Ã— 960 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 Ã— 960 pixel, file size: 1. ... Urban warfare is modern warfare conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. ... An apartment estate in Singapore; such blocks make up the majority of public housing and also housing in general in Singapore. ...

Just as the Soviets had learn a lot about urban warfare, so had the Germans. The Waffen SS did not use the makeshift barricades erected close to street corners, because these could be raked by artillery fire from guns firing over open sights further along the straight streets. Instead they put snipers and machine guns on the upper floors and the roofs because the Soviet tanks could not elevate their guns that high and they put men armed with panzerfausts in cellar windows to ambush tanks as they moved down the streets. These tactics were quickly adopted by the Hitler Youth and the First World War Volksstrurm veterans.^[8] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 652 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (700 Ã— 644 pixel, file size: 100 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Scene of destruction in a Berlin street just off the Unter den Linden, 3 July 1945 Source: IWMCollections IWM Photo No. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 652 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (700 Ã— 644 pixel, file size: 100 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Scene of destruction in a Berlin street just off the Unter den Linden, 3 July 1945 Source: IWMCollections IWM Photo No. ... July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 4 Panzerfausts in the original casing, displayed in Helsinki Military Museum Panzerfaust. ...

To counter these tactics the Soviets mounted sub-machine gunners on the tanks who sprayed every doorway and window, but this meant the tank could not traverse its turret quickly. The other solution was to rely on heavy howitzers (152mm and 203mm) firing over open sights to blast defended buildings and to use anti-aircraft guns against the German gunners on the higher floors. Soviet combat groups started to move from house to house instead of directly down the streets. They moved through the apartments and cellars blasting holes through the walls of adjacent buildings (for which the Soviets found abandoned German panzerfausts were very effective) while others fought across the roof tops and through the attics. These tactics took the Germans laying in ambush for tanks in the flanks. Flamethrowers and grenades were very effective, but as the Berlin civilian population had not been evacuated these tactics inevitably killed many civilians.^[8]

Battle

The forces available to Weidling for the city's defence included several severely depleted Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS divisions, in all about 45,000 men. These divisions were supplemented by the police force, boys in the compulsory Hitler Youth, and the Volkssturm. Many of the 40,000 elderly men of the Volkssturm had been in the army as young men and some were veterans of World War I. The commander of the central district, SS Brigadeführer Wilhelm Mohnke, who had been appointed to this position by Hitler, had over 2,000 men under his command.^[9]^[10] Wehrmacht (armed forces, literally defence force(s)) was the name of the armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. ... Waffen-SS recruitment poster; Volunteer to the Waffen-SS The Waffen-SS was the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel. ... The military use of children refers to children being placed in harms way in military actions, the desire being to protect a location or provide propaganda. ... The Hitler Youth (German: , abbreviated HJ) was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. ... German Peoples Storm Defense Force The Volkssturm, literally translated as Peoples Storm in the meaning of National Storm, was a German national militia of the last months of the Nazis Third Reich. ... This article is becoming very long. ... BrigadefÃ¼hrer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. ... Wilhelm Mohnke, 1944 SS-BrigadefÃ¼hrer Wilhelm Mohnke (March 15, 1911 - August 6, 2001) was one of Hitlers last remaining generals. ...

Weidling organized the defences into eight sectors designated 'A' through to 'H' each one commanded by a colonel or a general, but most had no combat experience.^[9] To the west of the city was the XX Infantry Division. To the north of the city was the IX Parachute Division To the north-east of the city was the Panzer Division Müncheberg (Werner Mummert). To the south-east of the city and to the east of Tempelhof Airport was the XI SS Panzergrenadier Division Nordland. The reserve, XVIII Panzergrenadier Division, was in Berlin's central district.^[11] 20th Infantry Division 20th Motorized Infantry Division 20th Panzergrenadier Division The German 20th Infantry Division was established in 1934 under the cover name Reichswehrdienststelle Hamburg, and did not assume its bona-fide designation until the creation of the Wehrmacht was announced in October 1935. ... The German 9th Parachute Division was one of the final parachute divisions to be raised by Germany during World War II. The division was destroyed during the Battle of Berlin in April 1945. ... Panzer-Division MÃ¼ncheberg was a German panzer division which saw action on the Eastern Front around Berlin during World War II. // Formation The MÃ¼ncheberg began forming on 8 March 1945 in MÃ¼ncheberg, Germany. ... Tempelhof Central Airport, a. ... Kampfverband WarÃ¤ger Germanische-Freiwilligen-Division SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 11 (Germanische) 11. ... German 18th Infantry Division (September 1939 â€“ November 1940) Redesignated German 18th Motorised Infantry Division (November 1940 â€“ June 1943) Redesignated German 18th Panzergrenadier Division (June 1943 â€“ May 1945) // German 18th Infantry Division Commander: Lieutenant-General Friedrich Karl Cranz 1 September 1939 - 1 November 1940 From Sepember 1939 until May 1940 the...

Berlin's fate was sealed, because the decisive stages of the battle were fought outside the city, but the resistance inside continued.^[12] By the 23 April some of Chuikov's rifle units had crossed the Spree and the Dahme south of Köpenick and by the 24 April were advancing along with Katukov's leading tanks were advancing towards Britz and Neukölln. Some time after midnight a corps of the 5th Shock Army crossed the Spree close to Treptow Park. At dawn on the 24 April the LVI Panzer Corps still under Weildling's direct command counter attacked, but were severely mauled by the 5th Shock Army, which was able to continue its advance around mid day.^[13] Meanwhile the first large Soviet probe into the city was put into operation. Kataukov's 1st Guard Army attacked across the Teltow Canal. At 06:20 a bombardment by 3,000 guns and heavy mortars began (a staggering 650 pieces of artillery per one kilometer of front). At 07:00 hours the first Soviet battalions were across and they were followed by tanks around 12:00 shortly after the first of the pontoon bridges were completed. By the evening Treptow Park was in Soviet hands and they had reached the S-Bahn ring railway.^[14] Image File history File links Russian_artillery_fire_in_Berlin. ... Image File history File links Russian_artillery_fire_in_Berlin. ... BM-13 Katyusha RS-132 rockets mounted underneath the wing of LaGG-3 fighter Damage caused to a German tank Pz Kpfw 38(t) by direct hit of RS-132 The 82mm BM-8 and 132mm BM-13 Katyusha rocket launchers were built and fielded by the Soviet Union in... April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (114th in leap years). ... The Spree (Slavic Å preva or Å preja, older form Sprevja, Sorbish Sprowja) is a river in Saxony, Brandenburg and Berlin, Germany. ... Dahme may refer to: Dahme, Brandenburg, a town in Germany Dahme, Holstein, a municipality in Germany Dahme River, a river in Germany Category: ... KÃ¶penick is a former borough of Berlin; in 2001 it merged with Treptow to form the new borough Treptow-KÃ¶penick. ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (115th in leap years). ... Britz is part of the Berlin district of NeukÃ¶lln. ... The location of NeukÃ¶lln in Berlin. ... Treptow is a former borough of Berlin; in 2001 it merged with KÃ¶penick to form the new borough Treptow-KÃ¶penick. ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (115th in leap years). ... Teltow is a town in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. ...

While the fighting raged in the south east of the city, between 320 and 330 French volunteers commanded by Brigadeführer Gustav Krukenberg and organized as Sturmbataillon (assault battalion) "Charlemagne" were attached to XI SS Panzergrenadier Division Nordland. They moved from the SS training ground near Neustrelitz to the centre of Berlin through the western suburbs which apart from unmanned barricades across the Havel and Spree were devoid of fortifications or defenders. Of all the reinforcements ordered to Berlin that day only this Sturmbataillon arrived.^[15]^[12] Kampfverband WarÃ¤ger Germanische-Freiwilligen-Division SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 11 (Germanische) 11. ... Neustrelitz is a town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. ...

On 25 April, Krukenberg was appointed as the commander Defence Sector C which included the Nordland Division, whose previous commander Johachim Ziegler was relieved of his command the same day. The arrival of the French SS men bolstered the Nordland Division whose Norge and Danmark regiments had been decimated in the fighting. Just midday as Krukenberg reached his command, the last German bridgehead south of the Teltow Canal was being abandoned. During the night Krukenberg informed General Hans Krebs Chief of the General Staff of (OKH) that within 24 hours the Nordland would have to fall back to the centre sector Z (for Zentrum).^[16] April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (116th in leap years). ... A bridgehead is literally a military fortification that protects the end of a bridge that is closest to the enemy. ... General of Infantry Hans Krebs (4 March 1898, Helmstedt - d. ... The chief of staff is the chief aide to the commander of larger military formations and units. ... The German General Staff or GroÃŸer Generalstab was the most important German weapon for nearly two centuries. ... The Oberkommando der Heeres (OKH) was Germanys Army High Command from 1936 to 1945. ... The location of Mitte in Berlin. ...

Soviet combat groups of the 8th Guards Army and the 1st Guards Tank Army fought their way through the southern suburbs of Neukölln towards Tempelhof Airport which was located just inside the S-Bhan defensive ring. Defending Sector D was Panzer Division Müncheberg. This division, down to its last dozen tanks and thirty APCs had been promised replacements for battle losses but only stragglers and Volkssturm were available to fill the ranks. The Soviets advanced cautiously using flamethrowers to overcome defensive positions. By dusk the Soviet T43 tanks had reached the airfield, only six kilometres (four miles) south of Führerbunker, where they were checked by stiff German resistance. The Müncheberg Division managed to hold the line until the afternoon of the next day, but this was the last time that they were able to check the Soviet advance for more than a few hours.^[17]^[18] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (800x643, 47 KB) Summary Author: Felix Hahn Source: Based on Water map of Berlin Description: Map of Berlin and its districts. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (800x643, 47 KB) Summary Author: Felix Hahn Source: Based on Water map of Berlin Description: Map of Berlin and its districts. ... Tempelhof Central Airport, a. ... Armoured personnel carriers (APCs) are armoured fighting vehicles developed to transport infantry on the battlefield. ... Riverboat of the U.S. Brownwater Navy shooting ignited napalm from its mounted flamethrower during the Vietnam war. ...

On the 26 April With Neukölln heavily penetrated by Soviet combat groups Krukenberg prepared fallback positions for Sector C defenders around Hermannplatz. He moved his headquarters into the opera house. The two understrength German divisions defending the south east were now facing five Soviet armies. From east to west they were the 5th Shock Army, advancing from Treptow Park, the 8th Guards Army and the 1st Guards Tank Army advancing through Neukölln north were checked at Tempelhof Airport and Konev's 3rd Guards Tank Army was advancing from Mariendorf. As the Nordland Division fell back towards Hermannplatz the French SS and one hundred Hitler Youths attached to their group destroyed fourteen soviet tanks with panzerfausts, and one machine gun position by the Halensee bridge managed to hold up any Soviet advances in that area for forty-eight hours. The Nordlands remaining armour, eight tiger tanks and several assault guns, were ordered to take up positions in the Tiergarten, because although these two divisions of Weidling's LVI Panzer Corps could slow the Soviet advance they could not stop it.^[19] April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (117th in leap years). ... Hermannplatz is an Berlin U-Bahn station located on the U7 and the U8. ... Marshal Ivan Konev Ivan Stepanovich Koniev (Russian Ð˜Ð²Ð°Ð½ Ð¡Ñ‚ÐµÐ¿Ð°Ð½Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡ ÐšÐ¾Ð½ÐµÐ²) (December 28, 1897 â€“ May 21, 1973), Soviet military commander, was born into a peasant family near Podosinovsky in central Russia (now in Kirov Oblast). ... Mariendorf is part of the Tempelhof district of Berlin, in the south-central of the city. ... 4 Panzerfausts in the original casing, displayed in Helsinki Military Museum Panzerfaust. ...

Hitler summoned Field Marshall Robert Ritter von Greim from Munich to Berlin to take over command of the Lufwaffe from Goering. While flying over Berlin in a Fieseler Storch, von Greim was seriously wounded by Soviet anti-aircraft fire. Hanna Reitsch, his mistress and a crack test pilot, landed von Greim on an improvised air strip in the Tiergarten near the Brandenburg Gate.^[6]^[20]^[21] Robert Ritter von Greim Robert Ritter von Greim or Robert Greim (June 22, 1892 - May 24, 1945) was a German pilot and army officer. ... Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Hermann Goering in English) (January 12, 1893–October 15, 1946) was a prominent and early member of the Nazi party, founder of the Gestapo, and one of the main architects of Nazi Germany. ... The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (stork) was a small liaison aircraft built by Fieseler during World War II, and production continued in other countries into the 1950s for the private market. ... Hanna Reitsch in the FW 61 Hanna Reitsch (March 29, 1912 - August 24, 1979) was a famous World War II German test pilot, and a favourite of the upper echelon of the Nazi party. ... Tiergarten (Animal Garden) is a large park and a former borough of Berlin, since 2001 a part of the expanded borough Mitte. ... The Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate (German: Brandenburger Tor) is a former city gate and the symbol of Berlin, Germany. ...

On the same day that Reitsch and von Greim landed in Berlin, 26 April, German General der Artillerie Helmuth Weidling was appointed commander of the Berlin Defense Area.^[6] Hitler had ordered that Weidling be executed by firing squad only four days earlier on 22 April. This was due to a misunderstanding concerning a retreat ordered issued by Weidling as commander of the LVI Panzer Corps. Weidling had been appointed commander of the LVI Panzer Corps on 20 April. Weidling replaced Oberstleutnant Ernst Kaether as commander of Berlin. Only one day earlier, Kaether had replaced Generalleutnant Helmuth Reymann, who had held the position for only about a month. April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (117th in leap years). ... General Helmuth Weidling was the German officer who surrended Berlin to the Soviet forces in the final stages of world war two. ... April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ... April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ... Lieutenant General (Generalleutnant) Helmuth Reymann was a German Army officer and the third to the last German commander of the Berlin Defense Area during the final assault by Soviet forces on the city of Berlin. ...

Marshal Zhukov appointed Colonel General Berzarin to start to organize the German civil administration in the areas that they had captured. Bürgermeisters like the directors of the Berlin utilities were summoned to appear before Berzarin's staff. The next day (27 April) 2,000 German women were rounded up and ordered to help clear Tempelhof Airport of debris so that the Red Army Air Force could start to use it.^[22] Burgomaster (alternatively spelled Burgomeister, literally translated meaning master of civilians) is the English form, rendering (often the Anglo-saxon equivalent Mayor is substituted) various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate and/or chairman of the executive council () of a sub-national level of administration: Municipal... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 248 days remaining. ...

As the Soviet armies of the 1st Belorussian Front and the 1st Ukrainian Front converged on the centre of the city there were many accidental friendly fire incidents involving artillery shellings because the spotter planes and the artillery of the different Soviet Fronts were not co-ordinated and they frequently mistook, assault groups in other armies as enemy troops. Indeed the rivalry between the Soviet armies to capture the city centre was becoming intense a corps commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front joked with laconic humour "Now we should be scared not of the enemy, but of out neighbour ... There's nothing more depressing in Berlin than learning about the successes of your neighbour". The military historian Antony Beevor has suggested that the rivalry went further than just jokes and says that Chuikov deliberately ordered the left flank of the 8th Guards Army (of 1st Belorussian Front) across the front of the 3rd Guards Tank Army (of the 1st Ukrainian Front), blocking its direct path to the Reichstag. As Chuikov did not inform Rybako, commander of the 3rd Guards Tank Army, that the 8th was doing this, the troops ordered to carry out this manoeuvre suffered disproportionate casualties from friendly fire.^[23] Antony Beevor (born on December 14, 1946) is a British historian, educated at Winchester College and Sandhurst. ... Friendly fire (fratricide or non-hostile fire) is a term originally adopted by the United States military in reference to an attack on friendly forces by other friendly forces,[1] which may be deliberate (e. ...

By the 27 April the Soviet Armies had penetrated the German's S-Bahn outer defensive ring from all directions. The Germans had been forced back into an pocket about twenty-five kilometres (fifteen miles) long from west to east and about three kiliometres (one and a half miles) wide at its most narrow, just west of the old city centre, near the Tiergarten. In the north west Lieutenant-General Gusev's 47th Army was now approaching Spandau, and was also heavily involved in a battle to capture Gatow airfield which was defended Volkssturm and Luftwaffe cadets using the feared 88mm anti-aircraft guns in their anti-tank role. In the north Colonel-General Bogdanov's 2nd Guards Tank Army was bogged down just south of Siemensstadt. Lieutenant-General Simonyak 3rd Shock Army had bypassed the Humboldthain flak tower, (leaving it to follow up forces) and had reached the north of the Tiergarten and Prenzlauerberg.^[11]^[24]^[25] Image:Humboldthain. ... Image:Humboldthain. ... One of six Flak towers built during World War II in Vienna. ... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... Tiergarten (Animal Garden) is a large park and a former borough of Berlin, since 2001 a part of the expanded borough Mitte. ... Nikolai Gusev could refer to: Nikolai Gusev, Russian military leader Nikolai Gusev, secretary of Leo Tolstoy and author of numerous books about the writer Category: ... For the 1980s New Wave group, see Spandau Ballet. ... One of six Flak towers built during World War II in Vienna. ... Prenzlauer Berg is a former borough of Berlin situated in the eastern part of the city. ...

In the south west Colonel-General Rybalko's 3rd Guards Tank Army, (supported by Lieutenant-General Luchinsky's 28th Army) were advancing through the wooded park and suburbs of the Grunewald attacking what remained of the XVIII Panzergrenadier Division, and on their eastern flank, were just entering Charlottenburg. In the south Lieutenant-General Chuikov's 8th Guards Army, Colonel-General Katukov's 1st Guards Tank Army breached the Landwehr Canal on the 27 April, the last major obstical between them and the Führerbunker next to the Reich Chancellery less than two kilometres away (a little over a mile). In the south east Colonel-General Berzarin's 5th Shock Army had bypassed the Friedrichshain flak tower and was now between Frankfurterallee and the south bank of the Spree where its IX Corps was fighting.^[11]^[24] Marshal of the Armoured Troops Pavel Semjonovich Rybalko (1892 â€“ 1948) (Russian: ÐŸÐ°Ð²ÐµÐ» Ð¡ÐµÐ¼ÐµÐ½Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð Ñ‹Ð±Ð°Ð»ÐºÐ¾) was a commander of armoured troops in the Red Army during and following World War II. // Pavel Rybalko served in the Russian and then the Sovied Army from 1914. ... Grunewald is both a forest in Berlin on the east side of the Havel and a municipal district of Berlin (part of the borough of [Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf]]. The district developed out of a so-called mansion colony when the upper class of Berlin discovered Grunewald as an attractive site for... Charlottenburg palace Charlottenburg is an area in Berlin, formerly a borough, now part of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. ... Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov (Ð’Ð°ÑÐ¸ÌÐ»Ð¸Ð¹ Ð˜Ð²Ð°ÌÐ½Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð§ÑƒÐ¹ÐºÐ¾ÌÐ²) (February 12, 1900 - March 18, 1982) was a lieutenant general in the Soviet Red Army during World War II, two times Hero of the Soviet Union (1944, 1945), who after the war became a Marshal of the Soviet Union. ... Marshal of the Armoured Troops Mikhail Efimovich Katukov (1900 - 1976) (russian: Ð¼Ñ–ÐºÐ³aÑ–Ð» ÑÑ„Ñ–Ð¼Ð¾Ð²Ñ–Ñ… ÐºaÑ‚ÑƒÐºÐ¾Ð²) served as a commander of armoured troops in the Red Army during and following World War II. He is viewed as one of the most talented Soviet armour commanders. ... The Soviet First Guards Tank Army was a Soviet armoured formation that fought as part of the Red Army on the Eastern Front during World War II. The army was commanded throughout most of the war by Mikhail Katukov. ... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... Exterior view of the entrance of the New Reich Chancellery. ... Location of Friedrichshain in Berlin Friedrichshain is a part of Berlins borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. ...

On the morning of the 27 April the Soviets continued the assault with a heavy bombardment of the inner city. The 8th Guards Army and the 1st Guards Tank Army were ordered to take Belle-Alliance-Platz (named after an alternative name for the Battle of Waterloo) and in a twist of history defended by French SS soldiers of the Nordland Division. That night Weidling gave a battle situation report to Hitler, and presented him with a detailed breakout plan which would be spearheaded just under 40 tanks (all the combat ready German tanks in Berlin). Hitler rejected the plan saying he would stay in the bunker and that Weidling would carry on with the defence.^[26] April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... Mehringplatz, is a round plaza (or circus)[1] in Friedrichstadt, Berlin. ... Combatants France Seventh Coalition: United Kingdom Prussia United Netherlands Hanover Nassau Brunswick Commanders Napoleon Bonaparte Michel Ney Duke of Wellington Gebhard von BlÃ¼cher Strength 73,000 67,000 Coalition 60,000 Prussian (48,000 engaged by about 18:00) Casualties 25,000 dead or wounded; 7,000 Captured; 15...

In sectore Z (centre) Krunebberg Nordland divisional headquarters was now a carriage in the Stadtmitte U-Bahn station. The Norland's armour was reduced to four captured Soviet APCs and two half-tracks, so Krunebberg's men's chief weapon was now the panzerfausts which were used for close quarters battles against both Soviet armour and in house to house fighting against Soviet combat groups.^[27] Image File history File links Soviet_soldier_metro. ... Image File history File links Soviet_soldier_metro. ... Stadtmitte is an Berlin U-Bahn station located on the U2 and the U6. ... APC is an abbreviation of: General A Perfect Circle, rock band Advanced process control Air Pollution Control in municipal solid waste incineration plants Angled Physical Contact Fiber Optic Connector Antipop Consortium, an alternative hip-hop group Armoured personnel carrier Armour-piercing capped shot and shell Automatic Passenger Counter Automatic Performance... It has been suggested that MÃªlÃ©e be merged into this article or section. ...

At dawn on the 28 April the youth divisions Clausewitz, Scharnhorst and Theodor Körner, attacked from the south west in the direction of Berlin. They were part of Wenck's XX Corps and were made up of men from the officer training schools, making them some of the best units the Germans had left. They covered a distance of about 24 kilometres (15 miles), before being halted at the tip of Lake Schwielow south-west of Potsdam and still 32 kilometres (20 miles) from Berlin.^[28] Later on 28 April, Hitler learned of Himmler's contacts with Count Folke Bernadotte in Luebeck. Himmler had asked Bernadotte to convey a peace proposal to US General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Enraged at Himmler's duplicity, Hitler ordered von Greim and Reitsch to fly to Dönitz's headquarters at Ploen. Von Greim was ordered to arrest the "traitor" Himmler.^[6] April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... Count Folke Bernadotte of Wisborg (January 2, 1895 - September 17, 1948), or simply Count Bernadotte, was a Swedish diplomat noted for his negotiation of the release of 15,000 mostly Scandinavian prisoners [1] from the German concentration camps in World War II and for his assassination by members of a... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower, born David Dwight Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 - March 28, 1969) was an American soldier and politician, who served as the thirty-fourth President of the United States (1953-1961). ... Plön (Ploen according to the standard conversion of umlauts) is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. ... Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Himmler (October 7, 1900 - May 23, 1945) was the commander of the German Schutzstaffel and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany. ...

By the 28 April the Müncheberg Division had been driven back to Anhalter railway station less than one kilometre (half a mile) south of Führerbunker. To slow the advancing Soviets, allegedly on Hitler's orders the bulkheads under the Landwehr Canal were blown up. It caused a panic in the U-Bahn tunnels under Anhalter railway station in which some were trampled to death. But the water level only rose suddenly by only about a metre (yard) and after that much more slowly. Initially it was thought that many thousands had drowned, but when the tunnels were pumped out in October 1945 it was found that most of the bodies were of people who had died of their wounds not from drowning.^[29]^[30] The Soviets continued their advance, three T-34s made it as far as Wilhelmstrasse U-Bhan station before they were ambushed and destroyed by Frenchmen of the Nordland Division.^[31] April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... The Anhalter Bahnhof is a former railway terminus in Berlin, Germany, about 600 m south east of Potsdamer Platz. ...

Battle for the Reichstag

During the 27 April and the 28 April most formations attached to Konev 1st Ukrainian Front that were engaged in the Battle in Berlin were ordered to disengage and proceed south to take part in the Prague Offensive, (the last great offensive of the European theatre). This did not mitigate their resentment at being denied the honour of capturing the centre of Berlin. This left the 1st Belorussian Front under Marshal Zhukov to claim that honour for themselves alone.^[32] April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Czech Insurgents Commanders Ferdinand SchÃ¶rner Ivan Konev Strength 900,000 2,000,000 Casualties Unknown 11,997 killed or missing, 40,501 wounded or sick (52,498 casualties[1]) The Prague Offensive (Russian:ÐŸÑ€Ð°Ð¶ÑÐºÐ°Ñ Ð½Ð°ÑÑ‚ÑƒÐ¿Ð°Ñ‚ÐµÐ»ÑŒÐ½Ð°Ñ Ð¾Ð¿ÐµÑ€Ð°Ñ†Ð¸Ñ, Prazhskaya nastupatelnaya operacia, Prague Offensive Operation) was the last major battle of...

By the 28 April the Germans were now reduced to a strip less than five kilometres wide and fifteen in length, from Alexanderplatz in the east to Charlottenburg and the area around the Olympic Stadium (Reichssportfeld) in the west. Generally the Soviets avoided fighting their way into tunnels and bunkers, (of which there were about 1,000 in the Berlin area), instead they sealed them off and continued the advance. However just over a kilometre to the north of the Reichstag the 3rd Shock Army did use heavy guns at point blank range to blast a hole in the walls of Moabit prison and after the breach was made, and the prison stormed, the garrison quickly surrendered. The 3rd Shock Army were in sight of the Victory Column in the Tiergarten and during the afternoon advanced down towards the Moltke bridge over the Spree, just north of the Ministry of the Interior and 600 metres (660 yards) from the Reichstag.^[33] German demolition charges damaged the Moltke bridge but left it passable to infantry. As dusk fell, under a heavy artillery bombardment the first Soviet troops crossed they bridge. By midnight the Soviet 150th and 171st rifle divisions had secured the bridgehead against any counter attack the Germans could muster.^[34] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 796 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (2963 Ã— 2233 pixel, file size: 958 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) * Description: Berlin, Moltke Bridge (MoltkebrÃ¼cke) and Lehrter Station (Lehrter Bahnhof) Author: Waldemar Titzenthaler (â€ 07. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 796 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (2963 Ã— 2233 pixel, file size: 958 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) * Description: Berlin, Moltke Bridge (MoltkebrÃ¼cke) and Lehrter Station (Lehrter Bahnhof) Author: Waldemar Titzenthaler (â€ 07. ... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... Alexanderplatz from Fernsehturm Alexanderplatz is a large open square and public transport hub in central Berlin, near the Spree river and the Berliner Dom. ... Charlottenburg palace Charlottenburg is an area in Berlin, formerly a borough, now part of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. ... The Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium) is a sports stadium in Berlin. ... The Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium) is a sports stadium in Berlin. ... Moabit is a district in the center of Berlin. ... Berlin SiegessÃ¤ule (June 2003) The Statue of Victoria The Victory Column (German: ) is a famous sight of Berlin. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

On 28 April, General Hans Krebs, made his last telephone call from the Führerbunker. He called Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel Chief of OKW (German Armed Forces High Command) in Fuerstenberg. Krebs told Keitel that, if relief did not arrive within 48 hours, all would be lost. Keitel promised to exert the utmost pressure on Generals Walther Wenck, commander of XII Army, and Theodor Busse commander of the IX Army . Meanwhile, Martin Borman wired to German Admiral Karl Dönitz: "Reich Chancellery (Reichskanzlei) a heap of rubble."^[6] He went on to say that the foreign press was reporting fresh acts of treason and "that without exception Schörner, Wenck and the others must give evidence of their loyalty by the quickest relief of the Führer".^[28] Borman was the head of the Nazi Party Chancellery (Parteikanzlei) and Hitler's private secretary. April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... General of Infantry Hans Krebs (4 March 1898, Helmstedt - d. ... This is a reconstruction of the layout of the FÃ¼hrerbunker. ... Note: This article is about the military usage of the word marshal. For other usages, see the end of this article. ... Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (September 22, 1882 - October 16, 1946) was a German field marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) and a senior military leader during World War II. // Keitel was born in Helmscherode, Brunswick, German Empire, the son of Carl Keitel, a middle-class landowner, and his wife Apollonia... The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht or OKW (Wehrmacht High Command, Armed Forces High Command) was part of the command structure of the German armed forces during World War II. In theory, it served as the military general staff for Adolf Hitlers Third Reich, coordinating the efforts of the German Army... The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht or OKW (Wehrmacht High Command, Armed Forces High Command) was part of the command structure of the German armed forces during World War II. In theory, it served as the military general staff for Adolf Hitlers Third Reich, coordinating the efforts of the German Army... FÃ¼rstenberg (also Fuerstenberg and Furstenberg) and can refer to the following: // A comital and princely family of southern Baden-WÃ¼rttemberg, Germany; see FÃ¼rstenberg (princely family). ... Walther Wenck (September 18, 1900 - May 1, 1982) was a General in the German Army during the World War II. He commanded the 12th Army which he ordered to surrender to the United States in order to avoid capture by the Soviets. ... The German Twelfth Army (German: ) was a World War II field army. ... General der Infanterie Theodor Busse (15 December 1897 in Frankfurt â€ 21 October 1986 in Wallerstein). ... The German Ninth Army (German: ) was a World War II field army. ... Martin Bormann Martin Bormann (June 17, 1900 â€“ May 2, 1945), a prominent German National Socialist official, became head of the Party Chancellery (Parteikanzlei) and Private Secretary to Adolf Hitler. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Exterior view of the entrance of the New Reich Chancellery. ... Party Chancellery was the name of the office that replaced that of Deputy Fuhrer of the NSDAP (Nazi Party), after Rudolf Hess made his flight to Britain in 1941. ...

During the evening, Von Greim and Reitsch flew out from Berlin in an Arado Ar 96 trainer. Von Greim was ordered to get the Luftwaffe to attack the Soviet forces that had just reached Potsdamerplatz and to make sure that Himmler was punished.^[35] Fearing that Hitler was escaping in the plane, troops of the Soviet 3rd Shock Army, which was fighting its way through the Tiergarten from the north, tried to shoot the Arado down. The Soviet troops failed in their efforts and the plane took off successfully.^[36]^[29] Arado Ar 96 was a single-engined, low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction produced by Arado Flugzeugwerke. ...

During the night of 28 April, General Wenck reported to the Keitel that his XII Army had been forced back along the entire front. This was particularly true of XX Corps that had been able to establish temporary contact with the Potsdam garrison. According to Wenck, no relief for Berlin by his army was now possible. This was even more so as support from the IX Army could no longer be expected.^[37] Keitel gave Wenck permission to break off his attempt to relieve Berlin.^[28] April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ...

At 0400 hours on 29 April, in the Führerbunker, General Wilhelm Burgdorf, Goebbels, Krebs, and Bormann witnessed and signed the last will and testament of Adolf Hitler. Hitler dictated the document to Traudl Junge, shortly after he had married Eva Braun.^[38]^[39] April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... Wilhelm Burgdorf (14 February 1895-1 May 1945) was born in FÃ¼rstenwalde and served as a commander and staff officer in the German army during World War II. He was one of the officers most loyal to Adolf Hitler in the final months of the war and commited suicide... The last will and testament of Adolf Hitler was dictated by Hitler to his secretary Traudl Junge in his Berlin FÃ¼hrerbunker on April 29, 1945, the day he and Eva Braun married. ... Traudl Junge just after World War II. Traudl Junge (born Gertrude Humps, 16 March 1920 â€“ 10 February 2002) was Adolf Hitlers last personal private secretary, from 1942 to 1945. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

After Rokossovsky's 2nd Belorussian Front had broken out of their bridgehead, General Gotthard Heinrici disobeyed Hitler's direct orders and allowed Hasso von Manteuffel request for a general withdrawal of the III Panzer Army. By the 29 April Army Group Vistula Headquarters staff could no longer contact the IX Army, so there was little in the way of coordination for Heinrici staff could still to do. As Heinrici had disobeyed a direct order from Hitler (in allowing Manteuffel to retreat), he was relieved of his command. However Manteuffel refused Keitel's request that he take over, and although ordered to report to OKW's headquaters, Heinrici dallied and never arrived. ^[40] Keitel later recalled the incident in his memoirs and said that command passed to the senior army commander of the XXI Army, General Kurt von Tippelskirch.^[41] Gotthard Heinrici. ... Hasso-Eccard Freiherr von Manteuffel (January 14, 1897 â€” September 24, 1978) was a German soldier and politician of the 20th century. ... The German Third Panzer Army (German: ) was a German panzer army that saw action during World War II. The Third Panzer Army was a constituent of Army Group Centre and fought in the Battle of Moscow in late 1941 and early 1942. ... April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... The Army Group Vistula (also known as Army Group Weischel) was formed in 1945 to protect Berlin from the advancing Soviet armies marching from the Vistula river. ... The German Ninth Army (German: ) was a World War II field army. ...

In the early hours of the 29 April the 150th and 170th Rifle divisions crossed the Moltke bridge and started to fan out into the surrounding streets and buildings. Initially the soviets were unable to bring forward artillery, as the combat engineers had not had time to strengthen the bridge or build an alternative. The only form of heavy weaponry available to the assault troops were individual katyusha's lashed to shot sections of railway lines. The 150th had a particularly hard fight capturing the heavily fortified Ministry of the Interior building. Lacking artillery they had to clear it room by room with grenades and sub-machine guns.^[42] April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ...

In the south east at dawn of the 29 April Colonel Antonov's 301 Rifle Division pressed on with its assault. After very heavy fighting they managed to capture the Gestapo headquarters on Prinz-Albrechtstrasse, but a Waffen SS counter-attack forced the regiments of the division to withdraw from the building. Still imprisoned in the building were seven prisoners spared in the massacre of the other prisoners on the 23 April.^[43]To the south west Chukiov's 8th Guards Army attacked north across the Landwehr canal into the Tiergarten.^[44] April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ...

The Nordland Division was now under Mohnke's central command. All the men were exhausted from days and nights of continuous fighting. The Frenchmen of the Nordland had proved particularly good at destroying tanks, of the 108 Soviet tanks destroyed in the central district, they had accounted for about half of them. That afternoon the last two Knight's Crosses of the Third Reich were awarded one when to Eugéne Vaulôt who had personally destroyed 8 tanks, and Major Friedrich Herzig the commander of the 503 SS Heavy Panzer Battalion. Two others received less prestigious awards for only knocking out five tanks each.^[44] The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) is a military decoration of Germany which was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813. ...

During the evening of the 29 April, at Weilding's headquarters in the Bendlerblock, now within metres of the front line, Weilding discussed with his divisional commanders, the possibility of breaking out to the south west to link up with the XII Army who's spearhead had reached the village of Ferch on the banks of the Schwielowsee near Potsdam. The breakout was planned to start the next night at 22:00.^[45] Late in the evening, Krebs contacted General Alfred Jodl (Supreme Army Command) by radio: "Request immediate report. Firstly of the whereabouts of Wenck's spearheads. Secondly of time intended to attack. Thirdly of the location of the IX Army. Fourthly of the precise place in which the IX Army will break through. Fifthly of the whereabouts of General Rudolph Holste's spearhead."^[37] In the early morning of 30 April, Jodl replied to Krebs: "Firstly, Wenck's spearhead bogged down south of Schwielow Lake. Secondly, XII Army therefore unable to continue attack on Berlin. Thirdly, bulk of IX Army surrounded. Fourthly, Holste's Corps on the defensive."^[37]^[46]^[47]^[48] April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... The Bendlerblock is a building in Berlin, near Tiergarten. ... Generaloberst Alfred Jodl Alfred Jodl (May 10, 1890 - October 16, 1946) was a Wehrmacht leader. ... April 30 is the 120th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (121st in leap years), with 245 days remaining. ...

At 06:00 on the 30 April the Soviet 150th Rifle Division had still not captured the upper floors of the Ministry of the Interior, but while the fighting was still going on the 150th launched an attack from there across the 400 metres of Königsplatz towards the Reichstag. For the Soviets, Reichstag was the symbol of the Third Reich and one that they wanted to capture before the May Day parade in Moscow. The assault was not an easy one. The Germans had dug a complicated network of trenches around the building and a collapsed tunnel had filled with water from the Spree forming a moat across Königsplatz. The initial infantry assault was decimated by cross fire from the Reichstag and the Kroll Opera House on the western side of Königsplatz. By now the Spree had been bridged and the Soviets were able to bring up tanks and artillery to support fresh assualts by the infantry, some of which were tasked with flanking the Opera House and attacking it from the north west. By 10:00 the soldiers of the 150th had reached the moat, but accurate fire from 88 mm guns two kilometres away on the Berlin Zoo flak tower, prevented any further successful advance across the moat during daylight. Throughout the rest of the day, while ninety artillery pieces, some as large as 203mm howitzers, as well as katyusha rockets launchers, bombarded the Reighstag and its defensive trenches, the 171st Rifle Division, on the left flank of the 150th, continued to capture the buildings of the diplomatic quarter to the north of Königsplatz.^[49] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x620, 129 KB)Anti-aircraft bunker in Berlin ZOO, May 1945. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x620, 129 KB)Anti-aircraft bunker in Berlin ZOO, May 1945. ... One of six Flak towers built during World War II in Vienna. ... The Zoologischer Garten Berlin (zoological garden Berlin) is one of the biggest zoos in Germany and the one with the largest number of species of the world. ... The Iosef Stalin tank, named after Joseph Stalin, was a heavy tank developed by the Soviet Union during World War II. It is sometimes transliterated Iosif Stalin, from the Russian, Иосиф Сталин. The tanks in the series are also sometimes called... April 30 is the 120th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (121st in leap years), with 245 days remaining. ... German 88 mm guns were used in anti-aircraft and anti-tank roles. ... The Zoologischer Garten Berlin (zoological garden Berlin) is one of the biggest zoos in Germany and the one with the largest number of species of the world. ... One of six Flak towers built during World War II in Vienna. ...

As the perimeter shrank the and the surviving defenders fell back on the centre they became concentrated. By now there were about 10,000 German soldiers in the city centre, who were being assaulted from all sides. One of the other main thrusts was along Wilhelmstrasse on which the Air Ministry built of reinforced concrete was pounded by large concentrations of Soviet artillery. The remaining German Tiger tanks of the Hermann von Salza battalion took up positions in the east of the Tiergarten to defend the centre against the 3rd Shock Army (which although heavily engaged around the Reichstag was also flanking the area by advancing through the northern Tiergarten) and the 8th Shock Army advancing through the south of the Tiergarten. These Soviet forces had effectively cut the sausage shaped area held by the Germans in half and made an escape to the west for those German troops in the centre much more difficult.^[50] Reinforced concrete at Sainte Jeanne dArc Church (Nice, France): architect Jacques Dror, 1926â€“1933 Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete in some countries, is concrete in which reinforcement bars (rebars) or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen a material that would otherwise be brittle. ... Hermann of Salza (c. ...

During the the moring Mohnke informed Hitler the centre would be able to hold for less than two days. Later that morning Weidling informed Hitler in person that the defenders, would probably exorst their ammunition that night and again asked Hitler permission to breakout. At about 13:00 Weidling who was back in his headquarters in the Bendlerblock, finaly received Hitlers permsion to attempt a breakout.^[51] During the afternoon Hitler shot himself and Braun took cyanide. In accordance with Hitler's instructions, the bodies were burned in the garden of the Reich Chancellery.^[52] In accordance with Hitler's last will and testament, Joseph Goebbels, the Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, became the new "Head of Government" and Chancellor of Germany (Reichskanzler). At 3:15 am, Reichskanzler Goebbels and Borman sent a radio message to Admiral Karl Dönitz informing him of Hitler's death. Per Hitler's last wishes, Dönitz was appointed as the new "President of Germany" (Reichspräsident). The cyanide ion, CNâˆ’. From the top: 1. ... Exterior view of the entrance of the New Reich Chancellery. ... Paul Joseph Goebbels (29 October 1897 â€“ 1 May 1945) was a German politician and Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda during the National Socialist regime from 1933 to 1945. ... The Head of Government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... The head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (German: Kanzler or Bundeskanzler meaning federal chancellor). ... The head of government in Germany has traditionally been called Kanzler (Chancellor). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with President of Germany. ...

Because of the smoke dusk came early to the centre of Berlin. At 18:00 hours, while Weidling and his staff finalized their breakout plans in the Bendlerblock, under cover of a heavy artillery barrage, three regiments of the 150th Rifle Division, closely supported by tanks, assaulted the Reichstag. All the windows were bricked up, but they managed to force the main doors and entered the main hall. The German garrison, of about 1,000 defenders – a mixture of sailors, SS and Hitler Youth – fired down on the Soviets from above, turning the main hall into a medieval style killing field. Suffering many casualties the Soviets started to work their way up through the building, clearing each room with grenades and sub-machine gun fire. The Soviets claimed that they hoisted the Red Flag on the top of the Reichstag at 22:50, however Beevor points out that this may have been an exaggeration as "Soviet propaganda was fixated with the idea of the Reichstag being captured by 1 May". Whatever the truth the fighting inside the Reichstag raged throughout the night and throught the morning, until late into the afternoon when about the last 300 Germans combatants surrenderd. A further 200 defenders were dead and another 500 were already hors de combat lying wounded in the basement many wounded before the final assualt had started.^[53] ImageMetadata File history File links Reichstag_flag. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Reichstag_flag. ... Soviet Flag: 1:4 ratio July 1923-November 13, 1923 The first official flag of the Soviet Union was adopted in December of 1922 at the First Congress of Soviets of the USSR. It was agreed that the red banner was transformed from the symbol of the Party to the... The Reichstag building. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (670x674, 81 KB) Description: The Reichstag after the allied bombing of Berlin, 3 June 1945 Source: IWMCollections IWM Photo No. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (670x674, 81 KB) Description: The Reichstag after the allied bombing of Berlin, 3 June 1945 Source: IWMCollections IWM Photo No. ... In military science, a killing field is a field of fire, usually covered by machine guns in modern warfare. ... Hors de combat, literally meaning out of the fight, is a term used in diplomacy and international law to refer to soldiers who are incapable of performing their military function. ...

At abour 04:00 on 1 May, Krebs talked to General Chuikov commander of the Soviet 8th Guards Army.^[54] Krebs returned empty handed after refusing to agree to an unconditional surrender. Only Reichskanzler Goebbels now had the authority to agree to an unconditional surrender. In the late afternoon, Goebbels had his children poisoned. At about 8:30 pm, he orderered an SS guard to shoot himself and his wife in the garden of the Reich Chancellery. Like Hitler and Braun, their bodies were burned. At 9:00 pm, Borman, SS-Brigadeführer Erich Naumann, and the remaining Führerbunker guards tried to break out from the Reich Chancellery. General Burgdorf, who played a key role in the death of Erwin Rommel, committed suicide.^[37] As promised by the Soviets, at 10:45 on 1 May they unleashed a "hurricane of fire" on the German pocket in the centre to force the Germans to surrender unconditionally.^[55] May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... Exterior view of the entrance of the New Reich Chancellery. ... Erich Naumann Erich Naumann (April 29, 1905 - June 7, 1951) was an SS-Brigadeführer, member of the SD and commanding officer of Einsatzgruppe B. Early life and Career Born April 29, 1905 in Meissen, Saxony, Erich Naumann left school at the age of sixteen and obtained employment in a... Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ) (15 November 1891 â€“ 14 October 1944) was one of the most distinguished German field marshals of World War II. He was the commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps and also became known by the nickname â€œThe Desert Foxâ€ (WÃ¼stenfuchs, ) for the skillful military campaigns he... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ...

For a brief period after Hitler's suicide, Goebbels was Germany's Reichskanzler. On 1 May, after Goebbels' own suicide, Reichspräsident Admiral Karl Dönitz appointed Ludwig von Krosigk as Reichskanzler. The headquarters of the Dönitz government were located around Flensburg, along with Mürwik, near the Danish border. Accordingly, the Dönitz administration was referred to as the Flensburg government. May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... Count Johann Ludwig (Lutz) Schwerin von Krosigk, EK, (August 22, 1887–March 4, 1977) was a German politician. ... Flensburg (Danish: Flensborg, Low Saxon: Flensborg, North Frisian: Flansborj) is an independent town in the North of the German state Schleswig-Holstein. ... The Flensburg government refers to the short-lived administration that attempted to rule Germany in May 1945 following the suicides of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels and the Fall of Berlin. ...

The commanders of two formidable Berlin fortresses agreed to surrender to the Soviets, so sparing both sides the losses involved in further bombardment and assault. The commander of the Zoo flak tower (that had proved impervious to direct hits from 203mm howitzer shells,) was asked to surrender on 30 April, after a long delay a message was sent back to the Soviets on the 1 May informing them that the garrison would surrender to the Soviets at midnight that night. The reason for the delay was because the garrison intended to join in the attempted at a breakout. The other fortress was the Spandau Citadel of Trace italienne design which although several hundred years old presented a difficult structure to storm. After negotiations the citadel's commander surrendered to the General Perkhorovich's 47th Army just after 15:00 on 1 May.^[56] April 30 is the 120th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (121st in leap years), with 245 days remaining. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... The Spandau Citadel is the oldest remaining structure in Berlin. ... The trace italienne is a style of fortification that was developed in Italy in the late 15th and early 16th century in response, primarily to the French invasion of the Italian peninsula. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ...

Breakout

Weildling had given the order for the survivors to break out to the north west starting at around 21:00 hours on 1 May. The breakout started later than planned at around 23:00 hours. The first group from the Reich Chancellery lead by Mohnke avoided the Weidendammer bridge over which the mass breakout took place and crossed by a footbridge, but Monnke's group became split, (Mohnke failed to escape and was captured the next day and like others who were captured and had been in the Führerbunker was interrogated by SMERSH). A Tiger tank that spearheaded the first attempt to storm the Weidendammer bridge was destroyed.^[57] There followed two more attempt and on the third attempt, made around 1:00, Martin Bormann in another group from the Reich Chancellery managed to crossed the Spree. He was reported to have died a short distance from the bridge, his body was seen and identified by Arthur Axmann who followed the same route.^[58]^[59] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... May is the fifth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... This is a reconstruction of the layout of the FÃ¼hrerbunker. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Martin Bormann Martin Bormann (June 17, 1900 - c. ... Arthur Axmann (February 18, 1913 - October 24, 1996) was a Nazi official in the Hitler Youth. ...

Kurkenberg and many of the survivors of the remnants of the Nordland Division crossed the Spree shortly before dawn but could not break through and were forced back into the centre. There they split up, some discarded their uniforms and tried to pass themselves off as civilians, but most were either killed or like Kurkenberg captured. An attempt to break out northward along the Schönhauseralle by German troops on the eastern side of the central defence area failed because the Soviets were now aware that breakout attempts were being made and were hurriedly putting cordons in place to stop them. The remnants Münchenberg Division (five tanks, four artillery pieces, and a handfull of troops,^[60]), and the remnants of the 18th Panzer Grenadier and 9th Parachute divisions broke out of the centre westward through the Tiergarten. They were followed by thousands of stragglers and civilians. Spandau was still in the hands of a Hitler Youth detachment, so an attempt was made to force a passage across the Charlottenbrücke (Charlotten bridge) over the Havel.^[61] Despite heavy shelling which killed many, German weight of numbers meant that they were able drive the Soviet infantry back and many thousands crossed into Spandau. The armoured vehicles that successfully crossed the bridge made for Staaken. Only a handful of survivors reached the Elbe and surrendered to the Western Allies, the majority were killed or captured by the Soviets. The numbers of German soldiers and civilians killed attempting the breakout is unknown.^[62] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 746 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (800 Ã— 643 pixel, file size: 48 KB, MIME type: image/png) Author: Felix Hahn Source: Based on Water map of Berlin Description: Map of Berlin and its districts. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 746 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (800 Ã— 643 pixel, file size: 48 KB, MIME type: image/png) Author: Felix Hahn Source: Based on Water map of Berlin Description: Map of Berlin and its districts. ... For the 1980s New Wave group, see Spandau Ballet. ... Panzer-Division MÃ¼ncheberg was a German panzer division which saw action on the Eastern Front around Berlin during World War II. // The MÃ¼ncheberg began forming on 8 March 1945 in MÃ¼ncheberg, Germany. ... German 18th Infantry Division (September 1939 â€“ November 1940) Redesignated German 18th Motorised Infantry Division (November 1940 â€“ June 1943) Redesignated German 18th Panzergrenadier Division (June 1943 â€“ May 1945) // Commander: Lieutenant-General Friedrich Karl Cranz 1 September 1939 - 1 November 1940 From September 1939 until May 1940 the division fought in Invasion... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... For the 1980s New Wave group, see Spandau Ballet. ... For the Biblical Havel, see Abel. ... Staaken is situated in the Spandau district of Berlin. ... The Western Allies were the democracies and their colonial peoples, within the broader coalition of Allies during World War II. The term is generally understood to refer to the countries of the Commonwealth of Nations (from 1939), exiled forces from Occupied Europe (from 1940), the United States, (from 1941), Italy...

Capture of the Reich Chancellery and the surrender

On the morning of 2 May the Soviets stormed the Reich Chancellery. In the official Soviet version the battle was similar to that to take the Reichstag, there was a assault over Wilhelmplatz and into the building with a howitzer to blast open the front doors and several battles within the building. Major Anna Nikulina of the Berzarin's 9th Rifle Corps of the 5th Shock army commanded the assault group which unfurled the red flag on the roof. However Beevor suggests that the official Soviet description is probably an exaggeration, because as most of the German combat troops had left in the breakouts the night before, the resistance must have been far less than that inside the Reichstag.^[63] May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ...

At 01:00 hours the Soviets picked up radio message from the German LVI Corps requesting a cease-fire and stating that emissaries would come under a white flag to Potsdamer bridge. General Weidling surrendered with his staff at 06:00 hours. He was taken to see General Vasily Chuikov at 8:23 am. Chuikov (who had commanded the successful defence of Stalingrad), asked: "You are the commander of the Berlin garrison?" Weidling replied: "Yes, I am the commander of the LVII Panzer Corps." Chuikov then asked: "Where is Krebs?" Weidling replied: "I saw him yesterday in the Reichs Chancellery." Weidling then added: "I thought he would commit suicide."^[37] In the discussions which followed, Weidling agreed to an unconditional surrender of the city of Berlin. He agreed to order the city's defenders to surrender to the Soviets. Per Chuikov's and Soviet General Vasily Sokolovsky's direction, Weidling put his order to surrender in writing.^[37]^[64] Image File history File links 346_big. ... Image File history File links 346_big. ... General Helmuth Weidling was the German officer who surrended Berlin to the Soviet forces in the final stages of world war two. ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov (Ð’Ð°ÑÐ¸ÌÐ»Ð¸Ð¹ Ð˜Ð²Ð°ÌÐ½Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð§ÑƒÐ¹ÐºÐ¾ÌÐ²) (February 12, 1900 - March 18, 1982) was a lieutenant general in the Soviet Red Army during World War II, two times Hero of the Soviet Union (1944, 1945), who after the war became a Marshal of the Soviet Union. ... Combatants Germany Italy Hungary Romania Slovakia Soviet Union Commanders Maximilian von Weichs Friedrich Paulus # Erich von Manstein Hermann Hoth Italo Garibaldi Gusztav Jany Petre Dumitrescu Constantin Constantinescu Vasiliy Chuikov Aleksandr Vasilyevskiy Georgiy Zhukov Semyon Timoshenko Konstantin Rokossovsky Rodion Malinovsky Strength German Sixth Army German Fourth Panzer Army Romanian Third Army... Vasily Danilovich Sokolovsky (Russian: Ð’Ð°ÑÐ¸Ð»Ð¸Ð¹ Ð”Ð°Ð½Ð¸Ð»Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡ Ð¡Ð¾ÐºÐ¾Ð»Ð¾Ð²ÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹) (July 21, 1897 - May 10, 1968), Soviet military commander, was born into a peasant family in Kozliki, a small town in the province of Grodno, near BiaÅ‚ystok in Poland (then part of the Russian Empire). ...

The 350-strong garrison of the Zoo flak tower final left the building. There was sporadic fighting in a few isolated buildings were some SS still refused to surrender. The Soviets simply blasted any such building to rubble. Most Germans, soldiers and civilians, were grateful to receive food issued at Red Army soup kitchens. The Soviets went house to house and rounded up anyone in a uniform including firemen and railwaymen and marched them all eastwards as prisoners of war.^[65]

Conclusion

The Red Army made a major effort to feed the residents of the city.^[66] However in many areas, vengeful Soviet troops (usually rear echelon units) looted, raped an estimated 100,000 women and murdered civilians for several weeks.^[67] Image File history File linksMetadata TamanyanUnderBrandenburg. ... Image File history File linksMetadata TamanyanUnderBrandenburg. ... The 89th Tamanyan Division (Armenian: ) was a distinguished infantry fighting unit in the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War. ... The Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate (German: Brandenburger Tor) is a former city gate and the symbol of Berlin, Germany. ... Combatants Soviet Union Poland Germany Commanders Georgiy Zhukov Ivan Konev Konstantin Rokossovskiy Vasiliy Chuykov Adolf Hitler â€ Gotthard Heinrici Helmuth Reymann Ernst Kaether (one day) Helmuth Weidling # Karl DÃ¶nitz # Wilhelm Mohnke # Strength 2,500,000 soldiers, 6,250 tanks, 7,500 aircraft, 41,600 artillery pieces [1] 1,000,000...

The Soviets sustained 20,000–25,000 dead in the city and 81,000 for the entire operation, which included the Battles of Seelow Heights and the Halbe. Another 280,000 were reported wounded or sick during the operational period. The Germans sustained as many as 450,000 killed, wounded or missing, civilians included.

Contents

The Soviet offensive

The battle of the Oder-Neisse

The encirclement of Berlin

Battle in Berlin

Tactics

Battle

Battle for the Reichstag

Breakout

Capture of the Reich Chancellery and the surrender

Conclusion

See also

References

Further reading

Footnotes

Contents

The Soviet offensive GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

The battle of the Oder-Neisse

The encirclement of Berlin

Battle in Berlin

Tactics

Battle

Battle for the Reichstag

Breakout

Capture of the Reich Chancellery and the surrender

Conclusion

See also

References

Further reading

Footnotes

The Soviet offensive