



Battle of Berlin

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseAfter the Soviet forces captured Vienna, Austria on 14 Apr 1945, Joseph Stalin ordered 20 armies, 8,500 aircraft, and 6,300 tanks to march toward Berlin, Germany. In a fashion typical of the Soviet dictator, he pitted his best generals Georgy Zhukov and Ivan Konev in a race for glory against Berlin. On the other side of Berlin, the western Allies were 60 miles west of the German capital, though Dwight Eisenhower seemed to be moving south of Berlin to prevent top German brass from escaping to the southern mountains. The German troops, at this time, were hurt and demoralized. "Our troops were everywhere swarming over western Germany and there were few remaining targets against which the air force could be directed without danger of dropping their bombs on either our own or the Soviet troops", said Eisenhower. With the western Allies just securing the industrious region of the Ruhr River, the Soviet troops advanced and surrounded Berlin before the western Allies.

ww2dbaseOn 15 Apr, artillery pieces began firing a great number of shells on German positions west of the Oder River, attempting to soften the defenses before troops of the Soviet 1st Belorussian Front advanced. There was no answer from German guns. A moment later, still before dawn, a single search light beam shined vertically upwards into the sky, followed by 143 other search lights that followed suit. The lights were Zhukov's secret weapon. Operated by women, the search lights were dipped low to aim into the eyes of the German defenders as the Soviet infantry and armor charged forward. Although the search lights were initially effective in aiding the Soviet attackers, they eventually became a psychological weapon against his own troops: the Soviet troops felt naked as they ran across the battlefield, feeling that they were silhouetted against the light. As the battle waged on, the battlefield soon filled with a fog made of smoke and dust that actually reflected the light back into the eyes of the Soviet soldiers. The offensive soon broke into chaos until the situation of the front lines finally was passed to the rear, and the order to switch off the lights was given. Most soldiers simply waited behind cover for the sun to come up.

ww2dbaseMeanwhile, on the same day, Konev began his offensive with Soviet 1st Ukrainian Front as well. 55 miles south of Seelow, his artillery began firing at 0415 along his entire 250-mile front, while the Second Air Army's VIth Guards Air Corps bombed the German rear. After 40 minutes of bombardment, Soviet troops began charging cross the river that divided the two sides at 0455. Engineers worked under machine gun fire to establish either bridges or simply searched for shallow points of the river so that the artillery pieces could cross. Their efforts came to fruition 20 minutes later, and an hour after that Soviet artillery pieces were firing on German positions from the Berlin side of the river.

ww2dbaseBoth Zhukov and Konev now were charging full speed at Berlin, but at a very high cost. Unimaginable amounts of casualties were inflicted upon the Soviet attackers, but their generals only had one thing in mind: to be the first to reach Berlin.

ww2dbaseCivilian life in Berlin continued despite the presence of Soviet troops only miles away. People struggled to work in their offices, shops, and factories, while housewives lined up to exchange their ration tickets for the last amounts of food in the city. The most amazing feat accomplished by the people of Berlin was perhaps the fact that even at this time the post office still delivered letters to residents of the city. While the fanatical followers of Adolf Hitler ran around executing anyone who refused to be drafted into the last desperate armies, the people of Berlin only had survival on their minds.

ww2dbaseAt the night of 17 Apr, Konev's tanks forded across the River Spree. As soon as they crossed, they fired their cannons on the few German defenders. It only took them a few minutes to shatter the German line. Just past midnight, Konev issued Directive Number 00215 to his commanders Rybalko and Lelyushenko, telling them to speed to Berlin without bothering with securing towns and large communities which might take away precious time. Hearing that Konev was making headway, he pushed his commanders to renew their offensives. Vassili Chuikov launched a fresh attack against the German lines on the morning of 18 Apr against stubborn German troops who actually staged a counter-offensive, though it had failed. By the end of the day, Chuikov won control of Seelow Heights for Zhukov, though at a cost of 30,000 lives.

ww2dbaseIn Berlin, the situation became more desperate. On 19 Apr, commander of the Berlin defenders Helmuth Reymann only had 41,253 men at his disposal. Fewer than 15,000 out of that number were actually trained soldiers; the rest consisted of 1,713 policemen, 1,252 Hitler Youth and Labor Service boys and men, and 24,000 Volkssturm troops that were mostly old men and those previously deemed too sick or weak to fight. Arming them was also an issue. Only 42,095 rifles, 773 sub-machine guns, 1,953 light machine guns, 263 heavy machine guns, and a small stock of mortars, field guns, and Panzerfausts were available to arm these troops. Reymann knew it was almost criminal for him to order these mostly untrained men to fight against the impending Soviet invasion into the city. To Reymann's astonishment, from the underground bunker, Hitler and Joseph Goebbels actually ordered a battalion of his previous troops to the front lines. "Tell Goebbels that it is no longer possible to defend the Reich capital", said Reymann to a subordinate officer. "The inhabitants are defenseless."

ww2dbaseIn the bunker, Hitler and his staff planned the defenses from the bunker beneath of the Chancellery, where they could now actually hear the rumble of Soviet artillery. On 20 Apr, Hitler's birthday, he came up to the surface to review a small parade consisted of a few SS troops and Hitler Youth units. The parade was nowhere near the grandeur of the large parades held in his honor in the past, and Hitler felt the desperation. He offered a few words of encouragement to the troops present, and returned to this bunker. This birthday parade would be the last time he saw sunlight. To "celebrate" Hitler's birthday, both sides of the Allied forces made special efforts to attack Berlin. Shortly before 1000 that day, 1,000 American bombers bombed city center for two hours with hardly any German response. Immediately following the American bombing, British Mosquitoes sporadically bombed various targets in Berlin. Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces Wilhelm Keitel recalled the bombing on Hitler's birthday:

"Together with my wife, Grand Admiral Dönitz and his wife, and our adjutants, we watched this violent and horrible spectacle from a small mound in the garden of the Grand Admiral's service quarters.... During this final heavy bombardment in perfect and sunny weather, ... [o]ur own fighter squadrons did nothing to beat off the attack on Berlin, and the anti-aircraft defenses were powerless against an enemy attacking from such a height. The raid lasted almost two hours, the bombers parading overhead in tight formation as though it were a peacetime air display, dropping the bombs in perfect unison."

ww2dbaseAs Keitel noted, this was to be the last time the western Allies bombed Berlin in a large scale; from this point on, the Soviets were to take over the fight for Berlin. At 1150, Zhukov delivered his "present" for Hitler as his Soviet troops took over the operation, sending a salvo of half-ton long-range artillery shells into city. It was about this time Hitler's secretaries noticed he finally began to acknowledge the possibility of defeat. When his secretaries asked him whether he would make his escape from Berlin, the German dictator responded "no, I can't." He continued, "If I did, I would feel like a lama turning an empty prayer wheel. I must bring about the resolution here in Berlin, or else go under." To continue the fight in case of his death, Hitler appointed Admiral Karl Dönitz as his successor; Dönitz was to lead the country as its president should Hitler become captured or killed.

ww2dbaseAfter some delay, Konev's troops reached Zossen, a major headquarters of Germany's military since 1939. This vast underground facility designed by Hans Beltow once was the center of all communications across the entire continent. The first Soviet troops on site were amazed at the extent of the underground facilities, seeing that fully-equipped offices, libraries, and residences were all present for the men who used to serve here. All the telephones at Zossen were still working, and rumor had it that Berlin attempted to call Zossen to request the latest news, and a Soviet soldier named Ivan picked up the call. He colorfully responded to the caller "this is Ivan. You can go fuck yourself!"

ww2dbaseOn 23 Apr, Hitler named Helmuth Weidling the new commander of Berlin's defenses. Knowing the dire situation, Weidling's immediate response was "you might just as well have me shot" to the messenger, though he regained composure soon after and accepted the duty. Meanwhile, the generally orderly situation in Berlin finally crumbled on a large scale. Previously disciplined citizens followed rumors on what government warehouses stored excess food, and looted the rumored locations. People staggered along the streets hauling butter and preserved meat. The SS tried to keep order, going as far as shooting several looters, but finally some of them gave in to the needs of the starving citizens. Some guards allowed the people to march right into the Karstadt department store and carry out necessities; some tried to take advantage of the situation and carry out luxury items such as fancy dresses and fur coats, but the SS men ordered the people to drop them. While the people in Berlin did all they could the secure the last supplies of food for their families, the Soviet armies made tremendous progress: Zhukov and Konev's forces linked up near Schönefield airfield. In fact, it was so tremendous that Zhukov was surprised as well. A complete encirclement of Berlin would happen less than two days from then as Konev's Fifth Guards Army would link up with the forward units of the First Ukrainian Front and First Byelorussian Front. Also on 25 Apr, General Courtney Hodges' 69th Division and Konev's Fifth Guards Army met each other near Torgau on the River Elbe. By this time, Berlin had no airfields left to evacuate any top commander who remained in Berlin; the last two airfields, Gatow and Tempelhof, were both taken after the last flights left in the early mornings of 26 Apr under heavy Soviet fire. Around that time, a German counterattack from outside the city led by General Walther Wenck began with promise, but very soon was bogged down by the Soviet defenders, therefore failing the last attempt to link up with the forces in Berlin. The army commanded by Hasso von Manteuffel, on the other hand, realized the impending doom, and began an organized retreat into Berlin. When Keitel discovered the retreat, he furiously ordered the front lines reinstated, but he no longer had any authority over most of the men who had already lost the fighting spirit. Of the few who remained on guard, many were incompetent as soldiers and officers. Keitel noted in his memoirs that on 25 Apr he met an officer who evacuated into a town early on mere rumors of Soviet advance; Keitel had to take him personally to the front lines to show him that, beyond a few long-range shell bursts, there were no signs of the enemy, and ordered him to bring his artillery back to the front lines and to dig in his men.

ww2dbaseIn Moscow, after some consideration, Stalin drew new boundaries between Konev and Zhukov's advancing armies. The line went from Lübben through Mariendorf to Anhalter station, which means that Reichstag, symbol of the German government and the Soviets' final target, went to Zhukov. However, Zhukov was not notified of it quite yet. Stalin wished to squeeze a final ounce of gain out of the competition between his Field Marshals.

ww2dbaseIn Berlin, German women uglied themselves as rumors of Soviet retribution flooded the streets. Zhukov's first echelon troops were proud and disciplined veterans, but the second echelon, filled with replacements recently freed from prisons and concentration camps, committed heinous atrocities. They looted stores and banks, shot innocent civilians, and raped countless number of women. Over 90,000 women visited doctors in Berlin as a result of rape. No one knew how many simply kept silent.

ww2dbaseZhukov's tactics were simple. His artillery and phosphorus-filled rockets would simply knock down and burn everything that might have given shelter to enemy troops or snipers. Sometimes heavy siege guns firing shells that weighed more than half a ton would be used as well. A Soviet reporter traveling with the troops recalled, "[o]ur guns sometimes fired a thousand shells on to one small square, a group of houses, or even a tiny garden." Casualties were especially high as neither side was taking prisoners. With this tactic, Chuikov's men neared Reichstag by the end of 27 Apr. Because of Chuikov's position blocked other Zhukov's generals, some were only several yards behind him, therefore securing his eventual fame as the one who would take the Reichstag. Naturally this pleased Zhukov and disappointed Konev. A day later, Konev redirected his men toward Savignyplatz instead of toward the Reichstag, therefore officially ending his army's bid for it. The city was now for Zhukov's taking alone. On the same day, Red Army Colonel General Nikolai Berzarin was named the Chief of Garrison and City Commandant of Berlin. Berzarin promptly issued orders to German citizens announcing the institution of a curfew and enforcing the registration of all men of the German armed forces, SS, SA, and police and firefighting services.

ww2dbaseIn the early hours of 29 Apr, Hitler married his long-time mistress Eva Braun. The celebration was kept brief.

ww2dbaseOn 30 Apr, Hitler met with his SS guards to offer his last thanks, then the newly weds locked themselves in Hitler's room. Several minutes later, a gunshot was heard. Hitler was found with gun wound to his right temple, and Braun with cyanide in her body. Their remains were wrapped in blankets and doused in fuel, then burned in a shallow ditch by the Chancellery. On the same day, main assaults on the Reichstag commenced with howitzers and rockets pounding the Reichstag and the buildings surrounding it. The Reichstag was secured at 2250 that night and a large Soviet flag was sent to its rooftop. The next morning the flag flying was re-enacted once again during daylight for the reporters to take photographs. At 0600 on Wednesday, 2 May 1945, Weidling crossed the front lines and officially surrendered the city to the Soviets after a day of failed negotiations for a conditional surrender.

ww2dbaseSources:

Dwight Eisenhower, Crusade in Europe

Wilhelm Keitel (Translated by Walter Görlitz), In the Service of the Reich

Anthony Read and David Fisher, The Fall of Berlin



Last Major Update: May 2006

Battle of Berlin Interactive Map

Battle of Berlin Timeline

Photographs

Maps

Did you enjoy this article? Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this article with your friends: Facebook

Reddit

Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB: RSS Feeds

Visitor Submitted Comments

Show older comments

All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.