The Battle Of Berlin...The Most Interesting Battle of All?

Hi All

Battle of Berlin is of Intrest for me--Along with CCC Docs) As a small time Document Collector, I'm always keeping my eyes Pealed for documents to this Battle. However there few and Far between. And Pricey! If only I started collecting Many years ago. I was lucky enough to pick this up Few years back. If you have Dorr's Book check page 493 Notes section. This Doc is Mentioned in Book.

 

Thanks for uploading this! Any idea what it says?

 

I have always been fascinated with the battle of Berlin. The damage the last few soldiers of the Reich inflicted upon the Russians was nothing less than devastating. Especially since a lot of their strength was made up by Volksterm (sorry about the bad spelling).

How the 10,000 or so Germans managed to survive in the city center while being attacked from all sides I think is amazing. I think that it is definitely one of the most interesting battles of World War 2.

 

captured ss soldiers dressed as women,serious tank battle...berlin..when you look at the devastation and destruction you have to ask yourself,where or how do you start rebuilding?

 

What rebuilding? Actually in 1945 all Germany was meant to be turned into one huge potato field and the Germans the farmers.....So no problem there I guess...

 

True. It would take ages just to get all the rubble cleaned up. Also for cities like Dresden which were completely flattened. Even by 1947 the city was still in ruins.

 

the population in Dresdaen was actually moved out for some time after the bombings. In Berlin the populace was not so fortunate

 

SS Oberscharfuehrer Oscha, Karl Viehmann who served with the 14th Company of SS Panzer-Grenadier Regiment 23 of the 11th SS Division "Nordland." This document was typed by the office of the Oberkommando des Heeres (Army High Command) on 16 April 1945 during the Battle of Berlin. Viehmann was recommended for the Close Combat in Gold--III Stufe) as of 3 April 1945, but was required to provide proof of 15 more close combat days--Which should of been easy for this Man) that he particpiated in prior to, 1st December 1942. Viehmann is listed among the 110 or so SS members who received the III Stufe of the Nahkampfspange.

Couple of links to Unit History, SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 23 "Norge"

Axis History Factbook: 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland (See Holders of high awards)

 

When Germany attacked in the early part of the war, they used Blitzkrieg strategies - first bomb the enemy using the luftwaffe, and then using the panzer tanks and lastly followed by the infantry. Using this, they were able to surround armies and wipe them off.

1. I have heard about the aviation fuel crisis that lasted in Berlin in 1945. So, did the Luftwaffe have any role (however significant) in the Battle of Berlin?
2. Can i have some link that gives me more details of the soldiers trapped in the Halbe pocket?

 

Yes, can someone please tell me if the Luftwaffe had a real role to play in the battle of Berlin or the defence of Germany?

 

Well, the Germans weren't quite few. At the Battle of Berlin they had about 500.000 men against the russians 2.500.000.

I just wanted to summon that up, as it seems that you forgot that Germany in may 1945 still had quite a chance to beat the russians at the suburbs of Berlin.

And for the Luftwaffe, they could have done a great deal too, as the russians air force were weaker than the Luftwaffe by 1945.

The Anglo-Americans wouldn't have time or planes enough, to reach Berlin.

 

More like the Germans had some 40,000 "regulars" with some tens of thousands of Hitler youth and Volksturm. Perhaps the best they could have done was break out of the city to the west while the Soviets were still reinforcing the west area of their encirclement. Even that is open to debate.

The Luftwaffe was nothing more then a ton of personal with nothing to fly save a few dedicated aces.

 

Hello 2010,

In what books or school have you gathered this, totally incorrect information?
Maybe you could forward your sources to this opinion/believe of yours?

Regards
Kruska

 

Now, the information is all correct.

Now, I didn't really mean that the Germans could "defeat" the russians in the entire war, I were talking about the Battle for Berlin.

They could have held the city for at least 3 months, if Hitler hadn't comitted suicide on the 30. of April. However there were no reason to do so, as the Germans would loose no matter what.

Well, it's a common fact that the Nazis had 500.000 men at Berlin in the last days.

Just to state another point: Why did any of you think that they only had some few thousands soldiers at the end of the war?

Or only two King Tigers as someone said?

Compared to the 3.000.000 soldiers Germany attacked USSR with, 500.000 ain't that much.

Germany still was able to fight some communists even at the end of the war.

 

Now that's strange. 40.000 wehrmacht soldiers against 2.500.000 russians, and they held the city for 12 days, inflicting severe casualties on the russians?

The math doesn't work here.

 

Sources please, sources if you don't mind. Especially for your first statement.
May I ask - how old are you Kid?

Kruska

 

You seriously cant believe that the Russians packed every single man into the streets of Berlin at the same time can you?

Hiding behind Wikipedia does not do you much good either; what Wiki forgets to tell you is that the Germans had some sizable formations before the battle but said units were decimated trying to Hold Seelow heights and the 12. Armee was stuck in the west. Followed by countless others that were cut off from Berlin. The Germans still had men but the key was they weren't in Berlin at the time of the Battle!

 

The main source is books, but the exhibition "Mythos Germania" in Berlin can also be reffered too.

I didn't use wikipedia.

Well, the source of my first statement (the one with the Germans defeating the russians at Berlin) are my own.

Now this conclusion is based off what I read, and what I know.

The others are facts.