April 2 May 1945. Defense of Berlin: French SS and Dutch military

Battle for Berlin. Full chronicle - 23 days and nights Suldin Andrey Vasilievich

May 2, 1945

The troops of the 1st Belorussian (Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov) and 2nd Ukrainian (Marshal of the Soviet Union I.S. Konev) fronts completed the defeat of the Berlin group of German troops and completely captured Berlin. By 3 p.m., enemy resistance had ceased. The Berlin garrison, led by artillery general Helmut Weidling, capitulated. 70 enemy infantry and 23 tank divisions were defeated, 480 thousand people were captured, 1,500 tanks and 4,500 aircraft were captured. The total losses of the Red Army in the Berlin operation, starting from April 16, were about 100 thousand people killed.

G.K. Zhukov: “On the night of May 2, at 1 hour 50 minutes, the radio station of the Berlin defense headquarters broadcast and repeated several times in German and Russian: “We are sending our envoys to the Bismarckstrasse bridge. We cease hostilities."

At 6:30 a.m. on May 2, it was reported that the commander of the 56th Tank Corps, General Weidling, had surrendered in the sector of the 47th Guards Rifle Division. The officers of his headquarters surrendered with him. During the preliminary interrogation, General Weidling said that a few days ago he was personally appointed commander of the defense of Berlin by Hitler.

General Weidling immediately agreed to order his troops to cease resistance. Here is the text of the order, which he signed on the morning of May 2 and announced on the radio: “On April 30, the Fuhrer committed suicide and thus left us, who swore allegiance to him, alone. By order of the Fuehrer, we German troops still had to fight for Berlin, despite the fact that our military reserves had dried up, and despite the general situation, which makes our further resistance pointless.

I order: stop resistance immediately.

Signature: Weidling(artillery general, former commander of the Berlin defense zone)."

On the same day, at about 2 p.m., I was informed that the Deputy Minister of Propaganda, Dr. Fritsche, who had surrendered, proposed to speak on the radio with an appeal to the German troops of the Berlin garrison to stop all resistance. In order to speed up the end of the struggle in every possible way, we agreed to provide him with a radio station.”

The Reichstag garrison stopped resisting. After General Weidling's radio appeal, the mass surrender of German troops began. By the end of the day, the entire city was occupied by Soviet troops.

By the end of May 2, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front reached the line of Warnemünde, Rebel, Pritzwalk and completed the defeat of the enemy group in Western Pomerania and Mecklenburg.

The enemy group, which had withdrawn from Wannsee Island, entered the forest northwest of Schankensdorf on the morning of May 2, where at that time the headquarters of the 4th Guards Tank Army of the 1st Belorussian Front was located. D.D. Lelyushenko had to lead the repulsion of the German attack. After a two-hour battle, this German group was destroyed and captured.

On May 2, by 21:00, our troops captured more than 70,000 German soldiers and officers in the city of Berlin. Among the prisoners: generals for special assignments under the chief of defense of Berlin, Lieutenant General Kurt Wetasch and Lieutenant General Walter Schmidt-Dankwart, headquarters representative Vice Admiral Voss, chief of the Berlin defense staff Colonel Hans Rehior, chief of staff of the 56th German tank corps Colonel Theodor von Diffwing. Also taken prisoner were Goebbels's first deputy for propaganda and press - Doctor of Philosophy and History Fritsche, head of the press Doctor of Philosophy and History Click, government adviser Doctor of Philosophy and History Heinrichsdorf. Fritsche, during a survey, revealed that Hitler, Goebbels and the newly appointed Chief of the General Staff, Infantry General Krebs, committed suicide.

Southeast of Berlin, troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts completed the liquidation of the encircled group of German troops.

During the fighting from April 24 to May 2 in this area, our troops captured more than 120,000 German soldiers and officers. The Germans lost more than 60,000 people in killed alone. Among the prisoners are the deputy commander of the 9th German Army, Lieutenant General Bernhard, the commander of the 5th German SS Corps, Lieutenant General Eckel, the commander of the 21st German SS Panzer Division, Lieutenant General Marx, the commander of the 169th German Infantry Division, Lieutenant General Radchiy, commandant of the Frankfurt-on-Oder fortress, Major General Biel, chief of artillery of the 11th German SS Panzer Corps, Major General Strammer and General of Aviation Zander. During the same time, our troops captured the following trophies: tanks and self-propelled guns - 304, field guns - more than 1,500, machine guns - 2,180, vehicles - 17,600 and many other weapons and military equipment.

In Berlin, on the steps of the Reichstag, Lidia Andreevna Ruslanova sang for the fighters.

Appointed by Adolf Hitler as “Head of the Reich,” Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz appointed Lutz Schwerin von Krosigg as Reich Chancellor of Germany.

It is believed that on this day, Reichsleiter Martin Bormann (1900–1945), Hitler’s personal secretary and closest ally, died. At the age of 23, he took part in the murder of his former school teacher, falsely accused of collaborating with the French during the occupation of the Ruhr, and served a year in prison. , and after his release immediately joined the Nazi Party. Having become chancellor, Hitler appointed Bormann Reichsleiter (the head of one of the areas of party activity), in 1941 - his deputy in the party and head of the newly created party chancellery, in 1943 - his secretary. Party comrades called Bormann, who acquired almost absolute power in the Third Reich, the “gray eminence,” the “iron chancellor.” On April 30, 1945, Bormann was a witness at Hitler's wedding and then watched the burning of his body. He tried to negotiate with the allies for several hours, then disappeared. Some claimed that he tried to break through the Russian battle lines, but died; some - that he committed suicide. There were witnesses who claimed to have seen him in 1947 in Northern Italy, and in 1973 in Argentina. In 1946, the Nuremberg Tribunal sentenced Bormann to death in absentia, and in 1973, a German court officially declared him dead based on the identification of a skeleton found near Hitler's bunker, but some doubts still remain.

Allied forces crossed the Elbe; British army units in Germany reached Lübeck to prevent the Soviet occupation of Denmark.

A Soviet officer adjusts artillery fire on the destroyed streets of Berlin

Troops of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia liberated the city of Trieste.

Mass rallies took place in the hero city of Stalingrad. At a rally in the Kirov region, the foreman of the best youth brigade, Comrade. Moiseev. He said: “Under the leadership of Comrade Stalin, our Red Army passed the glorious heroic path from Stalingrad to Berlin. Nazi Germany is living out its last days. Comrade Stalin set a noble task for the Soviet people - to increase assistance to the front, to quickly heal the wounds inflicted on the country by the war, and to raise the power of the Soviet state even higher. We pledge that we will comply with these instructions."

On the collective farm. Stalin, Namangan region of the Uzbek SSR, brigadier Ubaidullaev spoke at the rally. He said: “Today we have a joyful holiday. The Red Army completely defeated the enemy. Together with the allied troops, she will finish off the fascist beast. We, collective farmers, will help the Red Army carry out the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

At a rally in the agricultural artel named after. Lenin (Turkmen SSR), the chairman of the collective farm Nurmurat gave a speech. “Collective farmers of the Turkmen SSR,” he said, “send warm greetings to the valiant soldiers of the Red Army located abroad of Soviet soil. The Patriotic War has been going on for almost four years. The Soviet people denied themselves many things and supplied the front with everything necessary to bring the day of victory closer. Now we know that the fascist beast is on its last legs. The glorious victories won by the Red Army inspire us to new labor feats. We assure our beloved leader, Comrade Stalin, that the collective farmers of Turkmenistan will work tirelessly and will grow a high harvest this year.”

The Pravda newspaper reported: - In Moscow, 2 fireworks were fired - in honor of the troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts, which took Berlin (20 salvos from 224 guns), and the troops of the 2nd Belorussian fronts.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was posthumously awarded to underground partisan Nikolai Ivanovich Stashkov (1907–1943), who in August 1941 became secretary of the underground Dnepropetrovsk regional committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine (Bolsheviks). The underground partisan sabotage groups led by him inflicted significant damage on the occupiers. In July 1942 he was arrested by the Gestapo and in January 1943 he was shot.

From the book Battle of Berlin. Full chronicle - 23 days and nights author Suldin Andrey Vasilievich

April 26, 1945 The third and final stage of the Berlin operation began: Soviet troops began to cut through and destroy the encircled groups of German troops. The enemy's Potsdam group was cut off from Berlin. Soviet troops have already occupied three quarters of Berlin.* *

From the author's book

On May 1, 1945, troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front fought and occupied the cities of Stralsund, Grimmen and 18 other large settlements. 8,500 German soldiers and officers were captured. Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front stormed the city of Brandenburg, the center of the Brandenburg War.

From the author's book

On May 2, 1945, the troops of the 1st Belorussian (Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov) and 2nd Ukrainian (Marshal of the Soviet Union I.S. Konev) fronts completed the defeat of the Berlin group of German troops and completely captured Berlin. By 15 o'clock enemy resistance

From the author's book

May 3, 1945 3rd Guards Tank Corps A.P. Panfilov of the 2nd Belorussian Front occupied the cities of Bad Doberan, Neubukov, Warin in Germany and established communications along the Elbe with the advanced units of the 2nd British Army. Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front reached the Elbe southeast of the city

From the author's book

On May 4, 1945, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front, having crossed the Divenow Strait north of Stettin, captured the city of Wollin, as well as several other large settlements. On May 3, front troops captured 22 thousand German soldiers and officers. Troops of the 1st Belorussian

From the author's book

On May 5, 1945, the KGB of the USSR Yuri Andropov’s remains were dug up, burned, and the ashes were scattered.* * *On May 4, 26 German tanks were knocked out and destroyed on all fronts. In air battles and anti-aircraft artillery fire, 14 enemy aircraft were shot down.* * *The Americans were released from prison

From the author's book

On May 6, 1945, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front completely captured the island of Rügen. The troops of the 1st Belorussian Front continued their offensive northwest of the city of Brandenburg.* * *The Prague operation of the 1st, 2nd and 4th began a day ahead of schedule. th Ukrainian fronts and

From the author's book

On May 7, 1945, troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front broke through the enemy’s defenses west of Dresden.* * *After the German command of the garrison of the Danish island of Bornholm refused to capitulate, Baltic Fleet aviation launched a massive raid on the port of Rennes. Ships and

From the author's book

May 8, 1945 Victory Day in Western Europe and the USA.* * *In Karlshorst (a suburb of Berlin) at 22:43 Central European time, the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany was signed. This is what it says in all calendars, although in reality,

From the author's book

May 9, 1945 Victory Day of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.* * *G.K. Zhukov: “At 0 hours 50 minutes on May 9, 1945, the meeting at which the unconditional surrender of the German armed forces was adopted closed. Then a reception took place, which was held with

From the author's book

On May 10, 1945, the troops of the Leningrad, 2nd and 3rd Belorussian Fronts continued to receive capitulated German troops. German troops under the command of Field Marshal Scherner and a group under the command of Colonel General Wöhler on the territory of Czechoslovakia

From the author's book

May 13, 1945 Since May 9, Soviet troops captured more than 1.2 million German soldiers and officers and 101 generals. In Czechoslovakia and Austria, our troops cleared occupied areas from scattered groups of generals Schörner and Wöhler, who had not laid down their arms.* * *To liberated Norway

From the author's book

May 14, 1945 Military Commandant of Berlin Colonel General N.E. Berzarin, together with the new metro directorate, opened traffic on the first metro line, and by the end of May, five metro lines with a total length of 61 kilometers were put into operation. May 19

From the author's book

On May 15, 1945, Moscow Radio broadcast the operational report of the Soviet Information Bureau for the last time. It consisted of one line: “Reception of captured German soldiers and officers on all fronts

From the author's book

May 24, 1945 Speeches by I. Stalin at a reception in the Kremlin in honor of the commanders of the Red Army: “Comrades, allow me to raise one more, final toast. I would like to raise a toast to the health of our Soviet people, and above all the Russian people. I’m drinking first of all for

From the author's book

On May 31, 1945, a Special Committee under the new US President Harry Truman began discussing the problem of the atomic bomb, which the Americans were soon to acquire. The decision was made: to use the atomic bomb, there should be no warnings about new weapons,

The operation plan of the Soviet Supreme High Command was to deliver several powerful blows on a wide front, dismember the enemy’s Berlin group, encircle and destroy it piece by piece. The operation began on April 16, 1945. After powerful artillery and air preparation, the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front attacked the enemy on the Oder River. At the same time, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front began to cross the Neisse River. Despite the fierce resistance of the enemy, Soviet troops broke through his defenses.

On April 20, long-range artillery fire from the 1st Belorussian Front on Berlin marked the beginning of its assault. By the evening of April 21, his shock units reached the northeastern outskirts of the city.

The troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front carried out a rapid maneuver to reach Berlin from the south and west. On April 21, having advanced 95 kilometers, tank units of the front broke into the southern outskirts of the city. Taking advantage of the success of tank formations, the combined arms armies of the shock group of the 1st Ukrainian Front quickly advanced westward.

On April 25, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian Fronts united west of Berlin, completing the encirclement of the entire Berlin enemy group (500 thousand people).

The troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front crossed the Oder and, having broken through the enemy’s defenses, advanced to a depth of 20 kilometers by April 25. They firmly pinned down the 3rd German Tank Army, preventing it from being used on the approaches to Berlin.

The Nazi group in Berlin, despite the obvious doom, continued stubborn resistance. In fierce street battles on April 26-28, it was cut by Soviet troops into three isolated parts.

The fighting went on day and night. Breaking through to the center of Berlin, Soviet soldiers stormed every street and every house. On some days they managed to clear up to 300 blocks of the enemy. Hand-to-hand combat broke out in subway tunnels, underground communication structures and communication passages. The basis of the combat formations of rifle and tank units during the fighting in the city were assault detachments and groups. Most of the artillery (up to 152 mm and 203 mm guns) was assigned to rifle units for direct fire. Tanks operated as part of both rifle formations and tank corps and armies, promptly subordinate to the command of combined arms armies or operating in their own offensive zone. Attempts to use tanks independently led to heavy losses from artillery fire and faustpatrons. Due to the fact that Berlin was shrouded in smoke during the assault, the massive use of bomber aircraft was often difficult. The most powerful strikes on military targets in the city were carried out by aviation on April 25 and on the night of April 26; 2,049 aircraft took part in these strikes.

By April 28, only the central part remained in the hands of the defenders of Berlin, shot from all sides by Soviet artillery, and by the evening of the same day, units of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front reached the Reichstag area.

The Reichstag garrison numbered up to one thousand soldiers and officers, but it continued to continuously strengthen. It was armed with a large number of machine guns and faust cartridges. There were also artillery pieces. Deep ditches were dug around the building, various barriers were erected, and machine gun and artillery firing points were equipped.

On April 30, troops of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front began fighting for the Reichstag, which immediately became extremely fierce. Only in the evening, after repeated attacks, Soviet soldiers broke into the building. The Nazis put up fierce resistance. Hand-to-hand combat broke out on the stairs and in the corridors every now and then. The assault units, step by step, room by room, floor by floor, cleared the Reichstag building of the enemy. The entire path of Soviet soldiers from the main entrance to the Reichstag to the roof was marked with red flags and flags. On the night of May 1, the Victory Banner was hoisted over the building of the defeated Reichstag. The battles for the Reichstag continued until the morning of May 1, and individual groups of the enemy, holed up in basement compartments, capitulated only on the night of May 2.

In the battles for the Reichstag, the enemy lost more than 2 thousand soldiers and officers killed and wounded. Soviet troops captured over 2.6 thousand Nazis, as well as 1.8 thousand rifles and machine guns, 59 artillery pieces, 15 tanks and assault guns as trophies.

On May 1, units of the 3rd Shock Army, advancing from the north, met south of the Reichstag with units of the 8th Guards Army, advancing from the south. On the same day, two important Berlin defense centers surrendered: the Spandau citadel and the Flakturm I (Zoobunker) concrete anti-aircraft defense tower.

By 15:00 on May 2, enemy resistance had completely ceased, the remnants of the Berlin garrison surrendered with a total of more than 134 thousand people.

During the fighting, out of approximately 2 million Berliners, about 125 thousand died, and a significant part of Berlin was destroyed. Of the 250 thousand buildings in the city, about 30 thousand were completely destroyed, more than 20 thousand buildings were in a dilapidated state, more than 150 thousand buildings had moderate damage. More than a third of metro stations were flooded and destroyed, 225 bridges were blown up by Nazi troops.

The fighting with individual groups breaking through from the outskirts of Berlin to the west ended on May 5. On the night of May 9, the Act of Surrender of the Armed Forces of Nazi Germany was signed.

During the Berlin operation, Soviet troops surrounded and eliminated the largest group of enemy troops in the history of wars. They defeated 70 enemy infantry, 23 tank and mechanized divisions and captured 480 thousand people.

The Berlin operation cost the Soviet troops dearly. Their irretrievable losses amounted to 78,291 people, and sanitary losses - 274,184 people.

More than 600 participants in the Berlin operation were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. 13 people were awarded the second Gold Star medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

(Additional

The final battle of the Great Patriotic War was the Battle of Berlin, or the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation, which took place from April 16 to May 8, 1945.

On April 16, at 3 o'clock local time, aviation and artillery preparation began in the sector of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts. After its completion, 143 searchlights were turned on to blind the enemy, and infantry, supported by tanks, went on the attack. Without encountering strong resistance, she advanced 1.5-2 kilometers. However, the further our troops advanced, the stronger the enemy’s resistance grew.

The troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front carried out a rapid maneuver to reach Berlin from the south and west. On April 25, troops of the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian Fronts united west of Berlin, completing the encirclement of the entire Berlin enemy group.

The liquidation of the Berlin enemy group directly in the city continued until May 2. Every street and house had to be stormed. On April 29, battles began for the Reichstag, the capture of which was entrusted to the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front.

Before the storming of the Reichstag, the Military Council of the 3rd Shock Army presented its divisions with nine Red Banners, specially made to resemble the State Flag of the USSR. One of these Red Banners, known as No. 5 as the Victory Banner, was transferred to the 150th Infantry Division. Similar homemade red banners, flags and flags were available in all forward units, formations and subunits. They, as a rule, were awarded to assault groups, which were recruited from among volunteers and went into battle with the main task - to break into the Reichstag and plant the Victory Banner on it. The first, at 22:30 Moscow time on April 30, 1945, to hoist the assault red banner on the roof of the Reichstag on the sculptural figure “Goddess of Victory” were reconnaissance artillerymen of the 136th Army Cannon Artillery Brigade, senior sergeants G.K. Zagitov, A.F. Lisimenko, A.P. Bobrov and Sergeant A.P. Minin from the assault group of the 79th Rifle Corps, commanded by Captain V.N. Makov, the assault artillery group acted together with the battalion of captain S.A. Neustroeva. Two or three hours later, also on the roof of the Reichstag on the sculpture of an equestrian knight - Kaiser Wilhelm - on the orders of the commander of the 756th Infantry Regiment of the 150th Infantry Division, Colonel F.M. Zinchenko erected Red Banner No. 5, which later became famous as the Victory Banner. Red Banner No. 5 was hoisted by scouts Sergeant M.A. Egorov and junior sergeant M.V. Kantaria, who were accompanied by Lieutenant A.P. Berest and machine gunners from the company of senior sergeant I.Ya. Syanova.

The fighting for the Reichstag continued until the morning of May 1. At 6:30 a.m. on May 2, the chief of defense of Berlin, artillery general G. Weidling, surrendered and gave the order to the remnants of the Berlin garrison to cease resistance. In the middle of the day, the Nazi resistance in the city ceased. On the same day, surrounded groups of German troops southeast of Berlin were eliminated.

On May 9 at 0:43 Moscow time, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, as well as representatives of the German Navy, who had the appropriate authority from Doenitz, in the presence of Marshal G.K. Zhukov, on the Soviet side, signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany. A brilliantly executed operation, coupled with the courage of Soviet soldiers and officers who fought to end the four-year nightmare of war, led to a logical result: Victory.

Capture of Berlin. 1945 Documentary

PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE

The Berlin operation of the Soviet troops began. Goal: complete the defeat of Germany, capture Berlin, unite with the allies

The infantry and tanks of the 1st Belorussian Front began the attack before dawn under the illumination of anti-aircraft searchlights and advanced 1.5-2 km

With the onset of dawn on the Seelow Heights, the Germans came to their senses and fought with ferocity. Zhukov brings tank armies into battle

16 Apr 45 The troops of Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front encounter less resistance on the path of their advance and immediately cross the Neisse

The commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Konev, orders the commanders of his tank armies, Rybalko and Lelyushenko, to advance on Berlin

Konev demands that Rybalko and Lelyushenko not get involved in protracted and frontal battles, and move forward more boldly towards Berlin

In the battles for Berlin, Hero of the Soviet Union, commander of a tank battalion of the Guards, died twice. Mr. S. Khokhryakov

The 2nd Belorussian Front of Rokossovsky joined the Berlin operation, covering the right flank.

By the end of the day, Konev’s front completed the breakthrough of the Neissen defense line and crossed the river. Spree and provided conditions for the encirclement of Berlin from the south

Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front Zhukov spend the whole day breaking the 3rd line of enemy defense on the Oderen on the Seelow Heights

By the end of the day, Zhukov’s troops completed the breakthrough of the 3rd line of the Oder line on the Seelow Heights

On the left wing of Zhukov’s front, conditions were created to cut off the enemy’s Frankfurt-Guben group from the Berlin area

Directive of the Supreme High Command Headquarters to the commander of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts: “Treat the Germans better.” , Antonov

Another directive from Headquarters: on identification marks and signals when meeting Soviet armies and Allied troops

At 13.50, the long-range artillery of the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army was the first to open fire on Berlin - the beginning of the assault on the city itself

Apr 20 45 Konev and Zhukov send almost identical orders to the troops of their fronts: “Be the first to break into Berlin!”

By evening, formations of the 2nd Guards Tank, 3rd and 5th Shock Armies of the 1st Belorussian Front reached the northeastern outskirts of Berlin

The 8th Guards and 1st Guards Tank Armies wedged into the city defensive perimeter of Berlin in the areas of Petershagen and Erkner

Hitler ordered the 12th Army, previously aimed at the Americans, to be turned against the 1st Ukrainian Front. It now has the goal of connecting with the remnants of the 9th and 4th Panzer armies, making their way south of Berlin to the west.

Rybalko’s 3rd Guards Tank Army broke into the southern part of Berlin and by 17.30 was fighting for Teltow - Konev’s telegram to Stalin

Hitler refused to leave Berlin for the last time while there was such an opportunity. Goebbels and his family moved to a bunker under the Reich Chancellery (“Fuhrer’s bunker”)

Assault flags were presented by the Military Council of the 3rd Shock Army to the divisions storming Berlin. Among them is the flag that became the banner of victory - the assault flag of the 150th Infantry Division

In the area of Spremberg, Soviet troops eliminated the encircled group of Germans. Among the destroyed units was the tank division "Fuhrer's Guard"

Troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front are fighting in the south of Berlin. At the same time they reached the Elbe River northwest of Dresden

Goering, who left Berlin, turned to Hitler on the radio, asking him to approve him at the head of the government. Received an order from Hitler removing him from the government. Bormann ordered Goering's arrest for treason

Himmler unsuccessfully tries, through the Swedish diplomat Bernadotte, to offer the Allies surrender on the Western Front.

Shock formations of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts in the Brandenburg region closed the encirclement of German troops in Berlin

German 9th and 4th tank forces. armies are surrounded in the forests southeast of Berlin. Units of the 1st Ukrainian Front repulse the counterattack of the 12th German Army

Report: “In the Berlin suburb of Ransdorf there are restaurants where they “willingly sell” beer to our fighters for occupation stamps.” The head of the political department of the 28th Guards Rifle Regiment, Borodin, ordered the owners of Ransdorf restaurants to close them until the battle was over.

In the area of Torgau on the Elbe, Soviet troops of the 1st Ukrainian fr. met with the troops of the 12th American Army Group of General Bradley

Having crossed the Spree, the troops of Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front and Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front are rushing towards the center of Berlin. Nothing can stop the rush of Soviet soldiers in Berlin

Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front in Berlin occupied Gartenstadt and Görlitz station, troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front occupied the Dahlem district

Konev turned to Zhukov with a proposal to change the demarcation line between their fronts in Berlin - the center of the city should be transferred to the front

Zhukov asks Stalin to honor the capture of the center of Berlin by the troops of his front, replacing Konev's troops in the south of the city

The General Staff orders Konev's troops, who have already reached Tiergarten, to transfer their offensive zone to Zhukov's troops

Order No. 1 of the military commandant of Berlin, Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel General Berzarin, on the transfer of all power in Berlin to the hands of the Soviet military commandant's office. It was announced to the population of the city that the National Socialist Party of Germany and its organizations were dissolved and their activities were prohibited. The order established the order of behavior of the population and determined the basic provisions necessary to normalize life in the city.

Battles began for the Reichstag, the capture of which was entrusted to the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front

When breaking through the barriers on the Berlin Kaiserallee, N. Shendrikov’s tank received 2 holes, caught fire, and the crew was disabled. The mortally wounded commander, gathering his last strength, sat down at the control levers and threw the flaming tank at the enemy gun.

Hitler's wedding to Eva Braun in a bunker under the Reich Chancellery. Witness - Goebbels. In his political will, Hitler expelled Goering from the NSDAP and officially named Grand Admiral Dönitz as his successor.

Soviet units are fighting for the Berlin metro

The Soviet command rejected the attempts of the German command to begin negotiations on the time. ceasefire. There is only one demand - surrender!

The assault on the Reichstag building itself began, which was defended by more than 1000 Germans and SS men from different countries

Several red banners were fixed in different places of the Reichstag - from regimental and divisional to homemade

Scouts of the 150th division Egorov and Kantaria were ordered to hoist the Red Banner over the Reichstag around midnight

Lieutenant Berest from Neustroev's battalion led the combat mission to plant the Banner over the Reichstag. Installed around 3.00, May 1

Hitler committed suicide in the Reich Chancellery bunker by taking poison and shooting himself in the temple with a pistol. Hitler's corpse is burned in the courtyard of the Reich Chancellery

Hitler leaves Goebbels as Reich Chancellor, who commits suicide the next day. Before his death, Hitler appointed Bormann Reich Minister for Party Affairs (previously such a post did not exist)

Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front captured Bandenburg, in Berlin they cleared the areas of Charlottenburg, Schöneberg and 100 blocks

In Berlin, Goebbels and his wife Magda committed suicide, having previously killed their 6 children

The commander arrived at the headquarters of Chuikov's army in Berlin. German General Staff Krebs, reported Hitler's suicide, proposed a truce. Stalin confirmed his categorical demand for unconditional surrender in Berlin. At 18 o'clock the Germans rejected it

At 18.30, due to the refusal of surrender, a fire strike was launched at the Berlin garrison. Mass surrender of Germans began

At 01.00, the radios of the 1st Belorussian Front received a message in Russian: “We ask you to cease fire. We are sending envoys to the Potsdam Bridge."

A German officer, on behalf of the commander of the defense of Berlin Weidling, announced the readiness of the Berlin garrison to stop resistance

At 6.00 General Weidling surrendered and an hour later signed an order for the surrender of the Berlin garrison

Enemy resistance in Berlin has completely ceased. The remnants of the garrison surrender en masse

In Berlin, Goebbels' deputy for propaganda and press, Dr. Fritsche, was captured. Fritsche testified during interrogation that Hitler, Goebbels and Chief of the General Staff General Krebs committed suicide

Stalin's order on the contribution of the Zhukov and Konev fronts to the defeat of the Berlin group. By 21.00, 70 thousand Germans had already surrendered.

The irretrievable losses of the Red Army in the Berlin operation were 78 thousand people. Enemy losses - 1 million, incl. 150 thousand killed

Soviet field kitchens are deployed throughout Berlin, where “wild barbarians” feed hungry Berliners

MAY

Alexander Pomorsky

received the Chief of the General Staff of the German Ground Forces, Krebs, the last Chief of the General Staff of the Nazi Army. Krebs reported:

Hitler committed suicide.

In addition, he conveyed the proposal of Bormann and Goebbels:

Temporarily cease fire in the capital in order to prepare conditions for peace negotiations between Germany and the USSR.

The general was firmly told:

“No negotiations on a truce. Only unconditional surrender!

Krebs left. But in 18 o'clock the German leadership rejected the demand for surrender. Soviet troops continued their assault on Berlin.

fought stubborn battles west of Tiergarten Park.

Dönitz

“The Fuhrer appointed me as his successor. In this difficult hour for the fate of Germany, with the consciousness of the responsibility that lies with me, I accept the duties of head of government. My first task is to save the Germans from destruction by the advancing Bolsheviks. It is only in the name of this goal that military operations continue. While in carrying out this task we encounter obstacles from the British and Americans, we are forced to defend ourselves from them as well...”

Note:

From May 3 to May 23, the last Nazi government of Germany, under the leadership of Admiral Karl Dönitz, was based in Flensburg.

The Second World Warbrought relatively little destruction to Flensburg, but many of its inhabitants died on the battlefields.

The monument to the victims of the dictatorship was erected in Carlisle Park, which in 1933 - 1945 was called Adolf Hitler Square. This fact symbolizes the refusal of the Flensburgers from Nazi ideology

On the territory of the Hill of Peace cemetery, at the mass grave of 108 tortured prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp, there is a monument to Red Army soldiers.

I bequeath in that life

You should be happy

And to my native fatherland

Alexander Tvardovsky (1)

1st of May The 3rd Guards Tank Army and the 28th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front cleared the Wilmersdorf and Halensee areas of the enemy and occupied ninety blocks that day.

The 4th Guards Tank Army and the 13th Army cleared the island of Wannsee from the enemy.

In the morning 1st of May Between Treuenbritzen and Beelitz, units of the German 9th Army that escaped from encirclement reached the positions of Wenck's 12th Army. As a result of joint actions of the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian fronts, the remnants of the Frankfurt-Guben enemy group were eliminated.

No wonder the First Belarusian
The German-Prussian stronghold was smashed
A nest of war instigators.
No wonder the First Ukrainian
Burst into the Berlin labyrinth,
On the other hand, hitting the sides.
Having united, they went to Berlin
They bore retribution on this day
For Belarus, for Ukraine,
For the black ashes of the villages!
During the volleys in honor of the victory
Snippet of a friendly conversation
I happened to hear at night:
"Moscow is on fire, Berlin is on fire!"

Georgy Rublev (2)

At the end of the day The remnants of the Reichstag garrison capitulated. 1654 fascists laid down their arms.

At night

At one o'clock in the morning May 2 radio stations of the 1st Belorussian Front received a message in Russian:

A German officer who arrived at the appointed place, on behalf of the commander of the defense of Berlin, General Wedling, announced the readiness of the Berlin garrison to stop resistance.

At 6 am May 2 Artillery General Weidling, accompanied by three German generals, crossed the front line and surrendered. An hour later, while at the headquarters of the 8th Guards Army, he wrote a surrender order, which was duplicated and, with the help of loudspeaker installations and radio, delivered to enemy units defending in the center of Berlin.

As this order was communicated to the defenders, resistance in the city ceased.

By the end of the day, the troops of the 8th Guards Army cleared the central part of the city from the enemy. Individual units that did not want to surrender tried to break through to the west, but were destroyed or scattered.

We won't die...

Nazar Najmi (3)

From April 16 to May 8 Soviet troops lost 352,475 people, of which 78,291 were irretrievable. The losses of Polish troops during the same period amounted to 8892 people, of which 2825 were irretrievable. The losses of military equipment amounted to 1,997 tanks and self-propelled guns, 2,108 guns and mortars, 917 combat aircraft, 215.9 thousand small arms.

Berlin operation entered into the Book Guinness Records as the largest battle in history. About 3.5 million people, 52 thousand guns and mortars, 7,750 tanks and 11 thousand aircraft took part in the battle on both sides.

Results of the operation

1. Destruction of the largest group of German troops;

2. Capture of the capital of Germany;

3. Captivity of the highest military and political leadership of Germany.

4. The fall of Berlin and the loss of the German leadership's ability to govern led to the almost complete cessation of organized resistance on the part of the German armed forces.

Historical meaning.Berlin operation demonstrated to the allies the high combat capability of the Red Army and was one of the reasons for the cancellation of Operation Unthinkable, the Allied war plan against the Soviet Union. However, this decision did not subsequently influence the development of the arms race and the beginning of the Cold War.

Hundreds of thousands of people were released from German captivity, including at least 200 thousand citizens of foreign countries. In the zone of the 2nd Belorussian Front alone, in the period from April 5 to May 8, 197,523 people were released from captivity, of which 68,467 were citizens of the allied states. (4)

For seventeen days we fought near Berlin,

It was difficult, with a fight, every step.

Shot fiercely at cars

In bestial anger, the enemy is dying.

...Of course, my heart was breaking,

Quickly take the enemy's nest - Berlin.

Alexander Pomorsky

Yugoslavia. 1st of May Units of the Yugoslav army broke into Trieste and began fighting in the city. At the same time, Slovenian partisan units went west of Trieste and on May 1, on the Isonzo River, met with the Anglo-American troops advancing in Northern Italy.

1st of May in besieged 6th Army of General Gluzdovsky fortified city of Breslau "the death of the brave in the fight against Bolshevism." The commandant of the fortress, General Nighofa, issues an order in parts: “I remain at your head.”

From the Soviet Information Bureau:

During 1st of May southwest of the city and port of Pillau, troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front fought to clear the Frisch-Nerung spit from the enemy and occupied the settlements of Narmeln, Brandheidscher, Neukrug and Voeglers.

The troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front, developing a rapid offensive, on May 1 captured the cities of Stralsund, Grimmen, Demmin, Malkhin, Waren, Wesenberg - important road junctions and strong strongholds of the German defense, and also occupied the large settlements of Steinhagen, Abtshagen, Gremersdorf, Deyelsdorf , Gneuen, Dargun, Neukalen, Stavenhagen, Gilov, Schwinkendorf, Mellenhagen, Kratzeburg, Kvaltsov, Strasen.

In the battles for April 30 Front troops captured 8,500 German soldiers and officers and captured 66 aircraft and 100 field guns.

1st of May stormed the city of Brandenburg, a powerful stronghold of the German defense in Central Germany.

At the same time, northwest of Berlin, the front troops, continuing the offensive, fought to occupy the city of Lindovi and the large settlements of Alt-Ruppin, Herzberg, Wutenov, Lichtenberg, Karwe, Beetz, Sommerfeld.

In Berlin, front troops cleared the enemy from the urban areas of Charlottenburg and Schöneberg in the central part of the city... In the battles of April 30, front troops captured more than 14,000 German soldiers and officers.

South of Berlin, our troops continued to fight to destroy the remnants of an encircled group of German troops in the forests east of the city of Luckenwalde. During the battles, our troops divided the enemy into two parts isolated from each other and fought successful battles to destroy them.

The troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front, continuing the offensive, 1st of May captured the cities of Bohumin, Frištát, Skoczów, Czadca and Velyka Bitcha - important road junctions and strong strongholds of German defense in the Western Carpathians, and also occupied large settlements Skrzypov, Markersdorf, Slatina, Bilowiec, Klimkowice, Vitkovice, Dietmarowice, Petrovice, Skalite , Dogubari, Okhodnitsa, Nove Mesto, Levnik.

To the east of the city of Brno, the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front fought to occupy the city of Vyshkovi, the large settlements of Puchov, Lednicke, Koshetsa, Ilyava, Dubnitsa, Nemshova, Zhitkova, Biskupice, Bilovice, Babice, Rostyn, Pustimerz.

Both in Poland and in Berlin...

To become a grave...

Nazar Najmi

The 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front united south of the Reichstag with units of the 8th Guards Army.

The 2nd Guards Tank Army in the Tiergarten Park area joined forces with the 8th Guards and 1st Guards Tank Armies.

At dawn May 2 15 kilometers from Berlin, a group of 20 fascist tanks was discovered, breaking through from the island of Wannsee into the forest northwest of Schankensdorf, where at that time the headquarters of the 4th Guards Tank Army under the command of D.D. Lelyushenko was located. After a two-hour battle, the German group was destroyed and captured.

By the morning May 2 the remnants of the Berlin garrison were divided into separate isolated groups.

At 6:30 a.m., General Weidling, commander of the 56th Panzer Corps, who was also commander of the defense of Berlin, announced the unconditional surrender of his garrison. He made a radio call for the troops to lay down their arms. The mass surrender of German troops began.

By 15 o'clock May 2 the resistance of the Berlin garrison completely ceased, and by the end of the day the entire city was occupied by Soviet troops.

General N.E. Berzarin would be appointed commandant of Berlin. In order No. 1, he announced that the Nazi Party of Germany and its organizations were dissolved and their activities were prohibited.

May 1 and 2 Spontaneous protests of German workers against the fascist occupiers begin in many cities. After the news of the capture of Berlin, the fight against them became even more acute.

Toward the end May 2 The troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front reached the line of Warnemünde, Röbel, Pritzwalk and completed the defeat of the enemy group in Western Pomerania and Mecklenburg.

From the Soviet Information Bureau:

The troops of the 1st BELARUSIAN Front under the command of Marshal of the Soviet Union ZHUKOV, with the assistance of the troops of the 1st UKRAINIAN Front under the command of Marshal of the Soviet Union KONEV, after stubborn street fighting, completed the defeat of the Berlin Group of German Forces and today, May 2, completely captured the capital of Germany, the city of BERLIN - the center of German imperialism and the center of German aggression.

The Berlin garrison defending the city, led by the chief of defense of BERLIN, artillery general Weidling, and his staff, May 2 at 15 o'clock he stopped resistance, laid down his arms and surrendered.

Southeast of BERLIN, troops of the 1st BELARUSIAN and 1st UKRAINIAN fronts completed the liquidation of the encircled group of German troops.

North-west of BERLIN, the troops of the 1st BELARUSIAN Front, continuing the offensive, fought and occupied the cities of Neu-Ruppin, KIRITZ, WUSTERHAUSEN.

Troops of the 2nd BELARUSIAN Front, developing the offensive, May 2 captured the cities of Rostock and Warnemunde.

The troops of the 4th UKRAINIAN Front, continuing the offensive in the Western Carpathians, fought and occupied the large settlements of LASKOV, ORLOVA, DEMBOVETS, GORDZISHOW.

The troops of the 2nd UKRAINIAN Front, continuing the offensive east of the city of Brno, fought and occupied the large settlements of BRUMOV, VALASSKE, and KLOBOUKI.

- Immaculate Virgin,

Reward me

For a just cause

The order was on the chest!

- Orders are not valid

Decorate your chest

But the salvation of Russia

I'll give it to you!

Nikolay Glazkov (5)

Berlin offensive operation.

On May 3, Panfilov's 3rd Guards Tank Corps of the 2nd Belorussian Front, southwest of the city of Wismar, established contact with the advanced units of the 2nd British Army.

Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front reached the Elbe southeast of the city of Wittenberg and established contact with the American 9th Army.

As part of the mobile group of the right wing 1st Belorussian Front The Bashkir cavalry of the 16th Guards Cavalry Division took an active part in the Berlin operation under the command Grigory Andreevich Belov. With a swift attack, the Bashkir cavalry captured many settlements located northwest of Berlin.

The cavalry division of G. A. Belov was the first to take possession of the northern outskirts of Brandenburg, cutting off the escape route to the west for the Berlin group of Germans. Now the delivery of reserves to Berlin has become impossible. Large military trophies were captured, including 30 aircraft, 16 anti-aircraft guns, and 124 vehicles.

For skillful actions during this operation, the 16th Cavalry Division was awarded the Order of Kutuzov, II degree. For heroism and courage in battles with the Nazi invaders, 76 soldiers of the 16th Guards were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

From the history of the division:

For heroism and courage in the battles for the Dnieper, only 29 soldiers from one 58th regiment of the Bashkir division were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

During the January-March battles of 1944, the division took part in the liberation of the cities of Mozyr and Sarny and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. In the summer of 1944, Bashkir cavalry fought near Kovel, Vladimir-Volynsk, Lublin; The division was awarded the Order of Suvorov, II degree. The early spring of 1945 found the 16th Guards Division in East Prussia.

Bashkir warriors

Mukhtar Khamitov in four years of war he was wounded four times. The first - near Stalingrad, the last - at the end of the war in Germany, during the capture of the Brandenburg Gate.
The combat path of the Bashkir horseman, which began at the gates of the Baymak stud farm and ended at the Brandenburg Gate, was marked by great difficulties.

Get up immediately, saddle the horses Bashkirs -

For 300 horses sat on horseback.

Mustai Karim (6)

Wenck's German 12th Army retreated to the Elbe, to the crossing at Tangermünde, where German soldiers and officers crossed the Elbe and surrendered to the Americans.

From the Soviet Information Bureau:

During May 3, southwest of the city and port of PILLAU, troops of the 3rd BELARUSIAN Front continued to fight to clear the FRISH NERUNG spit from the enemy and occupied the settlements of KALBERG LIP and KAISERHOF.

The troops of the 2nd BELARUSIAN Front, developing the offensive, captured the cities of BART, BAD DOBERAN, NEUBUKOV, VARIN, WITTENBERG and on May 3, on the WISMAR-WITTENBERG line, they united with the British troops allied to us.

North-west of Berlin, the troops of the 1st BELARUSIAN Front, continuing the offensive, fought and occupied the large settlements of VILSNAK, GLEVEN, STUDENITTZ. and, reaching the ELBE River southeast of the city of WITTENBERG, united with the American troops allied to us.

On May 2, the troops of the 1st UKRAINIAN Front in the BERLIN area captured more than 34,000 German soldiers and officers.

Troops of the 2nd UKRAINIAN Front, continuing the offensive east of the city of BRNO, fought and occupied the large settlements of LACHNOV, ZLIN, OSTROKOVICE.

Remembrance - return

In years gone by long ago.

Remembrance - Sunday

Everything that is dear to the soul,

And - consolation and salvation...

Mikhail Lvov

Berlin offensive operation.

May 4th troops of the 70th, 49th armies, 8th mechanized and 3rd guards cavalry corps of the 2nd Belorussian Front to the Elbe. The 19th Army and the 2nd Shock Army cleared the islands of Wollin, Usedom and Rügen from the enemy.

The 3rd and 5th Guards Armies, the 13th Army, the 3rd and 4th Guards Tank Armies, the 25th and 4th Guards Tank Armies, the 1st Guards Cavalry Corps of the 1st Ukrainian Front regrouped in Prague direction.

On May 4 at 18:30, the signing of the act of surrender of all German armed forces in Holland, North-West Germany, Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark to the Commander-in-Chief of the 21st Allied Army Group took place.

From the Soviet Information Bureau:

Troops of the 2nd BELARUSIAN Front, having crossed the DIVENOV Strait north of STETTTIN, captured the city of WOLLIN and occupied the settlements of LYUSKOV, KERTENTIN, YARMBOV.

Troops of the 1st BELARUSIAN Front, advancing south of the city of BRANDENBURG, fought and occupied the cities of BELZIG, WIESENBURG, and NIMEGK.

The troops of the 4th UKRAINIAN Front, continuing the offensive in the Western Carpathians, fought and occupied the city of WIGSTADTL (VITKOV).

Troops of the 2nd UKRAINIAN Front east of the city of BRNO fought and occupied the large settlements of LUZHNA, POZDEKHOV, YASENNA.

Be averse, it's a hell of a time.
But we're ready on the front line
Resurrected
to die again, one and all,
So that no one alive would die there.
Rasul Gamzatov (7) <Перевод Я.Козловского>

By May 5, the 60th Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front reached the approaches to Sternberk. The 68th Army, advancing along the road on the Border, fought southeast of Fulnek.

Roznov-Vsetin-Vizovice. At this point, the Moravian-Ostravian operation ended.

Troops 4th Ukrainian Front captured the Moravian-Ostrava industrial region. The number of troops at the beginning of the operation was 317,300 people, irretrievable losses were 23,964 (7.6%), sanitary losses were 88,657, total were 112,621, average daily losses were 1,976.

The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front advanced 200 km and completed the liberation of Slovakia, the Bratislava and Brnov industrial regions.

The number of troops at the beginning of the operation was 272,200 people, irretrievable losses were 16,933 (6.2%), sanitary losses were 62,663, total - 79,596, average daily losses - 1,895.

On May 5, the German Army E of A. Löhr capitulated to the Anglo-American command in Croatia and Southern Austria, Army Group G of F. Schulz in Bavaria and Western Austria, and the 19th German Army in Vorarlberg and Tyrol.

On May 5, an anti-fascist uprising began in the capital of Czechoslovakia, Prague. The German command sent significant forces from Army Group Center to suppress it. The rebels turned to Soviet troops to come to their aid.

From the Soviet Information Bureau:

During May 5, the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front fought to clear the FRISH-NERUN spit from the enemy.

On May 5, troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front captured the city of SWINEMUNDE, a major port and naval base of the Germans on the Baltic Sea, and also completely cleared the islands of WOLLIN and USEDOM from the enemy.

The troops of the 1st Belorussian Front, moving forward southwest of the city of BRANDENBURG, occupied the cities of CISAR, LOBURG, BURG.

Troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front, advancing southwest and south of the city Moravska-Ostrava, with battles they occupied the cities of Hof (Palace), Bern (Mohr, Beroun), Fulnek, Mistek and the large settlements of Melch, Rauch, Domstadtl, Stadt Liebau, Bartoszowice, Metilovice, Friedland, Kunice, Rozhkov.

The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, continuing the offensive northeast of Brno, captured the city of Kromeriz.

Without taking a step back from evil,
To our unsullied conscience
Maintain a decent alignment.

Rasul Gamzatov<Перевод Я.Козловского>

Prague (6 - 11 May 1945). The operation was attended by troops of the 1st, 2nd and 4th Ukrainian Fronts, as well as the 2nd Army of the Polish Army, the 1st and 4th Romanian Armies, and the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps.

As part of the operation, the following frontal offensive operations were carried out: Dresden-Prague, Sudetenland, Olomouc, Jihlava-Benešovskaya.

the 6th of May the forward battalions of the divisions of the first echelon of the strike group of the 1st Ukrainian Front of I.S. Konev conducted reconnaissance in force. The advanced brigades of the tank corps of the 4th and 3rd Guards Tank Armies operated together with them.

In the afternoon, after a short artillery preparation, the main forces of the front's main strike group went on the offensive, including the 3rd and 4th Guards Tank Armies, the 25th and 4th Guards Tank Corps.

13th Army of N.P. Pukhov and 4th Guards Tank Army D.D. Lelyushenko advanced 23 kilometers.

"The 13th Army launches a rapid attack on Prague."

At 18 o'clock the 6th of May the commander of the defense of the fortified city of Breslau, General Nikhoff, capitulated with a garrison of forty thousand. The city was surrendered to the 6th Army of General Gluzdovsky, which had been besieging it since February 13, 1945.

The enemy has a face, a hand,

Human form

Do not spare the enemy in battle

A little valor

A handful of your native land

I press it to my heart,

Bravely go into battle for the Fatherland

I always step in.

Hanif Karim, (8) translation by Aidar Khusainov

4th Ukrainian Front A.I. Eremenkocaptured the enemy defense points of Krnov and Horni Benesov, reaching the northeastern outskirts of Olomouc.

38th Army K.S. Moskalenko

1st Guards Army A.A. Grechko And 18th ArmyA.I. Gastilovich reached the line southeast of Olomouc.

the 6th of May K. Klapalek's 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps advanced 20 kilometers.

40th ArmyF. F. Zhmachenko 2nd Ukrainian Front R.Ya. Malinovsky

By the end of the day, the distance between these fronts had decreased to 20 kilometers. There was a threat of encirclement of German troops operating east of Olomouc.

the 6th of May The strike group of the 1st Ukrainian Front delivered a powerful blow in the direction of Dresden-Prague.

To spur the arrival of spring

Victorious, he walked and crawled forward!

And I found strong faith

In a reliable gun barrel.

Hanif Karim

From the Soviet Information Bureau:

The troops of the 2nd BELARUSIAN Front, continuing the offensive, crossed the STRALSUNDERFARWASSER Strait, occupied the cities of BERGEN, HARZ, PUTBUS, SASSNITZ on the island of RÜGEN and on May 6 completely captured the island of RÜGEN.

The troops of the 1st BELARUSIAN Front, moving forward northwest and west of the city of BRANDENBURG, occupied the large settlements of ZANDAU, WULKAU, KLITZ.

Troops of the 4th UKRAINIAN Front, advancing west and southwest of the city of MORAVIAN OSTRAVA, fought and occupied the cities of BENISH, STERNBERG, PRZIBOR.

Troops of the 2nd UKRAINIAN Front northeast of the city of BRNO fought and occupied the city of KOETIN and the large settlements of FRISHTAN, MARTINICE, GULIN.

May sixth , cutting the Elbe,

We broke through the enemy's fortifications.

The Tigers were shooting...

Alexander Pomorsky

Registration number 0212415 issued for the work:

Calendar of events of the Great Patriotic War

Forward to the victory!

MAY

Calendar of events. Forward to the victory!

together with Soviet poets and Wikipedia

And courage, and rage, and bravery

They were so great in our hearts...

I couldn’t believe it when suddenly over the Reichstag

The arrows raised the Soviet banner!

Alexander Pomorsky

At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, commander of the 8th Guards Army V.I. Chuikovreceived the Chief of the General Staff of the German Ground Forces, Krebs, the last Chief of the General Staff of the Nazi Army. Krebs reported:

-Hitler committed suicide.

In addition, he conveyed the proposal of Bormann and Goebbels:

– Temporarily cease fire in the capital in order to prepare conditions for peace negotiations between Germany and the USSR.

The general was firmly told:

“No negotiations on a truce. Only unconditional surrender!

Krebs left. But in 18 o'clock the German leadership rejected the demand for surrender. Soviet troops continued their assault on Berlin.

1 May 2nd Guards Tank Army fought stubborn battles west of Tiergarten Park.

Dönitz speaks on Flensburg radio:

Note:

From May 3 to May 23, the last Nazi government of Germany, under the leadership of Admiral Karl Dönitz, was based in Flensburg.

The Second World Warbrought relatively little destruction to Flensburg, but many of its inhabitants died on the battlefields.

On the territory of the Hill of Peace cemetery, at the mass grave of 108 tortured prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp, there is a monument to Red Army soldiers.

I bequeath in that life

You should be happy

And to my native fatherland

Alexander Tvardovsky (1)

1st of May The 3rd Guards Tank Army and the 28th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front cleared the Wilmersdorf and Halensee areas of the enemy and occupied ninety blocks that day.

The 4th Guards Tank Army and the 13th Army cleared the island of Wannsee from the enemy.

No wonder the First Belarusian
The German-Prussian stronghold was smashed—
A nest of war instigators.
No wonder the First Ukrainian
Burst into the Berlin labyrinth,
On the other hand, hitting the sides.
Having united, they went to Berlin
They bore retribution on this day
For Belarus, for Ukraine,
For the black ashes of the villages!
During the volleys in honor of the victory
Snippet of a friendly conversation
I happened to hear at night:
"Moscow is on fire, Berlin is on fire!"

Georgy Rublev (2)

At the end of the day The remnants of the Reichstag garrison capitulated. 1654 fascists laid down their arms.

At night the troops of General N.E. Berzarin captured the imperial office.

At one o'clock in the morning May 2 radio stations of the 1st Belorussian Front received a message in Russian:

“Please cease fire. We are sending envoys to the Potsdam Bridge.”

A German officer who arrived at the appointed place, on behalf of the commander of the defense of Berlin, General Wedling, announced the readiness of the Berlin garrison to stop resistance.

As this order was communicated to the defenders, resistance in the city ceased.

It seemed that if the war did not kill,

We won't die...

Nazar Najmi (3)

Results of the operation

1. Destruction of the largest group of German troops;

2. Capture of the capital of Germany;

3. Captivity of the highest military and political leadership of Germany.

4. The fall of Berlin and the loss of the German leadership's ability to govern led to the almost complete cessation of organized resistance on the part of the German armed forces.

For seventeen days we fought near Berlin,

It was difficult, with a fight, every step.

Shot fiercely at cars

In bestial anger, the enemy is dying.

...Of course, my heart was breaking,

Quickly take the enemy's nest - Berlin.

Alexander Pomorsky

1st of May in besieged 6th Army of General Gluzdovsky fortified city of Breslau a message arrived about the death of Hitler, who allegedly fell"the death of the brave in the fight against Bolshevism." The commandant of the fortress, General Nighofa, issues an order in parts: “I remain at your head.”

From the Soviet Information Bureau:

In the battles for April 30 Front troops captured 8,500 German soldiers and officers and captured 66 aircraft and 100 field guns.

Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front 1st of May stormed the city of Brandenburg, a powerful stronghold of the German defense in Central Germany.

Land mines were exploding, bullets, mines...

Any one of us could have died then

Both in Poland and in Berlin...

In those years, any piece of land could

To become a grave...

Nazar Najmi

Berlin offensive operation.

The 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front united south of the Reichstag with units of the 8th Guards Army.

The 2nd Guards Tank Army in the Tiergarten Park area joined forces with the 8th Guards and 1st Guards Tank Armies.

By the morning May 2 the remnants of the Berlin garrison were divided into separate isolated groups.

By 15 o'clock May 2 the resistance of the Berlin garrison completely ceased, and by the end of the day the entire city was occupied by Soviet troops.

General N.E. Berzarin would be appointed commandant of Berlin. In order No. 1, he announced that the Nazi Party of Germany and its organizations were dissolved and their activities were prohibited.

May 1 and 2 Spontaneous protests of German workers against the fascist occupiers begin in many cities. After the news of the capture of Berlin, the fight against them became even more acute.

Toward the end May 2 The troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front reached the line of Warnemünde, Röbel, Pritzwalk and completed the defeat of the enemy group in Western Pomerania and Mecklenburg.

From the Soviet Information Bureau:

Southeast of BERLIN, troops of the 1st BELARUSIAN and 1st UKRAINIAN fronts completed the liquidation of the encircled group of German troops.

North-west of BERLIN, the troops of the 1st BELARUSIAN Front, continuing the offensive, fought and occupied the cities of Neu-Ruppin, KIRITZ, WUSTERHAUSEN.

Troops of the 2nd BELARUSIAN Front, developing the offensive, May 2 captured the cities of Rostock and Warnemunde.

The troops of the 4th UKRAINIAN Front, continuing the offensive in the Western Carpathians, fought and occupied the large settlements of LASKOV, ORLOVA, DEMBOVETS, GORDZISHOW.

The troops of the 2nd UKRAINIAN Front, continuing the offensive east of the city of Brno, fought and occupied the large settlements of BRUMOV, VALASSKE, and KLOBOUKI.

“A soldier’s conversation with the Mother of God.”

- Immaculate Virgin,

Reward me

For a just cause

The order was on the chest!

- Orders are not valid

Decorate your chest

But the salvation of Russia

I'll give it to you!

Nikolay Glazkov (5)

Berlin offensive operation.

On May 3, Panfilov's 3rd Guards Tank Corps of the 2nd Belorussian Front, southwest of the city of Wismar, established contact with the advanced units of the 2nd British Army.

Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front reached the Elbe southeast of the city of Wittenberg and established contact with the American 9th Army.

The cavalry division of G. A. Belov was the first to capture the northern outskirts of Brandenburg, cutting off the escape route to the west for the Berlin group of Germans. Now the delivery of reserves to Berlin has become impossible. Large military trophies were captured, including 30 aircraft, 16 anti-aircraft guns, and 124 vehicles.

From the history of the division:

For heroism and courage in the battles for the Dnieper, only 29 soldiers from one 58th regiment of the Bashkir division were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Bashkir warriors

Get up immediately, saddle the horses Bashkirs -

Bloody cloud over the horizons of the world!

And 300 Bashkirs in one Bashkir village

For 300 horses sat on horseback.

Hot sparks scattered from under the hooves...

Mustai Karim (6)

Wenck's German 12th Army retreated to the Elbe, to the crossing at Tangermünde, where German soldiers and officers crossed the Elbe and surrendered to the Americans.

From the Soviet Information Bureau:

The troops of the 2nd BELARUSIAN Front, developing the offensive, captured the cities of BART, BAD DOBERAN, NEUBUKOV, VARIN, WITTENBERG and on May 3 on the WISMAR-WITTENBERG line united with the British troops allied to us.

On May 2, the troops of the 1st UKRAINIAN Front in the BERLIN area captured more than 34,000 German soldiers and officers.

Troops of the 2nd UKRAINIAN Front, continuing the offensive east of the city of BRNO, fought and occupied the large settlements of LACHNOV, ZLIN, OSTROKOVICE.

Remembrance - return

In years gone by long ago.

Remembrance - Sunday

Everything that is dear to the soul,

And consolation and salvation...

Mikhail Lvov

Berlin offensive operation.

From the Soviet Information Bureau:

Troops of the 2nd BELARUSIAN Front, having crossed the DIVENOV Strait north of STETTTIN, captured the city of WOLLIN and occupied the settlements of LYUSKOV, KERTENTIN, YARMBOV.

Troops of the 1st BELARUSIAN Front, advancing south of the city of BRANDENBURG, fought and occupied the cities of BELZIG, WIESENBURG, and NIMEGK.

The troops of the 4th UKRAINIAN Front, continuing the offensive in the Western Carpathians, fought and occupied the city of WIGSTADTL (VITKOV).

Troops of the 2nd UKRAINIAN Front east of the city of BRNO fought and occupied the large settlements of LUZHNA, POZDEKHOV, YASENNA.

By May 5, the 60th Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front reached the approaches to Sternberk. The 68th Army, advancing along the road on the Border, fought southeast of Fulnek.

The 1st Guards Army reached the Frishtat area, and the 18th Army reached the line Roznov-Vsetin-Vizovice. At this point, the Moravian-Ostravian operation ended.

Troops 4th Ukrainian Front captured the Moravian-Ostrava industrial region. The number of troops at the beginning of the operation was 317,300 people, irretrievable losses - 23,964 (7.6%), sanitary losses - 88,657, total - 112,621, average daily - 1976.

The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front advanced 200 km and completed the liberation of Slovakia, the Bratislava and Brnov industrial regions.

The number of troops at the beginning of the operation was 272,200 people, irretrievable losses - 16,933 (6.2%), sanitary losses - 62,663, total - 79,596, average daily - 1,895.

On May 5, the German Army “E” of A. Löhr capitulated to the Anglo-American command in Croatia and Southern Austria, Army Group “G” of F. Schulz in Bavaria and Western Austria, and the 19th German Army in Vorarlberg and Tyrol.

From the Soviet Information Bureau:

During May 5, the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front fought to clear the FRISH-NERUN spit from the enemy.

On May 5, troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front captured the city of SWINEMUENDE, a major port and naval base of the Germans on the Baltic Sea, and also completely cleared the islands of WOLLIN and USEDOM from the enemy.

The troops of the 1st Belorussian Front, moving forward southwest of the city of BRANDENBURG, occupied the cities of CISAR, LOBURG, BURG.

The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, continuing the offensive northeast of Brno, captured the city of Kromeriz.

And you have to worry about a lot of things,
Without taking a step back from evil,
To our unsullied conscience
Maintain a decent alignment.

Rasul Gamzatov<Перевод Я.Козловского>

Prague strategic offensive operation(6 - 11 May 1945). The operation was attended by troops of the 1st, 2nd and 4th Ukrainian Fronts, as well as the 2nd Army of the Polish Army, the 1st and 4th Romanian Armies, and the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps.

As part of the operation, the following frontal offensive operations were carried out: Dresden-Prague, Sudetenland, Olomouc, Jihlava-Benešovskaya.

13th Army of N.P. Pukhov and 4th Guards Tank Army D.D. Lelyushenko advanced 23 kilometers.

"The 13th Army launches a rapid attack on Prague."

The enemy has a face, a hand,

Human form

Do not spare the enemy in battle

A little valor

A handful of your native land

I press it to my heart,

Bravely go into battle for the Fatherland

I always step in.

Hanif Karim, (8) translation by Aidar Khusainov

May 6 60th Army of P. A. Kurochkin 4th Ukrainian Front A.I. Eremenkocaptured the enemy defense points of Krnov and Horni Benesov, reaching the northeastern outskirts of Olomouc.

38th Army K.S. Moskalenkofought stubborn battles on the approaches to the city from the northeast.

1st Guards Army A.A. Grechko And 18th ArmyA.I. Gastilovich reached the line southeast of Olomouc.

the 6th of May K. Klapalek's 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps advanced 20 kilometers.

40th ArmyF. F. Zhmachenko 2nd Ukrainian Front R.Ya. Malinovskyattacked Olomouc from the south, towards units of the right wing of the 4th Ukrainian Front.

By the end of the day, the distance between these fronts had decreased to 20 kilometers. There was a threat of encirclement of German troops operating east of Olomouc.

the 6th of May The strike group of the 1st Ukrainian Front delivered a powerful blow in the direction of Dresden-Prague.

To spur the arrival of spring

Victorious, he walked and crawled forward!

And I found strong faith

In a reliable gun barrel.

Hanif Karim

From the Soviet Information Bureau:

The troops of the 1st BELARUSIAN Front, moving forward northwest and west of the city of BRANDENBURG, occupied the large settlements of ZANDAU, WULKAU, KLITZ.

Troops of the 4th UKRAINIAN Front, advancing west and southwest of the city of MORAVIAN OSTRAVA, fought and occupied the cities of BENISH, STERNBERG, PRZIBOR.

Troops of the 2nd UKRAINIAN Front northeast of the city of BRNO fought and occupied the city of KOETIN and the large settlements of FRISHTAN, MARTINICE, GULIN.

May sixth , cutting the Elbe,

We broke through the enemy's fortifications.

To block the paths... for cars,

Scherner sent the columns. From ambush

The Tigers were shooting...

Alexander Pomorsky

(1) Alexander Tvardovsky (1910 -1971) - Soviet writer and poet, editor-in-chief of the magazine “New World” (1950-1954), order bearer, lieutenant colonel (1941).

http://sosof.narod.ru/praha.htm

(5) Nikolay Glazkov (1919-1979) - Soviet poet, translator

(6) Mustai Karim (1919 -2005) - Bashkir poet and writer, participant in the Great Patriotic War. He was wounded in the chest on August 25, 1942 near Mtsensk. In 1943, he was a correspondent for the newspaper “For the Honor of the Motherland” on the Voronezh Front; in 1943-1946, he was a correspondent for the newspaper “Soviet Warrior” on the 3rd Ukrainian Front. In 1944 he was awarded the Order of the Red Star, in 1945 - the Order of the Patriotic War IIdegrees. He came from the war with two books of poetry, the author of the novels “Country of Aigul”, “Don’t Throw Fire, Prometheus”, “Pardon”, etc.

(7) Rasul Gamzatov (1923 -2003) - an outstanding Soviet and Russian poet, publicist and statesman, people's poet of Dagestan.

(8) Hanif Karim (Hanif Karimovich Karimov) (1910-1983) - Bashkir Soviet poet and writer, translated into Bashkir the works of Pushkin, Lermontov, Shevchenko, Mayakovsky. Participant of the Great Patriotic War, awarded the Order of the Red Star on 05/31/1942.

On May 2, 1945, the troops of the First Belorussian Front under the command of Marshal Zhukov, together with the troops of the First Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal Konev, completely occupied the capital of Nazi Germany, the city of Berlin. Most of the troops of the Berlin garrison defending the city, realizing the futility of resistance, folded and surrendered on May 2, 1945 at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Artillery General Weidling, together with three German generals, crossed the front line at 6 a.m. on May 2, surrendering. After some time, General Weidling, who was at the headquarters of the 8th Guards Army, wrote an order to surrender. This document was duplicated and this order was communicated to enemy units that were defending in the center of Berlin, using loudspeaker installations and radios. As this order was transmitted to the defenders, resistance in Berlin ceased. By evening, the troops of the 8th Guards Army cleared the central part of the city of the enemy.

On the way to Berlin. 1945 Place of filming: Germany Author of the filming: A. B. Kapustyansky

The entire operation to capture Berlin lasted 8 days, from April 25 to May 2 inclusive. By nightfall, Soviet troops had captured more than seventy thousand enemy soldiers and officers. Among the prisoners were General Kurt Wetasch and Lieutenant General Walter Schmidt-Dankwart. Vice Admiral Voss, Chief of the Berlin Defense Staff Colonel Hans Rechior, and Chief of Staff of the 56th German Tank Corps Colonel Theodor von Diefving were also captured. Many figures of fascist agitation were captured, led by Goebbels’s first deputy for propaganda and press, Doctor of Philosophy and Fritsche, who reported during interrogation that Hitler, the Reich Minister of Public Education and Propaganda of Germany Goebbels and Krebs, recently appointed to the post of Chief of the General Staff of the Infantry, had killed life by suicide.

Thus, the defeat of the remnants of the fascist army was almost complete. The further course of events was predetermined, Berlin fell, Germany lost control over all vital areas and did not have the slightest means of organized resistance. After the completion of the Berlin operation, little remained to be done, namely the destruction of the last large fascist groups in Czechoslovakia and Austria. There was a week left before the Great Victory...

Soviet artillerymen write on shells “To Hitler”, “To Berlin”, “Across the Reichstag”. 1945 Place of filming: Germany Author of the filming: Knorring Oleg Borisovich

Preparation of a plan for the Berlin operation. From left to right: Telegin K.F., Zhukov G.K., Malinin M.S., Varennikov I.S. 1945 Location: Germany. Landeberg

Soviet attack aircraft in the sky near Berlin. 1945 Place of filming: Berlin Photographer: Mark Stepanovich Redkin

Gun crew of Guard Senior Sergeant Zhirnov M.A. is fighting on one of the streets of Berlin. 1945 Place of filming: Berlin Author: unknown

Machine gunners in a combat position during the battle for Berlin. 1945 Place of filming: Berlin Author of the filming: Grebnev V.

Soviet soldiers are fighting for the Berlin metro. 1945 Place of filming: Berlin Author of the filming: Kapustyansky G.

Heavy artillery in one of the street battles. 1945 Place of filming: Berlin Author of the filming: Chernov D.

View of the burning Reichstag. 1945 Place of filming: Berlin Author of the filming: Grebnev V.

Street fighting in Berlin. The crew of Goryunov's heavy machine gun changes position. April 1945 Place of filming: Berlin Author of the filming: Temin Viktor Antonovich