The Storming and Capture of Berlin
The Red Army now had the task of capturing Berlin and inflicting the final defeat on the Hitler forces. The German command gathered almost the whole of its forces for the defence of Berlin-about a million soldiers, 10,000 guns and mortars, 1,500 tanks and self-propelling weapons, and 3,300 aircraft. The area between the Oder and Berlin was completely blocked by three huge defensive fortifications. Deep anti-tank ditches, endless rows of granite blocks, hundreds of minefields barred the path to the Soviet troops. Berlin had been transformed into a tremendous fortress.
For the assault on the German capital the Soviet command had concentrated 41,600 guns and 'Katyushas', 8,000 aircraft and 6,300 tanks. The attack on Berlin was made by troops commanded by Marshal Zhukov and Marshal Konev.
At dawn on 16 April the Soviet artillery directed a hurricane of fire against the enemy fortifications. Following the barrage of fire, the tanks moved forward to the attack, supported from the air by thousands of aircraft. Behind the tanks the infantry joined the attack.
The Hitlerites offered desperate resistance. Particularly fierce fighting took place on the Zeelovsky heights, where the enemy tried to launch a counter-attack. But here too the enemy's resistance was smashed. The defence put up by the German Fascist bloc was broken all along the front. On 21 April fighting was already going on in the suburbs of Berlin, and in a few days' time the troops of the 1st Byelorussian and the 1st Ukrainian fronts, meeting in the region of Potsdam, surrounded all the enemy forces in Berlin. On the River Elbe units of the 1st Ukrainian front met up with units of the 1st American Army.
The surrounded German Fascist troops continued their resistance. For ten days, fierce fighting did not cease by day or night in the streets of Berlin. Every house was brought into the battle.
On 30 April the Soviet troops who had broken through into the centre of Berlin began to storm the Reichstag building. On the night preceding 1 May two regimental sergeants of the Intelligence Corps, M. Yegorov and M. Kantariya, hoisted the Victory Banner over the Reichstag. On 2 May the Berlin garrison surrendered. Hitler committed suicide. The Soviet troops took prisoner more than 300,000 German soldiers and officers in the Berlin region. In a few days Germany acknowledged defeat. On 8 May in Berlin representatives of the German High Command signed the act of unconditional surrender. The supreme power in Germany had passed to the governments of the Allied Powers.
The Red Army now had the task of capturing Berlin and inflicting the final defeat on the Hitler forces. The German command gathered almost the whole of its forces for the defence of Berlin-about a million soldiers, 10,000 guns and mortars, 1,500 tanks and self-propelling weapons, and 3,300 aircraft. The area between the Oder and Berlin was completely blocked by three huge defensive fortifications. Deep anti-tank ditches, endless rows of granite blocks, hundreds of minefields barred the path to the Soviet troops. Berlin had been transformed into a tremendous fortress.
For the assault on the German capital the Soviet command had concentrated 41,600 guns and 'Katyushas', 8,000 aircraft and 6,300 tanks. The attack on Berlin was made by troops commanded by Marshal Zhukov and Marshal Konev.
At dawn on 16 April the Soviet artillery directed a hurricane of fire against the enemy fortifications. Following the barrage of fire, the tanks moved forward to the attack, supported from the air by thousands of aircraft. Behind the tanks the infantry joined the attack.
The Hitlerites offered desperate resistance. Particularly fierce fighting took place on the Zeelovsky heights, where the enemy tried to launch a counter-attack. But here too the enemy's resistance was smashed. The defence put up by the German Fascist bloc was broken all along the front. On 21 April fighting was already going on in the suburbs of Berlin, and in a few days' time the troops of the 1st Byelorussian and the 1st Ukrainian fronts, meeting in the region of Potsdam, surrounded all the enemy forces in Berlin. On the River Elbe units of the 1st Ukrainian front met up with units of the 1st American Army.
The surrounded German Fascist troops continued their resistance. For ten days, fierce fighting did not cease by day or night in the streets of Berlin. Every house was brought into the battle.
On 30 April the Soviet troops who had broken through into the centre of Berlin began to storm the Reichstag building. On the night preceding 1 May two regimental sergeants of the Intelligence Corps, M. Yegorov and M. Kantariya, hoisted the Victory Banner over the Reichstag. On 2 May the Berlin garrison surrendered. Hitler committed suicide. The Soviet troops took prisoner more than 300,000 German soldiers and officers in the Berlin region. In a few days Germany acknowledged defeat. On 8 May in Berlin representatives of the German High Command signed the act of unconditional surrender. The supreme power in Germany had passed to the governments of the Allied Powers.
Victory Flag over Reichstag, Berlin
by Yevgeny Khaldei
Meliton Kantaria hoists the Red Flag over the Reichstag
Efharisto to Panos Fidis for providing the colorized version of the picture.
