looking for a Battle of Berlin book

[jerry c.]

I started with Our Backs to Berlin, and then moved on to Death Was Our Companion, which I think Le Tissier intended to be more or less a sequel. It might be more feasible to start with Race for the Reichstag to get an overall feel for those last days, then read the other two for the firsthand accounts of those who fought through them.

Both of these books should be easily available and not to expensive. Some of the books on this subject are hard to find and have a high price tag, so I started with ones that are readily priced and available. Hope that helps.

ye, thanks for your reply. thats what i was thinking. i've read beevor's "battle for berlin" and "the last battle" by cornelius ryan. .. as well as "the bunker" by o' donnell.... and "inside hitler's bunker" by joachim fest.... and... probably others that dont come to mind.

[stgeorge64]

Berlin Soldier: An Eyewitness Account of the Fall of Berlin - Helmut Altner.

This excellent memoir surrounds a 17 year old German teenager called up to fight in the last weeks WWII. This is his vivid account of his experiences as a conscript during the final desperate weeks of the Third Reich, during which he experienced training immediately behind the front line east of Berlin, was caught up in the massive Soviet assault on Berlin from the Oder, retreated successfully and then took part in the fight for the western suburb of Spandau, where he became one of the only two survivors of his company of seventeen year-olds.

This book takes some beating as a first hand account.......

Regards Richard.

[Klaus Richter]

I read Altner's book, but it was called Berlin Dance of Death, in hardcover. Is Berlin Soldier in softcover?

[stgeorge64]

I read Altner's book, but it was called Berlin Dance of Death, in hardcover. Is Berlin Soldier in softcover?

Klaus

Yes, 'Berlin Soldier' is a paperback publication.

Regards Richard.

[leaftree]

Soviet 416th Division...

can anybody elaborate on the SS holdouts in... i believe was a bank building.

i seem to recall a quote from chuikov saying that a memorial should be built honoring their brave defense.

i could have sworn it was in "the bunker"... but for the life of me i can find no mention of it anywhere.... or on the net.

I was doing some research on a Soviet Red Star award for actions in Kustrin and Berlin. The Soviet 416th Rifle Division was involved in the fighting at the bank. If you poke around that unit you may find more on that action.


'On the morning of April 21, 1945, the 416th division was one of the first to break into the outskirts of Berlin, on the same day the 416th division was storming the city of Straussberg.

April 27, the 416th division entered the western outskirts of the German capital, crossed the Spree River and captured the bridge on the western bank of the river in a stubborn battle.

April 30, assault troops of the 416th division broke through to Schlossplatz, the square in front of the Kaiser Wilhelm’s palace.

May 1, units of the 1373th and 1374th regiments of the 416th division stormed the enemy stronghold - the Kaiser Wilhelm palace. One of the first to break into the building was a battalion under the command of Captain Heyrull Gulmamedov. An assault group under the command of senior lieutenant Vakhab Osmanov makes his way to the upper floors and the roof of the building. At 3 pm on May 1, Senior Lieutenant Vahab Osmanov and Junior Sergeant V. Alekseenko hoisted a red flag over the Kaiser Wilhelm’s palace. At the same time, senior lieutenant Wahab Osmanov died.

At night from May 1 to May 2, fighters of the 416th division captured the building of the comic opera and, continuing the advance towards the Brandenburg Gate, stormed the Reichsbank from the rear and, after several hours of battle, completely took control of the imperial bank. The soldiers of the 1373th regiment, advancing towards the Brandenburg Gate, occupy the former building of the Soviet embassy in Berlin. The head of the political department of the 416th division, Colonel Rashid Majidov, hoisted the Red Banner over the building.
Together with other units, the 416th division occupies the University of Berlin and the building of the Ministry of the Interior. In the early morning of May 2, soldiers of the 1373rd regiment marched on Marisenplatz.

The soldiers of Mammadov, Akhmedzade, Berezhnaya and Andreev, under the leadership of Lieutenant A. Medzhidov, hoisted the banner of victory over the Brandenburg Gate'


I've pulled the above info using Google translate and Yandex and cannot remember the exact source. (Italics and bold are mine)

[usmedalman]

With our Backs to Berlin

Tony Le Tissier's book, With Our Backs to Berlin was a great read. This collection of accounts by participants is very poignant.

[ss3]

Can suggest 'For the defence of Berlin', which covers the memoirs of Georg Diers, with a small section from Oskar Schafer, the third section is Henri Fenet's personal journal of the Berlin fighting.

Diers' details Wiedendammer Bridge.

Can sort a signed copy, with Klaus Grotjahn being the person who signed the book. he fought in Berlin as a 17-year old HJ member.

have a look at:

www.lahpublishing.com

Regards
Peter

[29THPZG]

Also Tieke's Between the Oder and the Elbe is excellent.

[leaftree]

Reichsbank

I was doing some research on a Soviet Red Star award for actions in Kustrin and Berlin. The Soviet 416th Rifle Division was involved in the fighting at the bank. If you poke around that unit you may find more on that action.


'On the morning of April 21, 1945, the 416th division was one of the first to break into the outskirts of Berlin, on the same day the 416th division was storming the city of Straussberg.

April 27, the 416th division entered the western outskirts of the German capital, crossed the Spree River and captured the bridge on the western bank of the river in a stubborn battle.

April 30, assault troops of the 416th division broke through to Schlossplatz, the square in front of the Kaiser Wilhelm’s palace.

May 1, units of the 1373th and 1374th regiments of the 416th division stormed the enemy stronghold - the Kaiser Wilhelm palace. One of the first to break into the building was a battalion under the command of Captain Heyrull Gulmamedov. An assault group under the command of senior lieutenant Vakhab Osmanov makes his way to the upper floors and the roof of the building. At 3 pm on May 1, Senior Lieutenant Vahab Osmanov and Junior Sergeant V. Alekseenko hoisted a red flag over the Kaiser Wilhelm’s palace. At the same time, senior lieutenant Wahab Osmanov died.

At night from May 1 to May 2, fighters of the 416th division captured the building of the comic opera and, continuing the advance towards the Brandenburg Gate, stormed the Reichsbank from the rear and, after several hours of battle, completely took control of the imperial bank. The soldiers of the 1373th regiment, advancing towards the Brandenburg Gate, occupy the former building of the Soviet embassy in Berlin. The head of the political department of the 416th division, Colonel Rashid Majidov, hoisted the Red Banner over the building.
Together with other units, the 416th division occupies the University of Berlin and the building of the Ministry of the Interior. In the early morning of May 2, soldiers of the 1373rd regiment marched on Marisenplatz.

The soldiers of Mammadov, Akhmedzade, Berezhnaya and Andreev, under the leadership of Lieutenant A. Medzhidov, hoisted the banner of victory over the Brandenburg Gate'


I've pulled the above info using Google translate and Yandex and cannot remember the exact source. (Italics and bold are mine)

Upon reading Tony Le Tissier's book 'Race to the Reichstag' he mentions on two occasions that the 295th Rifle Division also took part in fighting for the Reichsbank (P.169 and 179)
The book IMHO is a must read if wanting to get a greater understanding of the battle.