The Road to Berlin (174 page)

Collected memoir material

Shturm Berlina. Vospominaniya pis’ma, dnevniki uchastnikov boev za Berlin
, ed. V.S. Veselov (Moscow: Voenizdat 1948), 488 pp. Assorted materials, eye-witness accounts, extracts from diaries; see especially S. Perevertkin (commander 79th Rifle Corps), on storming of
Reichstag
, pp. 393–7.

Chuikov, V.I.,
Ot Stalingrada do Berlina
, pt 4, ‘V dui shturma Berlina’, Chuikov–Krebs, pp. 631–47; further to Chuikov–Krebs talks, pp. 631–58, with interpretation of the German tactic to split the Allied coalition even at this late stage, all duly frustrated by the unswerving Soviet attitude on unconditional capitulation.

A partial translation of the text of the Chuikov–Krebs talks is presented in
The End of the Third Reich
, ch. XVII, ‘Krebs Comes to my Command Post’, pp. 213–30.

Krivoshein, S.,
Ratnaya byl’
(Moscow: Mol. Gvardiya 1962), pp. 222–35, the
SMERSH
investigation of Krivoshein in Berlin, capture of German photographs showing a Soviet
kombrig
(brigade commander) posing with Guderian in 1939 on the occasion of the Nazi–Soviet link-up in Brest–Litovsk, the Soviet
kombrig
identified as Krivoshein (presently commander 1st Guards Mech. Corps committed in Berlin operations), Krivoshein explains.

Neustroyev, S.A.,
Put’ k reikhstagu
. See ‘Znamya nad reikhstagom’, hoisting Red Banner over the
Reichstag
, fighting in the building, pp. 65–74. (Neustroyev’s battalion action.)

Sevruk, V. (ed.),
How Wars End. Eye-Witness Accounts of the Fall of Berlin
(Moscow: Progress 1969). See especially Yelena Rzhevskaya, interpreter, her role in the investigation of the death of Hitler and Eva Braun, pp. 195–272. (See also Ye. Rzhevskaya,
Berlin, Mai 1945
, Moscow: Sov. Pisatel 1970, 302 pp.)

Shatilov, V.M.,
Znamya nad reikhstagom
. See ‘Shturm reikhstaga’, pp. 291–341. (Memoir, 150th Rifle Division commander, detail of the assault on the
Reichstag.)

Zhukov, G.K.,
Vospominaniya …
, vol. 2. See ch. 21, pp. 357–61, Berlin operation: Order No. 0025/28 April, 79th Rifle Corps operational order for capture of
Reichstag
, 2150 hrs 30 April Red Banner hoisted, 1 May only Tiergarten and area of government buildings still in German hands; ch. 22, ‘Unconditional Surrender …’, pp. 362–8: Krebs at
HQ
8th Guards Army 0350 hrs 1 May, 0400 Chuikov to Zhukov with news of Hitler’s suicide, Zhukov orders Sokolovskii to 8th Guards
HQ
and call to Stalin, Stalin wakened with news of Hitler’s death (Stalin:
‘Doigralsya, podlets!’
—translated in Delacorte Press/Novosti,
Memoirs
as ‘So that’s the end of the bastard!’, p. 622), Stalin’s demand for unconditional surrender, Sokolovskii to Zhukov 0500 hrs that Germans simply ‘stringing us along’, Zhukov requires capitulation by 1000 hrs else massive Soviet blow, 1040 hrs Soviet guns fired off huge salvo at remnants of the special defence sector in the centre, 1800 hrs Sokolovskii reported rejection by Goebbels and Bormann of Soviet condition, 1830 hrs renewed Soviet assault ‘with unprecedented force’ on
Reichskanzlei
, 20 German tanks reported speeding to north-west, tanks destroyed 2 May but no Nazi leaders found in wreckage, surrender of Weidling, Fritsche’s broadcast, interrogated by Zhukov himself then sent on to Moscow for further questioning, search for Hitler’s body, discovey of Goebbels’ children and corpses of Goebbels and his wife.

Hitler corpse/autopsy

Bezymenski, Lev,
The Death of Adolf Hitler. Unknown Documents from Soviet Archives
(London: Michael Joseph 1968; orig.,
Der Tod des Adolf Hitler
(Hamburg: C. Wegner Verlag 1968). See esp. Appendix ‘Protocol … Discovery of the Goebbels Family’, pp. 79–84, also Autopsy Reports (the Goebbels family, General Krebs, ‘unknown woman (presumably the wife
of
Hitler)’: also ‘Documents No. 12 and No. 13’—forensic examination of a male corpse disfigured by fire (Hitler’s body), p. 44–51, with conclusion that death due to poisoning by cyanide compounds. Note, however, that David Irving in
Hitler’s War
(note, p. 902), insists that Hitler did shoot himself as well as taking poison. As for the delay in publishing the results of the autopsies and the forensic-medical reports, Lev Bezymenski (p.
66)
states that these were ‘held in reserve’ lest some imposter claimed to be ‘the Führer miraculously saved’ (shades of the False Dmitrii in Russian history), while there was further investigation to exclude either error or deception. (On the other hand, by early June at the latest, the Soviet leadership and military command had accepted the medical findings, for as I was told—and Lev Bezymenski duly confirms—
all
bodies were taken to a barracks on the outskirts of Berlin, one final process of identification carried out and then the bodies were burned completely, the ashes being scattered at will.) As far as I understood from senior Soviet officers who were present, one of the first bodies to be uncovered was that of Fegelein, followed by the discovery of a Hitler ‘double’ (of which I have a photograph, with uncanny facial resemblance—though the darned socks ruled him out as
the
Führer). I am still somewhat puzzled by the shunting about of Goebbels’ body, though again eye-witnesses explained that on a first entry into the Führerbunker loose wires hanging in the lower levels suggested that the structure was mined (on the pattern of Zossen) and a rapid evacuation took place, followed by some ‘re-creation’ of the original scene. There are also odd points raised in V.S. Antonov’s
Put’ k Berlinu
(esp. p. 346)—how did Klimenko get through Colonel Shevtsov’s guards so magically, how did Shevtsov know that here were the corpses of Goebbels and his wife? As far as I can determine,
SMERSH
had not yet appeared on the scene.

Cf. Erich Kuby,
The Russians and Berlin, 1945
, ch. 10, ‘The Death of Hitler’, to which Lev Bezymenski refers in some detail: as for ‘no one daring to tell Stalin of Hitler’s death’, Zhukov informed Stalin at once of news of the suicide, with Stalin expressing his chagrin that the Führer had not been taken alive. No credence can be given to the notion of a Hitler corpse sealed in a lead coffin or preserved in spirit—the final, collective cremation early in June 1945 did dispose of Hitler’s remains. It is also worth noting some comments by S.M. Shtemenko,
General’nyi shtab v gody voiny
, vol. 2, ch. 12, p. 437–40: first information on Hitler’s death 1 May from Chuikov–Krebs talks, but difficulty in believing this since Hitler’s remains not found, only on 4 May news that ‘something resembling Hitler’ had been found, night 4 May telegram from Zhukov and Telegin on the Goebbels’s corpses but nothing about Hitler—‘Comrade Zhukov also has doubts about Hitler’s death.… We have to check everything’ (Stalin)—NKGB (State Security) to send investigation team to Berlin, two corpses—Hitler and Eva Braun—found, confirmation of death through ‘poisoning by virulent cyanide compounds’.

2nd Belorussian Front operations

Batov, P.I.,
Operatsiya ‘Oder’
, ch. IV, second stage of the operation, pp. 113–29: 26 April 65th Army renews offensive, general pursuit of German forces, crossing of river Randow, breach of second line of German defences and capture of Stettin, Third
Panzer
withdrawing covered by small fighting rearguards—PWs reported complete demoralization—fall of Rostock, 65th Army on Baltic coast, assault on Rügen with limited forces—105th Rifle Corps commander used captured motorized barge to lift small force of volunteers, one salvo from multiple rocket launcher met by white flags and German surrender (2,000 men), no further resistance and 65th Army completed its war role.

Rokossovskii, K.K.,
A Soldier’s Duty
. See ‘The Oder–Elbe’, pp. 330–35, 25 April three corps of 65th Army, two corps of 70th Army (with a third in ready reserve) across the Oder, German defence broken and approach to river Randow, operations to envelop main forces of Third
Panzer
Army—to prevent Third
Panzer
assisting Berlin defence and to check any retreat to the west—65th Army (with 1st Guards Tank Corps) to strike north-west to bottle up German forces north-east of Stettin–Neubrandenburg–Rostock, 2nd Shock Army to advance towards Anklam–Stralsund, 70th Army to advance towards Wismar, 26 April Stettin stormed by 65th Army, 2nd Belorussian Front command post moved to Stettin, 27 April general pursuit of German forces, 3 May contact with British Second Army (3rd Guards Tank Corps in the lead), 4 May 70th and 49th Army on the demarcation line, 19th and 2nd Shock Army ‘mopping up’ on Usedom and Rügen islands, German forces on Bornholm reject Soviet ultimatum hence assault landing by 19th Army with two divisions, 12,000 Germans taken prisoner.

Kozlov, Colonel L., ‘Osvobozhdenie ostrova Bornkholm’,
VIZ
, 1975 (5), pp. 126–8 (132nd Rifle Corps/19th Army: Bornholm operation).

The last battles, the final surrender pp.
604
–
622

Churchill, Winston S.,
The Second World War
, vol. VI:
Triumph and Tragedy
, bk II, ch. XXXII, ‘The German Surrender’,
passim
.

Osers, Ewald, ‘The Liberation of Prague: Fact and Fiction’,
Survey
, Summer 1970, pp. 99–111. (With particular reference to Czech, German and Soviet radio broadcasts, duly assembled in
BBC
Monitoring Service archives.)

Táborský, Eduard, ‘Benes and Stalin–Moscow, 1943 and 1945’,
Journal of Central European Affairs
, Vol. XIII, July 1953, pp. 154–81. (
Note:
the references to Stalin’s ‘neo-Slav’ speech come from a participant at the dinner and derive from the papers of Dr Benes, utilized here by Dr Táborský, see pp. 178–80.)

Diplomatic correspondence/diplomatic history

Perepiska …
, vol. 1. No. 444, Stalin–Churchill, on Himmler’s offer of surrender on the Western Front, 25 April, p. 396; No. 449, Churchill–Stalin, need for declaration recording defeat and unconditional surrender of Germany, 28 April, p. 400; No. 450, Churchill–Stalin on the Polish question, 28 April, pp. 406–7; No. 452, Stalin–Churchill, in response to No. 449, no objection to publication of declaration on German defeat, 29 April, p. 407; No. 454, Stalin–Churchill, instructions when Soviet troops come into contact with Allied troops, 2 May, p. 409; No. 456, Stalin–Churchill, on the Polish question and the arrest of General Okulicki: failure to consider Polish Provisional Government as basis for future Government of National Unity ‘precludes possibility of an agreed decision on the Polish question’, 4 May, pp. 410–12; No. 461, Churchill-Stalin, 8 May to be treated as VE Day, 7 May, pp. 414–15; No. 462, Stalin-Churchill, Soviet command wishes to wait until German surrender takes effect before victory announcement, 7 May, p. 415; No. 463, Churchill-Stalin, cannot postpone announcement for 24 hours, need for Parliament to be informed of signing at Reims, 8 May, p. 416.

Woodward, Sir Llewellyn,
British Foreign Policy in the Second World War
. V. See ch. LXVII(V), pp. 390–400, unconditional surrender of Germany, rapidity of final stages of German surrender, Churchill to Stalin on proceedings at Field-Marshal Alexander’s
HQ
, place of signing of Instrument of Surrender, Eisenhower refuses surrender on basis of German forces in the West, Jodl signing of Act of Military Surrender, Soviet approval withdrawn and suggestion of signing ceremony in Berlin, also Soviet requirement to wait until surrender actually effected on Eastern Front before any announcement, hence postponement until 7 pm Moscow time 9 May, Churchill’s announcement that he could not wait but not anxious to risk reproach from Stalin.

Official histories

IVOVSS
, 5, pt 1, ch. 8(3), establishment of ‘National Front’ with Czechs and Slovaks, the Prague rising, pp. 309–17; ch. 9(2), signing of the Act of Capitulation, pp. 349–59.

IVMV
, 10, pt 1, ch. 11(4), Prague operation, final liberation of Czechoslovakia, pp. 347–55; ch. 12(2), signing of the Act of Unconditional Surrender, pp. 364–8.