BERLIN’S LAST DEFENCES

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 April 1945, Page 5

BERLIN’S LAST DEFENCES

HARD FIGHTING IN CENTRE

RUSSIAN FURTHER CAPTURES

CIVILIANS’ PANIC DEVELOPING

LONDON, April 26. Moscow dispatches say that Russian forces in the eastern suburbs of Berlin are up against the inner defences covering the heart of the city, where guns are massed wheel to wheel against a network of barricades. The encirclement of Berbn was completed yesterday when Marshal Zhukov’s and Marshal Kornev s forces linked up north-west of Pots.dam, where street fighting is reported. The Russians have reached the Gorlitzer railway station, two miles south-east of Unter den Linden. The Moscow correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency said: “Berlin’s agony is ending. The Geiman defence in the west is crumbling and -the threat of a complete Russian break-through is imminent. Russian shells are falling inside Spandau and Charlottenburg, two of tne capitals most famous western suburbs, preliminary to a final concerted assault from all sides.” <irrbo Another correspondent said. Ihe panic in Berlin is terrible. While there was still one road of escape millions scrambled lor it. There were no police io keep order. They had been drafted into the defences, rhe Russian advance in the southern pari of ihe city caused unbelievable chaos and stampedes. Children everywhere were in danger of being trampled to death.”

OFFICIAL CLAIMS

A Russian communique says:— “Marshal Zhukov’s troops to-daj-(Wednesday) (captured the Berlin suburb of Falkenhagen and also the military barracks at Doebertiz. They also occupied the Berlin districts o± Treptow and Britz. South-west or Frankfurt-on-Oder they occupied Muhlrose and Friedland. . . “Marshal Kornev’s troops occupieu the districts of Dichterielde and Zeh-i-ndorf, in south-western .Beilin North of Kottbus, they occupied 40 inhabited places, including Peitz anct Priesen ‘ln the Bautzen area the Russian* renelled lai counter-attacking enemy forces and inflicted heavy 1O^ S SecSovakia, north-west of “'“Marata/Zhukov’s forces yesterday took 3500 prisoners and captured 2J i aeroplanes, 110 field-guns, and 1100 lorries. Marshal Kornev forces took 300 prisoners and captured 21 aeio Planes and 70 field-guns.

SCENES TN THE CENTRE

LONDON, April 26. Reuters Moscow correspondent says that the first Russian detachments have reached the centre of Berlin. Four parallel columns of Russian troops, tanks, lorries and amphibious vehicles are still jamming the main highways leading into Beilin More and more Russian ieginients are hastily pouring into the city, afraid of being cheated ol a part in the final battle. The Moscow radio war reporter in Berlin savs that no solid irontis lelt in the capital. There are Russian military policemen m one directing traffic, while in the next street there is lively fighting against the last remaining centres ol German resistance. Russian tommy-;gunne are patrolling the streets which have been cleared to make sure that Geiman soldiers are still not hiding in h °Another Russian correspondent reports that two German armoured trains are seeking to hold the advance as the Red Army nears the city s centre. Stormoviks are battering them. 'The Frankfurter Allen and the Landsbergallee. which have been the scene of some of the toughest fighting now sport white flags. From the ruins the Germans are increasing artillcry fire from the centre of the city, meaning that the Unter Den Linden and the Tiergarten are now artillery posts. The Red Army has reached the region of the Gorlitzer station, Berlin’s south-eastern terminus. More of Marshal Koniev s troops have broken out of the captured suburb of Lichterfelde. One group headed northward past the botanica gardens into Dehlem, towards Charlottenburg. Another group drove north-east up the Berlin-Magdeburg railway to Steglitz, while a third group joined the forces attacking the Tempelhof area. . The Hamburg radio announced that Colonel Schalte, Group Com mander of the eastern section of tne Berlin police, and another Berlin police chief nameci Hade, had been killed leading police units in the defence of the capital. Moscow messages says a hnk-up between the forces of Marshals Zhukov and Koniev occurred near Ketzin 25 miles west of Berlin, and that the combined forces have already advanced at least five miles farther W The German-controlled Scandinavian Telegram Bureau reports Russian armies penetrated deeply into Mecklenburg province.

END IN SIGHT

NO QUARTER GIVEN

(Rec. 11.40 a ' m '^ ONDONi April 26

The end is coming in Berlin now —entire German companies and platoons are surrendering, states the British United Press Moscow correspondent. The garrisons’ will to light has been crushed in one ol the most terrific city battles in history- There are slogans like: “We shall never give in,” on crumbled walls, but the laces of’ the endless columns of prisoners tell a different story. In the heart of the city, however, fanatics, mostly S.S. men, are fighting on. The Russians make short'work of those, who refuse, to surrender. Mercy is neither granted nor wanted in this furious battled Barricades protecting the centre off the city are falling fast under the de- 1 vastatfng gunfire. The last exits have, been sealed off and there can be no possible escape for the Nazis. 1 If Hitler is inside the Russians will oc-t him, dead or alive. The Russians 1 in one part of the city found some planes with the motors still warm. 1 They were apparently intended for a last-minute escape for prominent, Nazjs. . . Thousands ol terror-stricken j refugees are trying to run through the living hell from the German lines into; the Russian occupied districts, but' some of these so-called refugees are spies and saboteurs and have been found carrying radio transmitters and signal flares. Cases of treachery have caused the Red Army men to double their vigilance in searching for Nazi leaders. For example the “pastor” of a church in an eastern suburb who greeted the Russians with benign smiles turned out to be a disguised Nazi fanatic who was directing German gunfire by a radio in the church. Russian assault units swarming across the Spree are being followed, up by tank-borne infantry and artil-1 lery plungin’' in the direction of the Tiergarten. Sappers have replaced blown bridges in a matter of hours. A Russian correspondent just back from Berlin said that the artillery barrage of the heart of Berlin was so terrible, that whole blocks of stone

buildings were simply dissolving into atoms. “Berlin is a wilderness worse than Stalingrad, Warsaw or Sebastopol.” Another Russian correspondent said that the Germans were now bombing their own capital by divebombing the Russian attackers.

WHEREABOUTS OF HITLER.

BUSY IN BERLIN?

(Rec. noon) LONDON, April 26. Monster Stalin heavy tanks and heavy mobile guns are doing most of the hammering at the strongly-built buildings in w"nich the German garrison is making the last stand, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. The battle in many sectors is a series of isolated sieges against big office blocks, apartment houses and rail stations. The Russians have been told how to deal with any highranking Nazis. It is hoped to take Hitler alive, but Soviet artillery is concentratedly shelling the area where it is thought likely that Hitler has established headquarters. The German radio to-day insisted that Hitler is in Berlin, one speaker referring to Hitler as fighting with his last forces. The Scandinavian Telegram Bureau said that Hitler daily received commanders in underground headquarters, where he heard reports, gave orders, and decorated those who distinguished themselves. What may be one of the last official German broadcasts from inside Berlin was relayed by the Hamburg radio this afternoon. Dr. Naumann, Secretary of State to Goebbels’ Propaganda Ministry, said: “The highest ranking generals of the German Army are personally directing the defenders of Berlin in their difficult task. Only now do we realise how happy and contented we were in 1938/39. We for more than live and a half years have taken upon ourselves unspeakable suffering.” The Hamburg radio this afternoon declared: “The German capital is aflame.”

Late dispatches quoted by the Associated Moscow correspondent say the Russians seized the radio station inside Berlin. The Russians in the north-western sector of Berlin captured artillery grounds and penetrated J ting fernheath, north of Charlottenburg, and also deeply penetrated the Treptow district, aiDproaching the Berlin garrison's parade grounds. An “Evening News” reporter, in a dispatch written in a plane over Berlin, says: “Although our Mosquito is streaking over the blackened waste of Berlin at a great altitude, the scene below is awe-inspiring. A huge fire, the leaping brilliance of which is visible at 21,000 feet, has spread all over the south-western part of Berlin. Five or six other great regions of fire from which vast plumes of smoke are rising, are burning to the west and north-west.” AERIAL ENCOUNTERS

LONDON, April 26. The Luftwaffe yesterday, put up a larger number of fighters than recently in the endeavour to protect the German movement to screen Berlin. R.A.'F. Spitfires north-west of the city, in one combat, were outnumbered by five to one. They, without loss, destroyed eight of the forty-five 'enemy aircraft encountered.

GERMAN GENERAL’S APPEAL

LONDON, April 25. General Heinrich Kirchheim, of the German army, broadcasting over the Luxemburg radio, addressed Marshal Keitel, urging him to induce Hitler to end the -war. “You are the Fuehrer’s highest military adviser,” he said. “Do not uselessly sacrifice your men in Bremen and Holland. Your task demands no less courage than that of the front line troops, but you can die a hero’s death. The German people will be thankful for such a sacrifice.”

IN OTHER AREAS.

RUSSIANS TAKE BRNO

(Rec. 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, April 26

With the battle of Berlin drawing to a close, Mr. Stalin has announced two other Soviet successes, the capture of Brno and the capture of Stettin. The order, of the day on the capture of Brno addressed to Marshal Malinovsky says that troops of the Second Ukrainian Front, continuing their offensive by a skilfully executed out-flanking manoeuvre, combined with a frontal assault to-day captured the capital of Moravia, Brno, a large industrial' centre, important rail junction and powerful strongpoint in the German defences. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that by the capture of Brno Prague is now directly threatened from the south-east, besides from the north. The Red Army southward of Bautzen is preparing for a southward drive along the several good roads to Prague, 75 miles away. Brno lies 112 miles south-eastward of Prague, and has good roads and also two alternative railway routes leading to Prague. German counter-attacks in the Bautzen sector have become very strong, but are being hurled back with heavy losses. f

STETTIN CAPTURED

RUGBY, April 26.

Stettin, at the mouth of the Oder River, has fallen. Mr. Stalin, announcing this in an order of the day, says: Troops of the 2nd White Russian Front also occupied 7 Gartz, Penkun, Lasekow and Schwedt, thereby breaking through the strong German defence area on the western bank of the river and advancing 19 miles.

GERMANS OUT OF FINLAND

(Recd. 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, April 26. The Norwegian Information Office has received official news from Sweden that Finns have driven the last German troops from Finland at a point where the Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian frontiers meet. The greater part of the Germans’ ■-so-called Lapland army was lost in the retreat.