DK - World War II Map by Map

242 ENDGAME AND AFTERMATH 1944–1955

El

be

Ne

iss

e

Elb

e

O

de

r

Spree

Sp

re

e

1st US

Army

9th US

Army

German

12th Army German

9th Army

German 3rd

Panzer Army

2nd British Army

1st Ukrainian

Front

1st Belorussian

Front

2nd Belorussian

Front

Stralsund

Ribnitz

Mecklenburg Neubrandenburg

Güstrow

Wismar

Dresden

Kamenz

Potsdam

Brandenburg

Ketzin

Prenzlau

Friedland

Wittenberge

Pritzwalk

Stettin

Schwedt

Küstrin

Frankfurt-

an-der-Oder

Rostock

Luckau

Beelitz

Elsterwerda

Torgau

Herzberg

Wittenberg

Dessau

Halle

Berlin

Oranienburg

Waren

Demmin

Greifswald

Swinemünde

G R

E A T E R

G E

R M A N Y

BERLIN

Ministry of

the Interior

(Gestapo)

Humboldt

Basin

Tiergarten

Hitler’s

bunker

Spr

ee

R

iv

er

Brandenburg

Gate

Reichstag

Lehrter

Station

Hall of

Congress

Reichs

Chancellery

18th

Panzergrenadier

3rd

Shock

Army

8th Guards Army

1st Ukrainian

Front

BERLIN SURROUNDED

Three Soviet armies punched through German

defenses and swept across Germany, rapidly

encircling Berlin and cutting the city off.

Apr 16–19 Battle of Seelow Heights;

around 1 million Soviet soldiers

attack the defenses known as the

“Gates of Berlin.”

Apr 26

Rokossovsky

captures Stettin.

Apr 24–May 1

The Battle of Halbe

claims the lives

of 60,000 soldiers

on each side,

as well as up to

10,000 civilians.

Apr 26 The 3rd Panzer

Army is pinned down at

Mecklenburg.

Apr 25 Soviet

armies meet

at Ketzin.

Apr 25 Soviet and

US armies meet at

Torgau (see p.238).

May 2 The British capture

Wismar; Rokossovsky reaches

the city five days later.

BERLIN ENCIRCLED APRIL 20–28, 1945

Zhukov’s forces swept west around the north of

Berlin, while Konev advanced from the south, nearly

trapping the German 9th Army; Konev sent a

spearhead to join the 1st US Army at Torgau. When

the two Soviet armies met at Ketzin on April 25,

Berlin was encircled. Hitler ordered the 12th Army

to advance to Potsdam, join the retreating 9th

Army, and counterattack the Soviets. The plan was

a disaster. The 9th Army was cut off and massacred

in the forests near Halbe, and their remnants joined

the 12th Army only to retreat toward the Elbe.

4

Combined

Soviet advance

Apr 20–25

Battle

of Halbe

US advance

to Torgau

German pockets

German 12th

Army advance

German 9th

Army break out

German 12th

Army retreat

◁ Berlin taken

The Soviet flag is raised over

the Reichstag. This photo, taken

by Yevgeny Khaldei on May 2,

became an iconic image of the war.

1

Battle of

Seelow Heights

1st Belorussian Front

advance, Apr 16–19

THE BATTLE OF SEELOW HEIGHTS

APRIL 16–19, 1945

The final drive on Berlin began on April 16 with a

huge artillery and aerial bombardment of German

positions to the east of the capital. Zhukov’s 1st

Belorussian Front attacked from the east but

became entangled in the defenses around the

Seelow Heights, suffering heavy losses. They broke

through the last line of the Seelow defenses on

April 19, leaving nothing between them and Berlin.

2

1st Ukrainian Front advance,

Apr 16–19

PROGRESS TO THE SOUTH

APRIL 16–19, 1945

While Zhukov was engaged at Seelow, where

he lost some 30,000 troops and hundreds of

tanks, the 1st Ukrainian Front under Konev was

making progress south-east of Berlin. By April 18,

Konev had crossed the Spree River and elements

of his force were moving north-west toward

Berlin, hoping to capture the city before Zhukov’s

forces could reach it.

3

2nd Belorussian Front advance, Apr 18–May 7

NORTHERN ATTACKS

APRIL 18–MAY 7, 1945

To the north of Berlin, the 2nd Belorussian

Front under General Konstantin Rokossovsky

conducted a third offensive. After crossing the

marshy ground around the Oder River, the army

fanned out north-west toward Germany’s Baltic

coast. Caught by the Soviet advance, the German

3rd Panzer Army was successfully tied down

in Mecklenburg and prevented from going to

Berlin’s aid for the remainder of the campaign.

US_242-243_Fall_of_Berlin.indd 242 22/03/19 2:40 PM