last days in Berlin- a couple of stories: Baur & Mohnke

[gersdorff]

There are 2 great stories i'm keen to know a little more of -if anyone can assist ,,,,,


1 the quarrel Baur had with Speer when the latter flew out of Berlin for the last time.( quoted by toland and others I believe) about chopping down the trees so remaining planes could avoid russian guns.....

what primary sources are there for this ?

2 O'donnells book the berlin bunker recounts how Mohnkes breakout group encountered a jobsworth Reichsbahn official
who refused to unlock a metal gate under the Spree- thus forcing them above ground and to the Weidendammer Brücke ( where Bormann and Dr. Stumpfegger bought it ,Ha ! of such things is history made !!)
whats the primary source for this ? Mohnke ? did Traudl Junge ever mention it ?,,,,and has the jobsworth ever come forward or been tracked down ?!

thanks in advance

[John Toner]

In 'The Last Battle' by Cornelius Ryan, it says that Speer was angry because lamp-posts were being chopped down to provide landing strips.

John

[wartourist]

Hans Baur, Hitler's pilot, mention the tree-cutting and Speer's reaction on p. 179 of his memoir. He does get the incident mixed up with the subsequent landing of von Greim/Reitsch though, so perhaps his memory wasn't the best...

The tale of the two stalwart railroad officials who prevented Mohnke's group to pass the Spree tunnel (a story I find quite unbelievable) allegedly stems from O'Donnell's interview with ... Mohnke.

[seaburn]

Very hard to believe Mohnke would not have pulled rank and a pistol in that circumstance .