Last defenders of the Reichstag?

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Edward L. Hsiao
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Re: Last defenders of the Reichstag?

#16

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 13 Sep 2020, 08:03

Too bad there were no memoirs from the Kriegsmarine sailors that were part of the last defenders of the Reichstag. They fought well and hard against the Soviets despite not well trained.
Edward L. Hsiao

Lasse
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Re: Last defenders of the Reichstag?

#17

Post by Lasse » 18 Sep 2020, 15:24

Well, I can give you a name of two of the last defenders. To the right of the destroyed Nordland tank you see a body. The body belongs to a Swedish volunteer Unterscharführer Ragnar ”the giraff” Johansson, born in Skövde. He fought from 1941 to may 2nd 1945 and was the driver to the Swedish Hauptsturmführer Hans-Gösta Pehrsson Apparently he was a nice guy and very strong, used to smash bricks with his fist.

The picture is from when the last defenders tried to break through the Soviet circle. The vehicle was hit by a russian tank and broke down. Hans-Gösta Pehrsson was first to exit the vehicle. Johansson was second but a soviet hand grenade detonated and killed him. Pehrsson and some other Swedes manage to escape Berlin and got back to Sweden.

Its in interesting story. If i remember right Pehrsson hid inside a dark wardrobe when the russians came and found him. When he was going to surrender to a certain death, he found a Wehrmacht uniform in the darkness and quickly changed clothing. He got caught but managed to escape.
Sorry, but it is not Johansson. This is a claim which originated from Ingmar Somberg, who served in the Stab/AA11; he made a lot of false claims post-war (amongst other having participated since Barbarossa and been present pretty much at every significant event involving Swedish SS-Volunteers). In fact, he joined the SS in early 1943. His claim concerning Johansson was basically that "the man is a unterscharführer and must therefore be Johansson". Pehrsson himself made no claim that he saw Johansson die, only that he saw him fall. Pehrsson was uncertain whether he was unharmed, wounded or dead. Other sources claim that Johansson managed to make his way to the Swedish embassy in Berlin, but was not allowed entrence as he was wounded and dressed in a SS-uniform. The next day he was found close-by. It can also be noted that the SPW in the photo is a mortar halftrack, originally from the third company. The mortar platoon of the third company was led by SS-Uscha. Erik Wallin, and was transferred from the third to the fifth company during the reorganisation at Oder. Therefore, it is more likely that the vehicle, when knocked-out, was rather a part of the fifth company.

Pehrssons story concerning his capture is also likely to be a bit less dramatic. The version presented by you originates from the book Twillight of the Gods by Erik Wallin (who also participated in the defence of Berlin). Himself Pehrsson claimed that he hid for a few days until finally surrendering to a Soviet patrol he met on the street. Likely, he got rid of his uniform long before.

For more information concerning the Swedes involved in the battle of Berlin I can recommend my book Hitlers Swedes.


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Harro
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Re: Last defenders of the Reichstag?

#18

Post by Harro » 18 Sep 2020, 19:40

Great info, Lasse!

Halfdan S.
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Re: Last defenders of the Reichstag?

#19

Post by Halfdan S. » 19 Sep 2020, 10:57

Lasse wrote:
18 Sep 2020, 15:24
Other sources claim that Johansson managed to make his way to the Swedish embassy in Berlin, but was not allowed entrence as he was wounded and dressed in a SS-uniform. The next day he was found close-by.
Pretty much the same story is told about Danish SS-Ustuf. Johannes Brennecke.

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Halfdan S.

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Sheldrake
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Re: Last defenders of the Reichstag?

#20

Post by Sheldrake » 19 Sep 2020, 12:10

According to the source in post #6 Willi Rogmann and some of his comrades exfiltrated, hid in a friend's house and changed into civilian clothes and pretended to be polish prisoners. Rogman claimed to have been picked up by some Russian officers who asked him if he knew where the Reichstag was and, if so, would he act as their guide. If his story is true, he has to have been the last defender of the Reichstag as he was still there the day after it was captured....

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Re: Last defenders of the Reichstag?

#21

Post by Lasse » 22 Sep 2020, 14:07

Sheldrake wrote:
19 Sep 2020, 12:10
According to the source in post #6 Willi Rogmann and some of his comrades exfiltrated, hid in a friend's house and changed into civilian clothes and pretended to be polish prisoners. Rogman claimed to have been picked up by some Russian officers who asked him if he knew where the Reichstag was and, if so, would he act as their guide. If his story is true, he has to have been the last defender of the Reichstag as he was still there the day after it was captured....
Well, he was not alone - Swedish Kriegsberichter SS-Uscha. Sten Eriksson was brought to the Reichstag for interrogation. Having followed Rgt. "Denmark" into Berlin he found his role as SS-KB useless, and instead acted as melder. He ditched his SS uniform in the Tiergarten together with a norwegian colleauge and switched to civilian clothes. After capture by a Soviet patrol Eriksson was brought to the Reichstag for interrogation, and claimed to be a civilian journalist. He was finally believed and released, according to himself as he knew the location of the international press association in Berlin.

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Re: Last defenders of the Reichstag?

#22

Post by Hisfern » 18 Mar 2024, 11:08

phillip burke wrote:
17 Mar 2017, 14:46
According to Tragedy of the Faithful about 600 members of Nordland fell back to the inner ring on the night of 27th April,According to statements by Dr Krukenberg the regiments were filled out with Hitlerjugend,Volkssturm and men who had become sepereated from all units of the Whermacht. So to be honest out of those 600 i reckon a dozen max Norwegions fought around the Reichstag. These posistions where defended by Kampfgruppe Mohnke.Also from the Berlin Bunker by James P.O Donnell ,statement by Professor Ernst-Guenther Schenck, ''On the opersting table itself,and while making visits to my two wards nearby , i came upon a medley of uniforms.In addition to my old unit L.A.H ,there were veterans and young recruits from such strange units as SS Panzer Division Nordland ,made uip almost entirely of Scandinavians, the 15th SS Latvian Fusilier Battalion,SS Denmark Regiment, the Charlemagne Division, SS Flanders Storm Brigade,Belgian,Flemish,even a few stragglers of the old Spanish Blue Division''.
According to Tony le Tissier's book about the French SS and Antony Beevor's book about the Battle of Berlin, what was left of the French SS men of the SS Sturm-Battalion Charlemagne (from the 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne, not entire division fought in Berlin), around 30-60 of them, were defending "Reich Chancellery" areas at the end of April 1945.

I just want to leave this info here due to a widespread misunderstanding among WW2 enthusiasts these days trying to claim what was left of the French SS was defending the Reichstag.

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Re: Last defenders of the Reichstag?

#23

Post by spannermann » 19 Mar 2024, 19:01

Lasse wrote:
18 Sep 2020, 15:24
[b""]The next day he was found close-by. It can also be noted that the SPW in the photo is a mortar halftrack, originally from the third company. The mortar platoon of the third company was led by SS-Uscha. Erik Wallin, and was transferred from the third to the fifth company during the reorganisation at Oder. Therefore, it is more likely that the vehicle, when knocked-out, was rather a part of the fifth company."" [/b]

The Sdkfz 250, tactical number 339, is not a Mortar carrier, if it were it would not have a front MG and shield, as that would interfere with the firing of the mortar. Although 339 does have the Y shaped carrying bracket on the rear hull, it would be for carrying a Lafette 42, so that the vehicles MG could be dismounted and used a a heavy MG.

cheers



spannermann
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Re: Last defenders of the Reichstag?

#24

Post by spannermann » 19 Mar 2024, 21:32

Hi,
Additionally Wallin, the mortar troop leader, was in the 4th (mortar) troop of the 3rd Company, whereas the halftrack number 339, therefore it is in the 3rd troop of the 3rd company, which is MG orientated..

cheers

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