An extensive list of Volkssturm-Bataillons?

[Larry D.]

Hi Mark,

Thank you for your Post #1578, above. Hopefully, our exchange will help inspire a prospective author to tackle this project and use this hoard of primary documentation compiled by you and Sven30. As we are all sadly aware, books last longer than internet sites which have a tendency to come and go - over the past 21 years I've seen a lot of good ones disappear. Unfortunately, that prospective author I mentioned cannot be me as I'm too old (83½).

Coincidentally, you have a compatriot researcher/author and friend of mine who lives in Northwestern Australia about an hour inland from the coast. Dr. Andrew Arthy is a highly acclaimed and respected author of numerous books and articles on the Luftwaffe. Once every year, except for last year, of course, he packs his bags and flies to the European archives to do research and digitally photograph thousands of documents.

Keep up the good work, Mark!

Larry deZ.

[Germanicus]

What was the TOE for a Volkssturm Company.

Presumably they strived for some consistency?

Were they all light infantry or did they have some Supporting elements ?

Dear Brady I posted the theoretical composition of a Volkssturm Company way back in time.

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=192705&hilit=Volks ... &start=480

https://erenow.net/ww/handbook-on-germa ... e-1/12.php

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=192705&hilit=Volks ... &start=210

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=192705&hilit=Volks ... &start=180

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=192705&hilit=Volks ... &start=150

Yes the Volkssturm was designed for consistency however the following is the actuality

"It is difficult to determine definitely the tables of organization for militia units as these will vary greatly in accordance with local conditions and
the manpower and weapons available, but indications from the front lines point toward the following average tables of organization for the basic militia unit, the Militia Battalion".

I hope this helps.

Most respectfully

Mark

[Germanicus]

Hi Mark,

Thank you for your Post #1578, above. Hopefully, our exchange will help inspire a prospective author to tackle this project and use this hoard of primary documentation compiled by you and Sven30. As we are all sadly aware, books last longer than internet sites which have a tendency to come and go - over the past 21 years I've seen a lot of good ones disappear. Unfortunately, that prospective author I mentioned cannot be me as I'm too old (83½).

Coincidentally, you have a compatriot researcher/author and friend of mine who lives in Northwestern Australia about an hour inland from the coast. Dr. Andrew Arthy is a highly acclaimed and respected author of numerous books and articles on the Luftwaffe. Once every year, except for last year, of course, he packs his bags and flies to the European archives to do research and digitally photograph thousands of documents.

Keep up the good work, Mark!

Larry deZ.

Dear Larry deZ

I agree wholeheartedly with what you have said 'As we are all sadly aware, books last longer than internet sites which have a tendency to come
and go - over the past 21 years I've seen a lot of good ones disappear'. My dear friend, I utilise the Internet Archive https://web.archive.org/ Wayback Machine to look at old websites. I can assure you it has worked a gem. It is not entirely perfect, however I have found some interesting finds, not only on the Volkssturm, yet other topics on the Wehrmacht from old websites that have disappeared. For those not aware it takes you
back to a time when it was accessible .

I take my hat off to you - 83 1/2 and I hope you live a long time more.

Wow Dr Andrew Arthy sounds like a most interesting person, I envy him to be able to do what he does. I can assure you North Western Australia is
a most rugged environment. I would think Broome or surrounding area is the good Dr Arthy's place of abode. When I read of such, I can only
imagine what his archives would look like. An Aladin's cave on the Luftwaffe I would think.

Again, my Dear Friend thank you for your kind words.

Most respectfully

Mark

Ps to have an author delve into the Deutsche Volkssturm Einheit and produce something definitive would be an exciting prospect. Someone based in Germany with access to the actual archives would help

[Germanicus]

Das Kriegsende 1945 im Westteil des Warthelandes und im Osten der Neumark Karl Hielscher

Volkssturm-Bataillon 36/35 Birnbaum
Volkssturm-Bataillon 36/47 Neutomischel
Volkssturm-Bataillon 36/49 Opalenitza/Oppenbach
Volkssturm-Bataillon 36/65
Volkssturm-Bataillon 36/147 Samter
Berliner Volkssturm-Bataillon Wedding-Wilmersdorf im Gebiet Samter—Scharfenort in Kreis Birnbaum
Volkssturm-Bataillon Guben
1. Aufgebot des Meseritz Volkssturm
Betsche Volkssturm

The fate of the Brandenburg Volkssturm

When on 20./21. January the Brandenburg hometown troops through the keyword "Gneisenau" was mobilized at the same time
called the Volkssturm in the Neumark.

But other than in the Warta -The [Brandenburg] battalions were not shipped out of the country, but closer to home. Unfortunately there is
little about the fate of the Volkssturm of the Meseritz and Schwerin districts are only imperfect Reports.

https://www.zfo-online.de/portal/index. ... 4659/4658/

[Germanicus]

Woldenberg (Neumark)

Division Woldenberg“ war – soweit bislang bekannt – zusammengewürfelt aus (Bat = Bataillon, KG = Kampfgruppe, Kp = Kompanie, Pak = Panzerabwehrkanone):

Alarm Regiment von Oertzen des ULWK II aus Neustettin (2 Bat., 1 Stabskp., Alarm Kompanie Kfz. Abt. 2 aus Stettin).
Alarm Bat. Kaldrack der Heeres- Unteroffiziers-Schule aus Arnswalde (2 Kp. PG mit Holzgenerator SPW).
Alarm Bat. 4 Wegner aus Kolberg.
Alarm Bat. des Grenadier Ersatz Bat. 322 aus Schwerin (Mecklenburg) – 3 Kompanien. Diese erreichten am 27.1.1945 den Einsatzraum Hochzeit.
Genesenden Kompanie des Ersatz Bat. 94 aus Köslin.
KG Hauschulz (400 Urlauber und Versprengte) aus Kreuz.
2. Kp. Hoffman des Pionier-Ersatz und Ausbildungs Bat. 2 aus Podejuch.
Teile des Grenzregiments 20. (?)
Landesschützen Bat. 255 aus Woldenberg. (?)

Volkssturm Bataillon aus Rostock und Wismar (600 Mann).
Volkssturm Kompanie Schauseil aus Woldenberg. Aus den Tagebuch-Aufzeichnungen von Ernst Prochnow wissen wir, daß der Woldenberger
Volkssturm am 26. Januar 1945 nach Steinbusch gebracht wurde: „Sollte wohl dort Krieg führen. In Gruppen und einzeln hatten die Männer aber glücklicherweise sich westwärts verkrümelt“, notierte Prochnow 1945. Zwei Tage später, am 28. Januar sah er dann bei Kölzig Lehrer und Volkssturmführer Schauseil auf der Flucht nach Westen...
Volkssturm Kompanie aus Friedeberg.

I/ALR 1 aus Groß Born (2 Batterien).

http://www.woldenberg-neumark.eu/St/Div ... nberg.html

[Germanicus]

Festung Stettin Volkssturm Einheit Scharping

https://www.ebay.de/itm/402138603918?mk ... olid=10050

[Germanicus]

Volkssturm-Bataillon 36/35

Das Volkssturm-Bataillon 36/35 wurde am 18. Januar 1945 in Birnbaum, Reichsgau Wartheland für den Endkampf um Deutschland aufgestellt. Von Jagows Kompanieführer waren Hauptmann d. R. Erich Voß, Unteroffizier Ernst Otto Achatz von Kerssenbrock und Rittmeister d. R. Sigmund von
Willich, Schwiegervater des jungen Bernhard von Humboldt-Dachröden, Sohn des Generalmajors Bernhard Wilhelm Alexander Constantin
Freiherr von Humboldt-Dachroeden. Das verstärkte Bataillon wurde während den Kampfhandlungen zerschlagen. Eine große Zahl von Volkssturmmännern wurde von den Russen als angebliche „Partisanen“ einfach erschossen.

Nur 268 Mann bildeten das Bataillon, da ein Teil zurückgestellt wurde – die Forstverwaltung hielt ihre Männer zurück. So konnten nur 206 Mann ausrücken. Erkennungsmarken konnten nicht mehr ausgegeben, sondern nur Stammrollen angelegt werden. Die Männer wurden mit russischen Beutegewehren, ausreichend Patronen und 75 Panzerfäusten bewaffnet. Eingekleidet wurden sie mit Soldatenmänteln und Mützen sowie mit Koppeln. Wie das Kriegsrecht es vorsah, waren sie als Volkssturm durch Armbinde zu erkennen. Am Abend des 18. Januar 1945 verladen, kam das Bataillon am 19. Januar 1945 früh in Wilhelmsbrück an der Prosna an. Dort geriet es sofort in Kampfberührung mit der Roten Armee. In einer
dünnen Hauptkampflinie, untermischt mit Soldaten des Heeres und Männern des Reichsarbeitsdienstes, angelehnt an das Volkssturm-Bataillon
Nr. 65 Kempen, verteidigte sich das Bataillon drei Tage lang. Gleich nach dem Ausladen des Bataillons war Rittmeister d. R. von Willich aus Gorschin mit zwei Mann auf Spähtrupp über die Prosna gegangen, von wo er nicht zurückkehrte. Auch der letzte Kompanieführer Ernst von Kerssenbrock aus Kwiltsch/Lärchensee (Lebensrune.png 1901) war vor dem Feind geblieben. Am 21.01.1945 war das Btl. zersprengt und musste zurückgenommen werden. Hauptmann der Reserve Erich Voß, der das Bataillon nach von Jagows Verwundung übernommen hatte, gelangte mit 21 Mann in die Festung Breslau. Dort schwer verwundet, verstarb er Ende Juni 1945. Über die Gesamtverluste des Bataillons ist nichts näheres bekannt. Doch sind mehrere Männer gefallen, andere von den Russen völkerrechtswidrig hingerichtete und andere in russische Kriegsgefangenschaft geraten, vor allem jene, die noch nach Breslau gelangt waren. Einige Versprengte waren von der Gendarmerie auch nach Hause geschickt worden.


Translation

Volkssturm battalion 36/35

The Volkssturm Battalion 36/35 was set up on January 18, 1945 in Birnbaum, Reichsgau Wartheland for the final battle for Germany. Jagow's company commanders were Captain d. R. Erich Voss, Sergeant Ernst Otto Achatz von Kerssenbrock and Rittmeister d. R. Sigmund von Willich,
father-in-law of the young Bernhard von Humboldt-Dachröden, son of Major General Bernhard Wilhelm Alexander Constantin Freiherr von
Humboldt-Dachroeden. The reinforced battalion was crushed during the fighting. A large number of Volkssturm men were simply shot by the
Russians as alleged "partisans".

Only 268 men formed the battalion, as part of it was deferred - the forest administration withheld its men. So only 206 men could move out. Identification tags could no longer be issued, only master rolls could be created. The men were armed with Russian booty rifles, sufficient
cartridges and 75 bazookas. They were dressed in soldiers' coats and hats, as well as with paddocks. As provided by martial law, they could be recognized as a Volkssturm through an armband. Loaded on the evening of January 18, 1945, the battalion arrived early on January 19, 1945 in Wilhelmsbrück an der Prosna. There it immediately came into combat contact with the Red Army. The battalion defended itself for three days in a thin main battle line, mixed with soldiers from the army and men from the Reich Labor Service, based on Volkssturm battalion No. 65 Kempen. Immediately after the battalion was unloaded, Rittmeister d. R. von Willich from Gorschin went with two men on a scouting party across the
Prosna, from where he did not return. The last company commander Ernst von Kerssenbrock from Kwiltsch / Lärchensee (Lebensrune.png 1901)
had also stayed in front of the enemy. On January 21, 1945 the bag was blown up and had to be taken back. Captain of the reserve Erich Voss, who had taken over the battalion after von Jagow's wound, reached the fortress of Breslau with 21 men. Seriously wounded there, he died at the end of June 1945. Nothing is known about the total losses of the battalion. However, several men were killed, others executed by the Russians in violation of international law and others taken prisoner by Russia, especially those who had reached Wroclaw. The gendarmerie had also sent some stragglers home.

https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Jagow,_Dietrich_von

[Germanicus]

New finds and additional information

Volkssturm-Bataillon Nr. 527 in Prag

https://research.uni-leipzig.de/aginter ... _Heinz.pdf


Volkssturm-Bataillon 126 Radolfzell

https://www.radolfzell.de/addmindms/doc ... .pdf?fdl=1

Volkssturm im Kreis Deutsch Krone aufgestellt. Es soll je ein Bataillon in

Volkssturm-Bataillon Deutsch Krone
Volkssturm-Bataillon Jastrow
Volkssturm-Bataillon Märkisch Friedland
Volkssturm-Bataillon Schloppe
Volkssturm-Bataillon Tütz
Volkssturm-Bataillon Lebehnke

https://www.koenigsgnade.de/das-dorf-ko ... hichte-ii/

Volkssturm-Bataillon 16/292

Martin Jaene ab Oktober 1944 als demobilisierter Reserve-Offizier in die Organisation des Prenzlauer Volkssturms eingebunden. Als rangältester
Offizier wurde der Hauptmann der Reserve Jaene Ende des Jahres 1944 Volkssturm-Standortführer und Kommandeur des (Prenzlauer) Volkssturm-Bataillon 16/292.

Entsprechend überlieferten Zeugenberichten hat Martin Jaene dafür Sorge getragen, dass der Volkssturm bei der Besetzung Prenzlaus durch die Rote Armee am 26./27. April 1945 die Stadt nicht zu verteidigen versuchte. So half er, sinnloses, weiteres Blutvergießen zu vermeiden.

Noch kurz nach der Besetzung, am 27. April 1945 soll Martin Jaene noch einmal von Augenzeugen im Prenzlauer Stadtgebiet gesehen worden sein. Laut einem DRK-Suchantrag aus dem Jahr 1951 gab Martin Jaene seine letzte Nachricht am 28.4.1945 aus Prenzlau als Volkssturmführer beim Volkssturm Prenzlau ab.

https://www.uckermaerkischer-geschichts ... AP_web.pdf

Volkssturm-Bataillon Jerichow II

http://studgendeutsch.blogspot.com/2011 ... n-den.html

Volkssturm-Bataillon 16/42 [Bunzlau, Kreis Bunzlau / Reichsgau Niederschlesien]

https://www.forum-der-wehrmacht.de/inde ... lon-16-42/

Volkssturm-Bataillon 21/38 // Volkssturm-Bataillon Augustin [Reichsgau Niederschlesien, Breslau]

https://www.forum-der-wehrmacht.de/inde ... post745546

Volkssturm-Bataillon Berlin-Ruhleben [Ruhleben, Kreis Charlottendorf-Spandau / Reichsgau Berlin]

https://www.forum-der-wehrmacht.de/inde ... -ruhleben/

[Germanicus]

ERFASSUNGSBLÄTTER für Volkssturm-Bataillon 20/51/52, 2. Kompanie [I believe it is Volkssturm-Bataillon 20/57]

https://images.auex.de/img/6//1029/22381Q000.JPG


https://auktionen.felzmann.de/Auktion/K ... os=1759428

[Germanicus]

Ärztliche Benachrichtigung über ein verletzten Volkssturm Zugführer ,1945

https://www.ebay.de/itm/115090809429?ha ... SwAHBhjW0N

[Germanicus]

A most interesting read translated from Russian.

Storming of the Reichstag. Undesirable truth

Author Dmytro Volinets 15 May 2017

The Reichstag defended by the remnants of the 617th, 403rd, 407th and 421st Volkssturm battalions

From the very beginning, the real events around the storming of the Reichstag were carefully hushed up and distorted by official Soviet historiography.

In order not to lose the dignity of the leader, military historians had to somehow emphasize the strategic and political importance of the Reichstag. Therefore, it was told with what perseverance numerous SS men defended the Reichstag, although the defense there was held by old
men and boys from the Volkssturm.

There were more than enough reasons for this. First, the "infallible" leader Comrade Stalin himself was mistaken. He indicated the Reichstag as
the main target in the enemy's capital and the place over which it was necessary to hoist the banner of Victory. Not without incidents.
Babajanyan's tank corps received a combat mission to break through to the Reichstag. At the same time, the corps had to rush down the street
past the Reich Chancellery, where Hitler was still alive.

From the former splendor of the Reichstag by May 1945, almost nothing remained. For more than one year, the most ordinary office was located
in it - the medical archive, which was forced to share living space with a hospital, a maternity ward of the Charité clinic and a kindergarten.

The once chic Königsplatz square, lying between the Reichstag and the Opera House, was disfigured by unfinished construction. The open-line of
the metro formed a ditch filled with rainwater, and on the site of the unfinished pit for the new, straightened bed of the Spree River, a whole lake was formed. Along the ditch was a shaft of rock taken out during digging. Once impressive fountains have not worked for a long time and were
half-covered with various garbage.

In order not to lose the dignity of the leader, military historians had to somehow emphasize the strategic and political importance of the
Reichstag. Therefore, it was told with what perseverance numerous SS men defended the Reichstag, although the defense there was held by
old men and boys from the Volkssturm.

After the "Victory Banner" was tied closely with the Reichstag, the "lair of the beast", all political bodies, military and civilian, tirelessly repeated about the great importance of storming this particular building. The "Banner of Victory" could not fly over a third-rate object! Soviet writers were also thrown at the solution of this important ideological task.

Veterans, participants in the assault, contributed their share to the fog. First of all, those who received stars of heroes for the assault and for the banner. And even the most honest and decent veterans, who saw what was happening from one single point, from the place where they were personally, resolutely refuted others, no less honest and decent, but who were in a completely different place and saw something different.

Therefore, some historians, contrary to the pointing finger of the CPSU, tried to collect information from the participants in the storming of the Reichstag while they were still alive and well. The efforts of Ivan Dmitrievich Klimov, a member of the author's team who worked on the six-volume "History of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union 1941-1945", are known. The head of the Memoir Group of the Press Department of the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy, Colonel A. G. Kashchev, gave this argument (while the direct participants can tell something), in favor of writing a detailed and scientifically based version of the storming of the Reichstag.

Collected information from the participants of the assault and the commander of the 150th division, General V.M. Shatilov. He sent letters to his former sodats and officers asking them to describe their personal impressions, indicating at least an approximate time when what happened.

Both Klimov and Kashcheyev were costly to fight for historical truth. The nervous energy spent in an unequal struggle against the ideological overseers of the Communist Party led both historians to a premature death. General Shatilov was not threatened with this - his version fit into the Procrustean bed of the plot developed in GlavPU.

Nevertheless, whatever it was, the veterans of the storming of the Reichstag left a lot of memories of different quality and varying degrees of reliability. Many managed to circumvent censorship in some key episodes. And even by disciplined following the instructions of the Communist
Party guards, the authors of the memoirs allowed "punctures" that shed light of truth on certain events.

Let's try to restore how the storming of the Reichstag developed, at least in general terms. But in the beginning it is necessary to say a few words about some features of the architecture of this extraordinary building, which significantly influenced the course of the battle.

Features of the architecture of the Reichstag.

The Reichstag in plan resembles the letter "F", only not rounded, but "angular". Two courtyards-wells provide natural lighting for the halls and rooms whose windows overlook these courtyards. The parliament hall was on the central axis of the "letter", approximately in the middle. It was illuminated through a large and technically complex glazed ceiling, which ended with a grandiose dome. Also glazed. Lighting through the so-called skylights in the Reichstag was used quite widely for rooms without external walls. So on the glass, to a large extent, roof you do not run much. Moreover, by the time of the assault, the windows were broken. Nevertheless, most of the rooms had windows along the outer perimeter of the building, through which it was possible to admire the views of the capital. When preparing the building for defense, the windows were laid with bricks.

The Reichstag had 4 floors: "erdgeshos" - the ground floor. By our standards, a full first floor with large windows and high ceilings. In the memoir, it appears as "basement rooms", which had its reasons, as you will see later. "Hauptgeschos" - main floor. The name speaks for itself. On this floor was the meeting room of the Reichstag - the German Parliament. Obergeshos - upper floor. (According to our third). Some of the large halls of the Hauptgeschos had high ceilings ending at the level of the obergeshos ceilings. And, finally, the last floor is "zvishengeshos", which is translated most often as a mezzanine. "Zvishengeshos" our fighters mistook for the attic. It is worth recalling that the Germans, like the British, the second floor is called the first, the third second and so on. And the first floor is called "earthen". In order not to contradict the memoirs, in which the second floor is called the first, and the third - the second, we accept for this chapter the German names of the floors.

The Reichstag had 3 entrances and 2 transport entrances. The main entrance was located on the western facade. A large staircase led visitors arriving from Königsplatz, past beautiful fountains, directly to the "Hauptgeschos" - the main floor. After passing through a vast circular lobby, in
the center of which stood a huge sculpture of Bismarck, visitors entered the meeting room. Two more entrances, less pompous, although with chic staircases filled inside with figures of ancient warriors, were from the eastern and southern facades. The southern entrance was considered a deputy. Here, in order to climb the "Hauptgesches", there were also stairs, which, unlike the main entrance, were hidden in the depths of the building. On the north side of the building there was a transport passage to the courtyard. Our soldiers called it "arch". Another transport passage,
to another courtyard, was on the east side of the building, closer to the Tiergarten.

The Reichstag had a large number of maintenance personnel. The design of the building was conceived in such a way that the servants, moving in the performance of their official duties, did not intersect with the gentlemen of the deputies. Therefore, in the Reichstag there were a large number of service ladders and ladders by which it was possible to get to almost any point of the building without disturbing the chosen ones of the people. And the ground floor (erdgeshos), where the bulk of plumbers, electricians, cleaners, etc. were based, was reliably isolated from the upper floors. The building had 150-200 rooms of different size and purpose.

In his memoirs, the commander of the 756th regiment, F.M. Zinchenko, described his reflections before the assault:

... Of the four entrances to the Reichstag, the main one is the western one. He led, as it turned out, to the oval lobby, from which was the
entrance to the meeting room.

In total, in the Reichstag, in addition to the large meeting room and meeting rooms for factions, there were more than 500 different rooms and quarters, spacious basements.

... On the morning of April 30, a significant part of the city center was still in the hands of the Nazis. In the offensive zone of the 79th Corps, the most serious centers of resistance remained the Reichstag, the Krol-Oper, the Brandenburg Gate area, the northeastern part of the Tiergarten and the quarter of foreign embassies. All these points still interacted quite effectively with each other.

... The most convenient way to enter the Reichstag would be, of course, through one of the four entrances it has – western, northern, southern or eastern. The southern entrance was covered by strong flanking fire from large buildings located forty meters from this entrance and somewhat
east of it. The approaches to it were also under fire from tanks and direct fire. Our artillery and tanks could not suppress the firing points in these buildings, since they were covered by the walls of the Reichstag itself.

Attacking the northern entrance also made no sense. The 380th Regiment still had not reached the Reichstag from this side. In addition, enemy
units that had recently counterattacked us could, with support from the quarter of foreign embassies, make a new sortie at any time.

As for the eastern entrance, it overlooked the opposite side of the Reichstag, an area that was still completely in the hands of the Hitlerites. It is clear that this entrance was inaccessible to our firepower.

There was a western, main entrance, it is also the front one. In the proposed plan, it was supposed to break into the Reichstag through this entrance. Its location provided our units with a wide front of attack and the most complete fire support. In addition, for the cause for which we were here, only the main entrance was suitable, as someone joked.

Balance of power.

Before describing the assault, let's try to determine the balance of forces. S.A. Neustroev in his memoirs told how the Germans who surrendered
left the Reichstag. In total, the battalion counted 100-120 people. Taking as a basis the average German losses in Berlin, reaching 50%, it can be assumed that the Reichstag garrison numbered 200-240 people before the assault. According to the report of the Chief of Staff of the 79th Rifle Corps, the Reichstag defended by the remnants of the 617th, 403rd, 407th and 421st Volkssturm battalions.

On April 26, 5 anti-aircraft guns were transferred to the Reichstag, which proved to be a formidable anti-tank weapon. But after the Capture of the "Himmler House" by the morning of April 30, some of them became useless, because their positions were too close to our infantry and the crews were not at all protected from machine gun fire. Two guns were behind a ditch and one near the northeast corner of the Krol Opera. According to the testimony of A. Bessarab, despite their very disadvantageous position, the German artillerymen created many problems for the
advancing Soviet troops.

On April 28, a team of SS men appeared in the Reichstag, who caught and shot deserters. They "inspired" the Volkssturm to a stubborn defense.

What forces stormed the Reichstag by the Red Army? Chairman of the Council of Veterans of the 150th Division, General (in 1945 Junior Lieutenant) V.S. Ustyugov recalled:

At this time, the infantry (70-80 soldiers and officers) lined up in the courtyard of the "Himmler House". They received ammunition, commanders
set tasks, accepted replenishment. There were regiments - one name: in the 756th, in the battalion of Captain Neustroev there were 35 people,
in our 674th Lieutenant Colonel Plekhodanov was a little more - 75-80. In one of the battalions there was only Combat Major Logvinenko and two soldiers. The other battalions weren't much better. But combat missions were set, and they had to be carried out.

However, in the memoirs of the commander of the 674th regiment, Lieutenant Colonel A.D. Plekhodanov, other figures appear. According to him, there were 75 fighters in The badly battered battalion of Neustroev. And before the assault, Plekhodanov sets the task not only for Davydov, but
also for Logvinenko. So he did not have two fighters in the battalion, as Ustyugov writes. Most likely, not all soldiers were present at the formation.

S.A. Neustroev writes in his memoirs that on the morning of April 30, his battalion was housed in three large rooms of the "Himmler House". And if we rely on his conclusion that the garrison of the Reichstag was approximately equal in number to his battalion, then Neustroev should have had
200-250 fighters by the beginning of the assault. By 20.00 on April 30, The battalion of Neustroev received replenishment, a whole company - 100 people.To command the company Stepan Andreevich put senior sergeant I.Y.Syanov.

The battalion of K. Samsonov from the 380th regiment of the 171st division also had people no more than in the battalion of Davydov. In addition, two well-equipped groups consisting of experienced scouts, created by order of the commander of the 79th Corps, General S.N. Perevertkin, participated in the storming of the Reichstag. The groups, numbering 25 people, were commanded by Major M.M. Bondar and Captain V.N. Makov.

Based on the above contradictory data, a total of about 350 to 600 soldiers attacked the Reichstag on foot. But the Red Army had a huge
advantage in artillery, including heavy self-propelled gun, and tanks. There were 89 guns on direct fire alone. More could have been put in, but
there was not enough space. The 79th Corps had more than 1,000 guns at its disposal. If we take into account the shooting from closed positions, then the assault on the Reichstag was supported by about 130 guns.

First Assault.

On the morning of April 30, after night fighting, the 674th Regiment completely occupied the "Himmler House" and the first assault on the
Reichstag began almost without pause. The artillery had not yet pulled up, the people were very tired. I really wanted to sleep. The fact is that Zhukov ordered to fight in Berlin day and night. Of course, the parts replaced each other, but, nevertheless, fatigue accumulated.

A great advantage for the defenders was the vast open space in front of the Reichstag. The first assault was carried out by the forces of the Davydov and Logvinenko battalions from the 674th regiment.

The time of the beginning of the first assault on the Reichstag also differs in the memories of different participants. Platoon commander L. Litvak, from the company of P. Grechenkov (Davydov's battalion) recalled that the first assault began in the early morning. The Reichstag was hardly visible in the morning fog. Only the outline of a transformer booth located on this side of the ditch was unclear. But the commander of the 674th regiment, A. Plekhodanov, indicates in his article the time of the beginning of the first assault: 12.15 – 12.20. Informing at the same time that he moved his command post to the "Himmler house" only at 11.00.

V.Ustyugov says that the first assault went without any artillery preparation, at dawn. L. Litvak, on the contrary, claims that there was artillery training. And not one, but two! The second was carried out when his platoon lay down in the square before reaching the ditch. However, the
result is one – soldiers of two battalions of the 674th regiment were lying in the square, hiding in craters and behind other shelters in the square in front of the Reichstag.

Second assault.

In the second assault, after artillery training, which began at 13.00 and lasted half an hour, in addition to the already mentioned battalions of Davydov and Logvinenko, Samsonov's battalion from the 171st division and the reconnaissance platoon of the 674th regiment took part. By the end
of the artillery training, A. Plekhodanov ordered his chemists to put a smoke screen. With a successful shot, the massive front doors of the
Reichstag were knocked out.

The first to break into the Reichstag, at 13.35-13.40, the soldiers of two battalions lay in the square after the first assault. Leon Litvak recalled that he and his platoon from the lobby turned into the great hall to the right. So it was agreed before the assault: Plekhodanov's regiment storms the enemy in the right (southern) part of the building. Zinchenko's regiment is advancing in the center. And the 380th Regiment of the 171st Division (acting commander Major V.D. Shatalin) occupies the left part of the building.

The German troops defending Berlin adhered to the following tactics: they took refuge on the lower floors of buildings so as not to suffer unnecessary losses in shelling. At the end of the artillery shells, they needed to quickly take up positions to meet our advancing infantry with fire. Therefore, the vital task of our soldiers was to break into the building as soon as possible after artillery preparation, so that the Germans did not have time to run to their line of defense. Here's how Leon Litvak described it:

After artillery preparation, they again rose to the attack. Amicably, without defections. Obviously, they shook the Hitlerites there. The distance to the Reichstag slipped rapidly. Individual pockets of resistance were unable to stop us.

Upon reaching the steps of the Reichstag, the platoon formations were mixed. Running over them, they saw that the front door was carried out by
a shell. That's what we rushed into. The stunned Hitlerites did not have time to put up a decisive resistance. My platoon immediately rushed to the right side of the first floor. Pushing the Germans with fire and grenades deep into the building, the platoon broke into a huge hall.

And here is how A. Bessarab, who led his anti-tank battalion from the command post in the "Himmler House", saw all this:

A whole load of red rockets scattered in front of the front entrance - a ceasefire signal for direct fire guns. Stormers rushed to the wide
staircase from all sides. For the rest of my life, I remember the picture: a Soviet officer appeared first at the columns. He turned to face
the soldiers running after him, threw his hand with the machine gun up and, dragging people with him, disappeared into the Reichstag building.

The Red Army soldiers who ran up to the staircase, just like their commander, saluted with machine guns, then one by one disappeared into the
door breach. Another group. And yet... Hurrah! Ours in the Reichstag!

Soon the first red banners appeared on the Reichstag. A battle sheet of the political department of the army wrote shortly after the assault:

"Among the attackers were M. Eremin and G. Savenko.The banner, presented by Kombat Samsonov at the Komsomol meeting, was in Eremin's house under a gymnast. They were the first to reach the Reichstag building and at 2:25 p.m. a red flag was hoisted on one of the columns."

On May 3, the newspaper of the 150th Rifle Division "Warrior of the Motherland" was published, which placed in a corner, in the column "They distinguished themselves in battle", a small modest note entitled "The Motherland pronounces the names of heroes with deep respect." It was about a platoon of scouts who planted the first flag on the roof of the Reichstag at 2:25 p.m. Here's the text of that note:

"Soviet heroes, the best sons of the people. Books will be written about their outstanding feat, songs will be put up. Over the citadel of Hitlerism, they hoisted the banner of victory. LET'S REMEMBER THE NAMES OF THE BRAVES: Lieutenant Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev, Red Army soldier Grigory Bulatov. Shoulder to shoulder with them fought other glorious warriors Pravotorov, Lysenko, Oreshko, Pochkovsky, Bryukhovetsky, Sorokin. THE HOMELAND WILL NEVER FORGET THEIR FEAT. GLORY TO THE HEROES! (We tried to reproduce the size and boldness of the fonts that this note was printed with.)

The Germans quickly came to their senses and opened heavy fire prevented reinforcements from entering the Reichstag. Our soldiers,
trapped in the Reichstag, held the defense in a large hall with high (two floors) ceilings and with windows overlooking the courtyard. The reconnaissance platoon of Lieutenant Sorokin, including Lieutenant Koshkarbayev, who joined them, after installing a banner on the sculpture towering above the main entrance, went down and repelled the German attacks together with the soldiers of L. Litvak.

Both sides began to prepare for the next assault. The Germans restored the knocked-out doors of the main entrance and threw off the red banners installed on the Reichstag. The Soviet command decided to conduct a third assault in the dark to reduce losses and set the time of the decisive assault at 22.00 after an intensive half-hour artillery preparation. By this time, the 756th regiment had received reinforcements
(about 100 men) from which Neustroev formed a new company and appointed Senior Sergeant I.Y. Syanov to command this company of recruits.

Three regiments took part in the third assault with their battalions: 674, 756 and 380, as well as two groups of scouts: V.N. Makov and M.M. Bondar. In one of the large halls of the Reichstag, the soldiers of the 674th regiment, who broke into it during the second assault, held the defense. In this room, facing the courtyard, they were reliably protected from the shells of their artillery.

Third assault on the Reichstag.

On the command of V.N. Makov, his group rushed to the Reichstag 5 minutes before the end of artillery training. They were the first to run up the steps and stopped at the boarded-up doors. More and more fighters ran up, but the doors did not give in. Finally, a log found nearby managed to knock out the doors and the soldiers rushed inside the building, performing their tasks. Neustroev's battalion rushed through the lobby into the meeting room. Samsonov's battalion turned from the lobby to the left, into the north wing of the building. The soldiers of Davydov's battalion
joined with their comrades, who fought off the Germans in the southern wing of the Reichstag for almost 8 hours.

Four scouts from the 136th Cannon Brigade, on the instructions of Makov, without getting involved in the battle, rushed to the roof of the Reichstag along the stairs they discovered. (Around the lobby, on the layout of the building, 4 service stairs are visible). And at 22.40 the banner of the 79th corps was inserted into the crown of the sculpture-giantess personifying Germany.

After a chaotic night firefight, the Germans withdrew to the ground floor. Ours took up a defensive position in several rooms without trying to
build on success, because in the pitch darkness that reigned in the Reichstag it was possible to shoot each other. The huge building began to resemble the "Wild Field" - empty and dangerous. And only the scouts of Makov's group went back and forth on the ladder they had mastered.
Scouts, well aware of the importance of the installed banner, not least for them personally, organized a thorough protection of it, periodically replacing each other. The hoisting of the banner was immediately reported on the radio to General Perevertkin. (The battalions did not have
radios, and Makov's and Bondar's groups had them!).

At about 3-4 o'clock in the morning (already on May 1), by order of the commander of the 756th regiment, Lieutenant A.P. Berest led a group of fighters to the roof of the Reichstag, including M. Egorov and M. Kantaria, who were chosen by the political bodies to install the banner of the 3rd Shock Army made on the instructions of the Military Council. Berest led the soldiers along the route laid out in the afternoon by Sorokin's reconnaissance platoon. That is, after passing through a large multifunctional hall, protected by Davydov's battalion, they came to a wide
staircase and had to climb it and go to the roof through the south-western corner tower. To the sculptural group "Germany", the central element
of the front facade of the Reichstag, it would be necessary to walk fifty meters.

But on this sculpture the flag of the 79th corps was already flying, and carefully guarded. Around the sculpture lay several fighters who came
from a completely different side. In a nervous atmosphere, in complete darkness, hearing the cautious footsteps of a walking group of people ...
In general, misfortune could have occurred and the history of the "Victory Banner" would have looked very different today.

But fortune on this day was clearly on the side of Alexei Prokopovich and his group. Berest made a mistake in complete darkness, walked an extra
60 meters and led his soldiers to the roof of the Reichstag through the southeastern tower. Looking around, they saw a large equestrian figure not
far away and Berest ordered the fighters to cling to the banner to this figure.

The commander of the 756th regiment, Colonel F.M. Zinchenko, left the Reichstag and taking Egorov and Kantaria with him to his NP in the
"Himmler house". At 5 o'clock in the morning, a command from the headquarters of the 79th Corps came to the groups of Makov and Bondar to
report to Perevertkin. Banners (at about 24.00 bondar's soldiers attached their banner on the same sculpture of the German "motherland" ) were
left unguarded and soon disappeared in the most mysterious way. No one touched the banner of the Military Council and it safely hung until the morning of May 2, although no one guarded it. A great suspicion is aroused by the completely unfounded urgent summoning of scouts Makov and Bondar at 5 o'clock in the morning (!!!) to the corps headquarters, where General Perevertkin did not even invite the fighters to personally say at least thank you to them. It begs a very bad idea that the political department of the 3rd Shock Army simply eliminated dangerous competitors of
its "native" banner No. 5.

Battle of the Reichstag. German counterattack.

On the morning of May 1, at about 10.00 a.m., the Germans made a serious attempt to dislodge our troops from the Reichstag. By 12:00 p.m., the rooms of the north wing of the building caught fire. The fire then spread to a meeting room filled with shelves of millions of medical records.
There was nothing to put out the fire. To leave the building means to be under machine gun fire almost at point-blank range. Still, with great difficulty, it was possible to repel the counterattack and drive the enemy back to the ground floor. Besides the fire, the second big problem was thirst. Water was extracted with great danger to life. The water sources were under constant sniper fire.

The German command tried to help its battalions in the Reichstag by organizing a counter attack from the outside. But the Germans clearly did
not have enough strength. After all, it was the last day of the Berlin operation. The Fuehrer was no longer alive, but the German soldiers did not know this and stubbornly fought back. Somewhere around 14.00 a soldier ran up to the platoon commander L. Litvak and reported that a German tank was crawling towards them from the Tiergarten. Taking the PTR (anti-tank rifle) crew with him, Litvak went to the windows facing south. It turned out that this was not a tank, but a self-propelled gun with a powerful gun, but without a full-fledged turret. The crew was protected by armor only from the front and sides. They opened continuous fire on the self-propelled gun from machine guns and ATGM. The self-propelled gun fired, did not hit and began to move back. Immediately, two shells hit her one after another and the self-propelled propelled went up in smoke.

The night from the first to the second was also nerve-wracking. The Germans, who knew the building well, used this advantage by appearing in a completely unexpected place, then throwing grenades through the ventilation ducts. At about one o'clock in the morning, the Germans threw a termite ball into the great hall of the south wing. It was not possible to throw it away - it was intensively splashing with jets of fire. By three o'clock in the morning on May 2, the fire had gained such force that it was impossible to be in the hall. We had to withdraw our troops from the south wing of the building.

Goebbels has already committed suicide. The Nazi Leaders, including Bormann, had already fled the Reich Chancellery like rats. Already the SS
from the Moncke detachment, Hitler's last guard, attempted to escape from the burning Berlin. And the old Volkssturm defenders defending
the Reichstag, where the medical archive was now located, still did not rise. Finally, just at dawn, The fighters of Neustroev saw a white flag.

Neustroev, Berest (under the guise of a colonel) and a soldier-interpreter went to the negotiations. After brief negotiations on surrender, the Germans said they would think. At 7:00 a.m., the commander of the defense of Berlin, General Weidling, signed an order of surrender.

A. Bessarab in his memoirs wrote:

On May 2, at 10 a.m., everything suddenly went quiet, the fire stopped. And everyone realized that something had happened. We saw white sheets that had been "thrown away" in the Reichstag, the Chancellery and Royal Opera building and the cellars that had not yet been taken. Whole columns fell from there. Ahead of us was a column where there were generals, colonels, then soldiers behind them. It was probably three hours.

https://fakeoff.org/history/shturm-reyk ... aya-pravda

[Germanicus]

Panzervernichtungsbrigade der Hitlerjugend Hessen-Nassau

HJ-Panzer-Vernichtungsbrigade IV. Bat. / 10.Kp

https://www.nemusbohemorum.de/kriegstote-1945/


Volkssturm Krakow

The German Volkssturm was a German military formation in the final phase of World War II. It was created as a result of the NSDAP's propaganda call for all men between the ages of 16 and 60, apart from the previous conscription, to defend the "homeland" of the German Reich "until peace is
ensured to secure the future of Germany and its allies, and thus of Europe." The purpose of the call was to strengthen the Wehrmacht troops. In Krakow, at the end of 1944, the Volkssturm created the Municipal Guard (Stadtwacht und Landwacht), in which only Germans from the Reich served.

The Municipal Guard in Krakow was subordinate to the Kommando Schutzpolizei in Krakow. At that time, the first group of the Municipal Guard of Krakow served 28 officers and 368 privates formed into 3 barracked battalions. The second group of the Municipal Guard took part only in Sunday exercises. Probably, however, in recent days a Volksturm unit has been created in the city. The commander of the Volksturm staff was SA-Oberführer Wilhelm Kühnemund.

https://niemieckikrakowblog.wordpress.c ... styytucje/

XXXXVIII- Pz Korps 16. April 1945

Kampfgruppe "Leipzig" (Kampfkdt. mit acht Bataillonen Volkssturm, einem Ersatz-Bataillon und einer Kraftfahr-Ersatz-Abteilung)

http://www.die-feldpost-2-weltkrieg.org ... pic=3609.0

Volkssturm Battalion Altenkirchen
Volkssturm Battalion Battalion Schäfer

https://www.das-kriegsende.de/exkursion ... nt-page-1/

[Germanicus]

Dear Brady

this is taken from https://www.dropbox.com/s/haivrdnjvrphv ... %20OOB.pdf

VS 3.JPG (44.09 KiB) Viewed 738 times

VS 4.JPG (44.67 KiB) Viewed 738 times

Volkssturm Order of Battle

1st Levy Volkssturm battalion would have looked a little like this in BFWWII:

Battle Group

Volkssturm Battalion (1st Levy)

HEADQUARTERS ELEMENT

Command

x1 Commander

MANEUVER ELEMENTS

x3 Volkssturm Companies

ATTACHMENTS

x1 75mm leIG37 Infantry Gun
x3 Panzerschreck GE-51
x3 Heavy Machine Gun GE-50

Organic Fire Support

x3 80 mm Mortar GE-52



MANEUVER ELEMENT

Volkssturm Company

Command
x1 Commander
x9-12 Volkssturm Sections (a)

ATTACHMENTS

x3 Tank Close Combat Sections (b)

Transport

x3 Bicycle GN-01

(a) May arm up to ½ of infantry with Pzfaust.
(b) Uses the same card as regular Volkssturm and is armed with Pzfaust and transported on bicycles.

Battalion attachments would have been very variable in practice, since provisioning the Volkssturm Battalion was entirely the responsibility of the Gauleiter and whatever he could scrounge from his district. I've based the above on Chris McNab's description of the 1st Levy Battalions in his book. It seems like Fortress (Festung) formations were more likely to get heavier weaponry. For example, of the Volkssturm Festung units formed in 1945, there were apparently eleven 4-company machine-gun battalions and two artillery battalions.

The above is also based on Klaus Mammach's book, which mentions that a TO&E was released in late November 1944 for the organization of 1st Levy Battalions that included a rifle for every soldier, 27 rifle-grenade devices (seemingly 1 for every squad if there are only 3 companies of 3 platoons of 3 sections), 31 light machineguns, 6 heavy machineguns, 6 medium mortars, 3 infantry guns and 6 panzerschreks. Note that Mammach describes this organization as "wishful thinking" given the desperate state of weapon and ammunition shortages in Germany at this time. I've included it above only to be complete, not to actually recommend such an organization be used in full.

Oh that should actually be x9-16 Volkssturm sections (somewhere between 3 platoons of 3 sections each and 4 platoons of 4 sections each). It should be noted that David Yelton mentions in his book on the subject that there were orders (from whom?) that the HJ tank-defense contingents were supposed to be kept out of frontline combat, so their presence in a scenario should perhaps be on the rare side. That said, there is a well-known post-war German semi-autobiographical novel (and then film), Die Brücke, which is about that very subject and that story is set not in Berlin but rather in the middle of no-where, so perhaps it happened more than these supposed orders would suggest.

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=554646

More discussions from the same post [abbreviated]

VS units received weapons like the VG-1 which was only sighted for 100 yards max and the sight was not adjustable . Secondly, some units received very little marksmanship training. Thirdly, Volkssturm units often had terribly little ammunition… like five clips for their Carcano rifle. Little ammo means even WW1 veterans who could shoot well would not be wasting precious bullets for very long distance shots. The strategy used with Volkssturm seems to have often been very close-ranged ambushes, and thus long-ranged shots would have probably been discouraged … of course, who knows how well these units actually maintained proper fire discipline!

Some Volkssturm units would have received cheap but effective weapons like the Volkssturmkarabiner, which would indicate a better
effectiveness ....., but these weapons seemed to have been very limited and there would not have usually been more than a couple in each
section even when they were available.

It will also mean that Volkssturm really must be deployed within some amount of concealment in order to have any chance, as they will simply be outranged in the open. In cover, the Volkssturm will not be seen until their weapons are within range.

Close Combat rating should be 0, which means they can win close combat occasionally but they are not as good as regular infantry. Volkssturm did engage in house-to-house combat in several instances and sometimes fought effectively all things considered, which is more than represented by the vagaries of the opposed in close combat.

Weapon Ratings vs Vehicles

Volkssturm were famously armed with a variety of Panzerfaust models and supposedly were meant to receive Panzerschrecks as well. The latter seems to be less common… does anyone have further information about that? In any case, it seems that Panzerfausts were both available but also not in limitless supply. Given that many of these weapons were going to the Wehrmacht. Thus in a 12-section Volkssturm Kompanie, you could have up to 6 stands with Panzerfausts. That seems to me like plenty and well-represents the higher end of Panzerfaust supply to the Volkssturm, while allowing the player to take fewer Panzerfaut sections when the scenario calls for that. The Volkssturm had relatively few grenades or close-combat anti-tank weapons, and should otherwise be rated as 0 vs Vehicles when the Panzerfaust is not present.

Most active Volkssturm battalions seemed to be limited to just the regular rifle sections, but they did occasionally have supporting weapons like medium mortars (sometimes trench mortars), various machineguns, and rarely heavier artillery (although I would imagine this was all under the direction of trained soldiers).

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=554646

Festung” Königsberg

Eight Volkssturm batallions fought in the besieged and surrounded ”Festung” Königsberg. The Volksstorm units fought at the different front sectors under the overall command of the Heer sector commanders. The commander of all the Volksturm units in Königsberg was the NSDAP Kreisleiter
(and Leutnant d. R. ) Wagner. As an ideal example for all brave soldiers, from the thirteen year old Jungvolk volunteers to the old men, was the Königsberger Volkssturm Bataillonsführer und SA-Hauptsturmführer Ernst Tiburzy.

https://ehre-und-treue.tumblr.com/

Ernst Tiburzy – "As an ideal example for all brave soldiers, from the thirteen year old Jungvolk volunteers to the old men, was the Königsberger Volkssturm-Bataillonsführer und SA-Hauptsturmführer Ernst Tiburzy. The 34 years old, already seriously wounded East Prussian Tiburzy received the Knight's Cross on February 10, 1945. Tiburzy was the Bataillonsführer of Volkssturm-Bataillon 25/82 in Festung Königsberg. When the Russians made an armoured assault, Tiburzy knocked out a T-34 with a Panzerfaust. When one of his platoon commanders cowardly tried to escape, Tiburzy shot
the man, grabbed some new Panzerfäuste and knocked out a further four T-34's. He then personally led his Batallion in a counter-attack on the Russian positions and held his part of the front sector.

In the Wehrmachtsbericht of February 28, 1945, it said that; "the awarding of the Knight's Cross to SA-Hauptsturmführer Tiburzy, commander of a Königsberg Volkssturm Batallion, for the destruction of five Russian tanks".

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=490544

[Brady]

Thank You!

[Germanicus]

General Otto Lasch So Fiel Konigsberg

VOLKSSTURM: Konigsberg

Es waren etwa acht Bataillone im Einsatz, die auf die einzelnen Abschnitte aufgeteilt und einsatzmäßig den Kampfkommandanten unterstellt waren.

Führer des Königsberger Volkssturms war Kreisleiter und Leutnant d. R. Wagner.
Kampfabschnitt Süd: Hauptmann d. R. Wachholtz - Adj. Oberltn. von Minckwitz
Kampfabschnitt Nord: S.A. Standartenführer Lange

There were about eight battalions in action, which were divided between the individual sections and were operationally subordinate to the combat commanders.

Führer des Königsberger Volkssturms war Kreisleiter und Leutnant d. R. Wagner.
Kampfabschnitt Süd: Hauptmann d. R. Wachholtz - Adj. Oberltn. von Minckwitz
Kampfabschnitt Nord: S.A. Standartenführer Lange

http://prussia.online/Data/Book/so/so-f ... 434352.pdf

AUFRUF DES KREISLEITERS WAGNER AN DEN KÖNIGSBERGER VOLKSSTURM

VOM 5. 2. 1945.

Volkssturmmänner!

Die bolschewistisdien Bestien sind unter gewaltigem Einsatz ihrer großen Uberlegenheit trotz sd1werster Verluste bis an unsere Gauhauptstadt Königsberg vorgedrungen. Sie rennen jetzt schon seit Tagen an, um die Stadt zu bekommen. Wir sind nun auf Gedeih und Verderb mit dem
Schicksal der Festung Königsberg verbunden. Entweder wir lassen uns in der Festung wie tolle Hunde ersdzlagen, oder wir
erschlagen die Bolschewisten vor den Toren unserer Stadt.

Wir müssen daher die Ausdauer und die Standhaftigkeit aufbringen, um diese schwere Zeit zu überstehen und die Stadt zu halten, bis die Bolsdzewisten durch die bereits sich formierenden Armeen zerschlagen und aus Ostpreußen hinausgefegt werden. So wie in Nemmersdorf haben
die Bolschewisten in Labiau und Tannenwalde gehaust. Wer sidz den Bolschewisten ergibt, ist ein Kind des Todes.

Der bolschewistische Soldat ist viel schlechter als der deutsche. Vor ihm zurückzugehen oder sich zu ergeben, ist sinnlos und ein Verbrechen. Jeder Volkssturmmann verteidigt mit seinem Leben nicht nur die Freiheit der Stadt, sondern auch das Leben der Frauen und Kinder. Wir tun alles, um das normale Leben herzustellen und die Menschen so gut wie möglich zu versorgen und zu betreuen. Gegen Deserteure, Feiglinge und Schädlinge wird schärfstens vorgegangen. Wer sich hinten herumdrückt und nicht kämpfen will, muß sterben.

Wir wollen eine saubere, harte Notgemeinschaft werden und bis zum letzten stehen, dann werden wir auch den Ansturm der Bolschewisten zerschlagen, Seid mißtrauisdi gegen jedes Gerücht. Wahr ist nur, was für uns gut ist. Hütet Eudi vor Feindpropaganda und Agenten. Glaubt nur Euch bekannten Führern.

Der Bataillonsführer Tibury hat fünf T 34 mit der Panzerfaust geknackt, Er hat den Zugführer, der feige mit seinen Männern zurückging, ersdiossen und mit den Männern die Bolschewisten aus der Stellung geworfen und sie niedergemacht. So muß es überall sein! Tapfer sein ist alles.
Unser Gauleiter, der heute zu den Ortsgruppen/eitern sprach, grüßt die Volkssturmmänner und wünscht Ihnen Hals- und Beinbruch, Ich rufe jeden Volkssturmmann auf, das Letzte aus sich herauszuholen, an den Führer zu glauben, zäh und standhaft zu sein. Es kommt auf jeden an! Vernielltet Bolschewisten wo Ihr nur könnt. Zeigt ihnen die Zähne und macht ihnen den Weg nad, Königsberg zum Massengrab.

Jeder Ansturm hat einmal sein Ende, so auch der bolschewistische. Deshalb kämpft bis zum letzten Sd1ulter an Schulter mit den Kameraden der
Wehrmacht, Tod den Bolschewisten! Es lebe der Führer und unser deutsches Volk!

Heil Hitler!

gez. Ernst Wagner

Kreisleiter

CALL OF THE DISTRICT MANAGER WAGNER TO THE KÖNIGSBERGER VOLKSSTURM OF February 5, 1945.

Volkssturm men!

The Bolshevik beasts, with tremendous use of their great superiority, penetrated as far as our Gau capital, Konigsberg, in spite of the worst losses. They've been running for days to get the city. we are now linked for better or for worse to the fate of the Königsberg Fortress. Either we let ourselves be beaten up like great dogs in the fortress, or we slain the Bolsheviks at the gates of our city.

We must therefore have the perseverance and steadfastness to do this difficult time to survive and hold the city until the Bolshevics through the
Armies that were already forming were smashed and swept out of East Prussia will. As in Nemmersdorf, the Bolsheviks lived in Labiau and Tannenwalde. Whoever surrenders to the Bolsheviks is a child of death.

The Bolshevik soldier is much worse than the German. To go back or surrender to him is pointless and a crime. Every Volkssturm men
With his life he not only defends the freedom of the city, but also life of women and children. We do everything to restore normal life and the
To care for and look after people as well as possible. Against deserters, Cowards and pests are dealt with severely. Who hugs the back
and doesn't want to fight, has to die.

We want to become a clean, tough emergency community and stand to the last, then we will also crush the onslaught of the Bolsheviks, be suspicious against any rumor. Only what is good for us is true. Guard Eudi from enemy propaganda and agents. Only believe you leaders you know.

Battalion leader Tiburzy cracked five T-34s with the bazooka, he did killed the platoon leader, who went back cowardly with his men, and with the
Men the Bolsheviks thrown out of their position and cut them down. It has to be like this everywhere! To be brave is everything.

Our Gauleiter, who spoke to the local groups today, greets the Volkssturm men and wishes you [ ????? ], I call on every Volkssturm man to get the most out of himself, to the Führer to believe to be tenacious and steadfast. It depends on everyone! Put down Bolsheviks wherever you can. Show them your teeth and clear the way for them Königsberg to the mass grave.

Every onslaught has its end, including the Bolshevik one.
Therefore fight shoulder to shoulder with the comrades of the Wehrmacht, Death to the Bolsheviks!

Long live the Führer and our German people!