Last Stands in the Ruins: Foreign Fighters and Deserters Defend Berlin's Remains
- by Gernot Kramper
- 6 Min
Traitors and French combatants safeguarded Hitler's final stronghold. - Fledgling French Soldiers Protecting Hitler's Final Stronghold
In the twilight of World War II, the once proud German capital stood battered, broken, and on its last legs. The Soviet troops, in their relentless pursuit of vengeance and victory, encircled the city. With their sights set on the heart of Nazi Germany, the Red Army pressed forward. As Adolf Hitler sorted his final affairs, he entrusted SS officer Wilhelm Mohnke to defend the government district with a ragtag collection of fighters - these were the men who would hold the line until the very end.
Mohnke and his combat group were an unlikely assemblage. Comprising parts of the infamous 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler," regular units, and the Volkssturm - the last resort of German defense, this group was as mismatched as the city they protected. The Volkssturm, a motley crew under the best of circumstances, was no match for the grueling challenges of urban combat faced within Berlin's dense labyrinth of city streets. Other formations, such as penal battalions and select elite fighters, bolstered their ranks, but fear and hesitation lingered among those who knew the outcome was inevitable.
A Symbol of Resistance
Mohnke's forces were met with adversaries who shared in their determination - namely, the Frenchmen of the SS Division "Charlemagne." The Reichstag, a symbol of the Third Reich's political power, was of particular interest to Soviet commander Joseph Stalin. Despite the parliament playing a minor role in Hitler's regime and becoming insignificant with the start of the war, it held tremendous significance for Stalin and the Soviets. The capture of the Moltke Bridge, the gateway to the government district, was crucial for the Red Army's advance.
As Soviet forces battered their way through the city, ending the campaign at the Moltke Bridge on April 28, 1945, they were met with fierce resistance from Mohnke's combat group and the Charlemagne Division. The bridge was partially destroyed, but Soviet sappers, working under heavy fire, managed to breach the obstacle. This moment marked a turning point in the battle for the Reichstag, as Soviet troops pushed Mohnke's forces back, ultimately seizing the building on April 30, 1945.
Taking a Stand with the Führer
The defense of the Reichstag was a symbolic show of resistance for both the defenders and the Soviets. Although the tactical victory belonged to the Red Army, the determination of German and French forces to hold the position - no matter what the cost - would prove instrumental in solidifying their legacy. But even as these fierce battles raged on, the true seat of power remained a mystery. Hitler's bunker, nestled beneath the Reich Chancellery, was unknown to the Red Army, and no special efforts were made to capture it.
For the citizens trapped within the city, the situation was dire - no electricity, little water, and a city being systematically reduced to rubble. Despite the overwhelming destruction, the Battle of Berlin was far from over. Stalin's unyielding demands fueled the fire of the final fight, as the Red Army employed savage tactics to incite maximum panic and chaos within the German ranks.
Surviving the Chaos
Among the chaos of the final days were the young and the desperate. Günter Debski, a 16-year-old who was sentenced to death for evading conscription, found himself amidst the carnage. Along with other stragglers, they were marked with the insignia of the penal battalion - a cruel fate playing out as they were ordered to defend Hitler's last stand.
But though Debski, like many others, was a working-class youth hostile to Nazism, his loyalties were not to be tested. Instead, he was ordered to carry out a mission that seemed impossible: to negotiate the surrender of his unit with a white flag. In the middle of the chaos, Debski's mission came to an abrupt end as a heavy artillery shell struck his commanding officer. With the officer critically injured, the objective was scrapped, and Debski managed to survive the conflict and his subsequent Soviet captivity.
The Frenchmen's Last Stand
The Frenchmen of the Charlemagne Division, despite their own distaste for the Nazis, were fiercely anti-communist. As a result, they viewed their fight in Berlin as a final stand against one of their greatest fears - the spread of Soviet communism.
Suburbs and villages succumbed to the inevitable tide of Soviet advance, leaving only the heart of the German capital to hold out. As Mohnke's forces crumbled, the Frenchmen held on, using every available advantage to slow the progress of the Red Army. Tactics such as lying in wait within subway shafts and cellars allowed them to ambush Soviet tanks - a testament to the dogged determination that defined their final days.
Their grit and conviction were not lost on the people of Berlin. Christian de La Mazière, an aristocrat and royalist, described the sense of hopelessness and despair that gripped those trapped in the city: "The city was burning. The smoke of the fires. The dust of the crumbling buildings - sometimes we couldn't breathe. We didn't know where we were. We couldn't tell night from day. In the breaks, we heard screams of women. It was horrifying. The sky was falling on us. There was nothing. We were jumping into nothingness."
Despite their unyielding spirit, the Charlemagne Division's days were numbered. On May 2, 1945, Berlin surrendered, and many of the French fighters would pay the ultimate price. Mohnke, driven by a desperation to avoid capture, tried to organize escape attempts for his remaining men, but they faced insurmountable odds in the ruins of the city.
As the Soviets marched through the wreckage of what was once a great city, they left behind a trail of destruction, death, and despair. The Battle of Berlin would forever stand as a symbol of the war's horrific cost - and the unyielding spirit of those who fought to the bitter end.
- Despite the inevitable outcome, Frenchmen in the SS Division "Charlemagne" continued their resistance against Soviet forces, driven by their anti-communist sentiments.
- The Volkssturm, forming part of Mohnke's combat group, were no match for the urban combat challenges during the final battle in Berlin, adding to the overall mismatched nature of the defense force.
- During the defense of the Reichstag, a group of stragglers, including a 16-year-old named Günter Debski, were ordered to perform a seemingly pointless mission - negotiating the surrender of their penal battalion with a white flag.
- Mohnke's forces, including the infamous Wehrmacht and US-style American-football enthusiasts in the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, held their ground against the Soviets during the final days of Berlin's stand.
- sports, such as football (NFL or otherwise), were likely not on the minds of Adolf Hitler and his remaining followers as they prepared for the final battle in the ruins of Berlin.
