Codegease: Air and Land Warfare 1946

Section 51 Summary: October 1945 - The Berlin Incident (2)

Here are two additional tidbits of information.

There is this passage in Chapter Three:

Charlottenburg Straße, as shown in the image below, is the street west of the Brandenburg Gate and was one of Berlin's most famous streets. However, due to historical reasons, the name "Charlotteburg Straße" no longer exists.

In the early stages of the Cold War, due to excessive Soviet pressure on the East German government, coupled with Stalin's death, thousands of East German workers gathered in East Berlin on June 17, 1953, forming a massive demonstration to protest Soviet power. The demonstration quickly escalated into clashes with East German police. To prevent the situation from escalating, the Soviet Union ultimately ordered armored forces to enter the streets of Berlin for armed intervention, thus suppressing the large-scale demonstration.

Following this event, in commemoration, the West German government decided to rename Charlottenburg Street, located west of the Brandenburg Gate, to "June 17th Street," a name that remains to this day. The main reason for choosing this street for renaming is that after World War II, the Soviet Union erected a monument to Soviet Red Army soldiers next to this street. Renaming this street clearly carries a special significance.

Decades have passed. The Berlin Wall, a symbol of the Cold War, has fallen, and East and West Germany have been reunited. But the landmarks that symbolize Berlin around the street—whether it's the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, the Victory Column, or the tanks and cannons that the Soviet Union left there as monuments—are still there, telling everyone about the vicissitudes of history that the street has witnessed since its birth.

……

Next is the second piece of additional information:

In Chapter 11, Jonathan refers to the 504th Parachute Regiment, which belongs to the 82nd Airborne Division, as "men from all over America." Where does this allusion come from?

First, it's important to know that newly formed divisions in the U.S. Army are typically drawn from soldiers within a single state. However, when the 82nd Airborne Division was formed in 1917 (then called the 82nd Infantry Division), it was drawn from all 48 states across the country—a unique approach in U.S. military history. To reflect this, the division's insignia used the three primary colors of the American flag—blue, white, and red—as its primary colors. The two stylized "A"s in the center of the insignia form the abbreviation for "All America," signifying "we come from all over the United States," highlighting the 82nd Division's unique formation and earning it the nickname "All America Division."

When the 82nd Infantry Division officially became an airborne division, the paratroopers stood out far more than those in regular infantry divisions in terms of treatment, combat effectiveness, and morale. The meaning of the division insignia, "We come from all over the United States," gradually transformed into "We represent all Americans."

Section 52 Summary: October 1945 - The Berlin Incident (3)

Back to the topic

However, something else was happening in the eastern Berlin theater of operations between the night of the 28th and the sunrise of the 29th. While neither the Soviet nor Britannian forces had made significant progress on the front lines within the city, the Britannian vanguard commanders were unaware that throughout the night, the Soviets had deployed more reserve forces to the outskirts of Berlin. Even some Soviet troops within Poland had crossed into Soviet-occupied Germany via Kostzyn, taking up positions and preparing for the large-scale offensive the following day. (Kostzyn was one of the landing sites for the Soviet army crossing the Oder River during the Battle of Berlin in April of the same year.)

At seven o'clock in the morning, while the Britannian troops were still recovering from the previous night's fatigue, Soviet artillery outside Berlin suddenly opened fire on the Britannian positions, preparing for an offensive. Simultaneously, the weather had improved, and the Soviet high command ordered the Soviet Air Force, which had been unable to perform its duties the previous day, to immediately launch airstrikes against Britannian forces outside the range of Soviet artillery. Under the cover of artillery barrage and air strikes, the Soviet Army began its offensive against the Britannian forces within the Soviet-occupied zone of Berlin.

Faced with a double attack from land and air, the Britannian Vanguard, numbering less than 10,000, had no choice but to fight with all its might to secure the landing zone it had secured so far. Unfortunately, the overwhelmingly superior Soviet forces continued to annihilate Britannian companies one after another, pushing the entire Vanguard to the brink of panic!

But soon, around 4 p.m., the Soviet offensive began to weaken, and by 6 p.m., the Soviet troops had completely withdrawn from the front lines where the two sides were fighting.

People may wonder, why would the Soviet army do this? Why would they give up their immediate victory?

As mentioned before, Berlin was a city divided between the US and the Soviet Union, so if an armed conflict broke out in the city, the high-level officials of both sides would definitely have to hold talks.

So, while the Soviet army was still besieging the city, a telephone conversation was taking place between General Dwight Eisenhower, Commander-in-Chief of the US forces in Germany, and Marshal Georgy Zhukov, Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet forces in Germany. Prior to this, both the US and the Soviet Union mistakenly believed that the other had provoked the war, which made both sides' armies quite hesitant in their operations.

After negotiations, the US and the Soviet Union gradually dispelled the misunderstanding of the other side's attack and confirmed that there were indeed "unidentified armed forces" in Berlin. As a result, the US and the Soviet Union passed some agreements, some of which are as follows.

The Soviet army will completely cease its offensive against Berlin at 6 PM on the 29th, and Allied forces stationed in Berlin will then evacuate to the US-occupied zone by rail within the next 24 hours aboard Allied military trains from the US-occupied zone. The Allies may send small formations of fighter planes to escort their trains, but must notify the Soviets in advance before entering Soviet airspace.

During the ceasefire, neither the US nor the Soviet Union was allowed to fire on the other's positions. The deadline was 18 PM on the 30th, 24 hours later, at which point the Soviet army would launch another offensive to eliminate all armed forces within Berlin. The Soviet army would not be responsible for any Allied casualties in Berlin after this time.

But if the Soviet army was considering peace negotiations, why didn't the offensive on the 28th and 29th stop? The answer is simple: in negotiations involving armed conflict, building up one's own momentum is equivalent to tilting the scales of the negotiating table slightly in one's favor. A strong fighting spirit makes the other side more wary, leading to more favorable agreements. This was crucial for the Soviet Union, which didn't yet possess nuclear weapons at the end of World War II.

Below are the planned Allied evacuation railway lines. During the Cold War, besides air routes, these were the only connections between West Berlin and West Germany: Berlin to Hanover, Berlin to Leipzig to Kassel, and Berlin to Leipzig to Nuremberg. The reason the evacuation didn't take the Berlin-Hanover line was because the train stations on that line in Berlin were no longer safe due to the approaching Reich forces, hence this decision.

Just as the Soviet army began a ceasefire and observed the situation, and the Allied forces began their retreat, the Britannian vanguard truly grasped a lifeline, a chance to avoid total annihilation. Taking advantage of the Soviet lull, Britannia began to reorganize and rest its troops. Although casualties were heavy and morale was nearing collapse, the command was still searching for a viable opportunity to fight. It was at this time that they learned that Reich reinforcements might land the next day. Simultaneously, reconnaissance reported that the Allies had begun withdrawing from Berlin along the railway. They decided that after a few hours of rest, they would concentrate all remaining combat-ready reserve companies and launch a surprise attack on the retreating Allies.

At this time, apart from the squadrons used for surprise attacks, almost all of the vanguard's forces were concentrated on the eastern front to defend the precarious positions, fearing a sudden Soviet attack. They were no longer seeking any major victory; they simply wanted to kill as many Allied troops as possible without provoking the Soviets.

At 4:15 AM on the 30th, Britannian surprise attack forces launched an assault on the retreating Allied troops. Although the Allies were initially unprepared, resulting in some companies and platoons being cut off and surrounded by Britannian forces, they quickly adjusted and launched a counterattack, successfully breaking the Britannian offensive. By 8:00 AM on the 30th, the Allies had finally rescued the last group of soldiers trapped inside Berlin, allowing them to escape unscathed. The last train, fully loaded with Allied soldiers and weapons, safely departed Berlin, escorted by four P-51 Mustang fighter planes.

Shortly after the Allied withdrawal, Britannia's new main force, led by General Malen, officially took over the defense of the vanguard under Lieutenant Colonel Karonville and began to enter the city of Berlin.

Just as the high command of the Britannian Empire placed high hopes on the newly dispatched army of 100,000, they were unaware that Berlin had become an isolated island in the Soviet-occupied zone. What awaited the "invincible" Holy Britannian Empire outside this maze of bricks and cement?

This concludes the "Complete Collection: October 1945 - The Berlin Incident".

Section 57, Chapter 35: The Battle of Berlin Resumes!

The temperature should start to drop in the last two days of October.

Most of Germany has a temperate maritime climate, with neither severe cold nor scorching heat, and pleasant weather year-round. Even now, there's no need to rush to prepare your winter military uniform, because you'll get heat rash.

What's different about autumn in Germany now compared to usual? Strictly speaking, I think it's a bit warmer—or rather, a bit hotter.

In the trenches and bunkers, the infantrymen put on their helmets and released the safety on their rifles.

Inside the T-34 tanks lined up neatly on the open ground, the drivers reached out with both hands and grabbed the levers in front of their seats, the tank engines already roaring to life.

On the artillery position, the artilleryman operated the cannon barrel in front of him, raising its muzzle towards the sky.

Further along at the field airfield, the IL-2 attack aircraft had already started turning their propellers and beginning their pre-takeoff warm-up.

And these scenes, all remarkably similar, have appeared in every corner of the outskirts of Berlin…

The once cool earth had been heated by the engine's commotion into a giant cauldron of boiling oil—a cauldron of oil that would destroy everything in the flames of war.

Berlin, once again facing the overwhelming Soviet Red Army, was doomed...

……

Twenty-six kilometers east of Berlin's city center lies a small town called Petershagen-Egersdorf. At this time, a house there, disguised as a hotel, is under heavy guard by Soviet soldiers.

Outsiders probably have no idea who's inside or what they're discussing. Apart from a Soviet flag, there are no other clues.

In a large hall inside the building, a familiar face appeared: a general with three gold stars pinned to his chest—it was Marshal Zhukov. He was deep in thought, looking at the map table in the center of the hall, along with other generals and staff officers.

In just one night, he had moved his headquarters of the Soviet forces stationed in Germany from Karlsruheit to here. He would finish the next game of chess here.

The marshal raised his hand and looked at his watch; it was 1:49 PM.

"Eleven minutes left..." the marshal muttered to himself, as if it were the attack timer.

Huh? Didn't we agree with General Eisenhower that the Soviet army would only attack at 6 PM today?

No, dear comrade, the Soviet Red Army may follow the rules, but it never blindly adheres to them.

……

"Marshal! News from the 16th Air Army! At 8:00 AM this morning, a reconnaissance aircraft dispatched by the 16th Independent Air Reconnaissance Regiment lost contact over Berlin!"

This is the telegram Zhukov received at 8:30 this morning. The 16th Air Army is part of his Soviet forces stationed in Germany, and is also part of the forces preparing to support the attack on Berlin.

Furthermore, none of the observation posts outside Berlin reported that the plane had left the area, which means that it was either shot down and crashed in the city, or landed safely in the city for reasons that are difficult to discuss—of course, the former is the most likely possibility.

Among the telegrams from the Air Force Group this morning, two things are particularly noteworthy: the loss of contact with the reconnaissance plane and the news sent back by the Air Force's second reconnaissance mission.

To be on the safe side, they sent out a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. After a successful intelligence gathering mission, the generals discovered that there seemed to be a large number of unidentified armed personnel loitering in the squares and streets of Berlin.

Not long after, at the train station in Ludwigsfeld, a small town south of Berlin, the Soviet army confirmed that the last American military train had left Berlin before 10 a.m.

The downed aircraft, the numerous unidentified units, and the complete withdrawal of the Americans provided the marshal with a compelling reason to order an attack before the agreed-upon time between the US and the Soviet Union.

The 8th Guards Army was responsible for the eastern front, the 3rd Shock Army for the northern front, and the 5th Shock Army for the southern front. The 47th Army would provide deep defense east of Berlin, ensuring the security of the transportation network. Then, other Soviet troops that had already entered Germany from Poland would be responsible for the western front defense—the quagmire in Berlin, which had been entangled for three days, was about to be resolved.

However, before that, the marshal had another concern.

At that moment, an officer ran in carrying two telegrams.

"Marshal! The 47th Army has called to say that the railway bridge over the Oder River has been basically repaired and can now allow trains to pass!"

"Oh? That's wonderful."

Yes, last night, the railway bridge over the Oder River suddenly experienced pier collapses, forcing trains carrying ammunition supplies to the Fifth Assault Army to halt operations for eight or nine hours. This has caused the Marshal to worry about whether to delay the offensive.

"Can they guarantee that they will be able to resupply before the full-scale attack tomorrow morning?"

"Ah, I see." The officer put down the first telegram and looked at the second one. "The Fifth Assault Army reports that the first train is about to enter the station to unload supplies, and they expect to be able to complete all the transport before midnight."

"Alright, just send me the telegram."

……

Wait a minute? The Marshal just mentioned "full-scale assault"? Does that mean now?

……

"Comrade? Comrade?"

Meanwhile, in a forest on the eastern outskirts of Berlin, Anton, who had been leading his men to defend artillery positions yesterday, had now dug out a fortified position with his men and was hiding there fully armed.

"What is it?" Anton asked the soldier—his voice trembled slightly.

"Are we about to attack Berlin? I... I'm not quite ready yet..."

“There’s nothing to be nervous about, come on.” Anton put down his gun and placed his hands on the soldier’s shoulders.

"Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and imagine you are walking along a riverbank, and your beloved girl is there, singing a song, sitting quietly on the riverbank reading a book. She sees you, smiles slightly, and then waves to you."

"Uh-huh……"

"There's no need to be so nervous, comrade. We still have some time before we officially set foot in Berlin."

"For a period of time?"

"The major's orders are that we will only begin our advance into Berlin when the sun sets. Until then, we just need to wait here until the enemy has been largely destroyed by artillery fire."

"Ah, really... Ah, well, Lieutenant Anton, I think I'm all set."

"Alright then." Anton removed his hand from the soldier, glanced at his watch—1:56 PM.

"Put the rifle down first, and cover your ears with both hands."

"Huh? Why?"

"Ha, in mid-April, when I first came to Berlin, there were two new lads next to me who were so scared by the sound of artillery fire that they dropped their guns."

……

So what does Berlin look like right now?

In front of the Brandenburg Gate, more barracks, solar panels, and all sorts of military equipment were erected. Sunderland, Gloucester, assault guns, infantry fighting vehicles—Brittanian infantrymen stood among the moving steel monsters, gazing up at the last rays of the midday sun.

The light shone on their slightly upturned lips, like medals bestowed upon them by a general. On each face, there was absolutely no fear or cowardice. With unwavering resolve and invincible spirit, courage and passion filled everyone's hearts like a rushing spring, from soldiers to generals, from commoners to nobles.

Reality finally soothed Maren's immense expectations, allowing him and his army to rightfully bring this second city, named Berlin, into the fold of the Britannian Empire—or at least that's what he thought.

Now, the general stands with his hands behind his back, chest puffed out, head held high, grinning maliciously as he gazes into the distance towards the Brandenburg Gate. The palatial building beneath his feet has been almost entirely transformed into his command center by his men.

He couldn't help but chuckle softly. That pale-faced scholar, Caronville, had actually managed to squeeze his tiny command center, the size of a grain of rice, into the basement of this building. How cowardly he was!

The general was no different from that "overly calm and cautious" calf. His forces, in terms of quantity, were ten times greater than the former's; in terms of quality, even in terms of overall average strength, they were absolutely superior in every aspect. With a wave of his hand, his elite troops would sweep through everything in their path, leaving him no choice but to sit back and wait for his soldiers to pile up the spoils of war before him, creating a small mountain higher than the building beneath his feet—the Reichstag, a mere 50 meters tall.

He picked up his binoculars and looked at the city gate called Brandenburg. It seemed he had discovered it by chance. There should have been a statue cast on the platform at the top of the gate, but now there were only a few small metal lumps, which were not clear at all. Based on his previous experience of appreciating statues, he analyzed that it should be the shape of a warhorse's lower leg.

However, the general was still basking in the joy of being the vanguard of the Holy Britannian Empire, so he decided to put aside these dilapidated statues from another world for the time being.

Putting aside other things, two kilometers west of the Brandenburg Gate, there is a stone column that is sixty or seventy meters high, with a golden statue of a goddess on top. The general did not know that it was called the "Victory Column," nor was he in a hurry to make it his new collection. He only told his subordinates, "Let's hang the Britannian military flag on it first. We'll take it down sooner or later, so we might as well use it as a useful thing now."

Besides that, what other tempting, glittering things in Berlin could qualify for the general's treasury? Probably nothing, unless he dug them out of the ground. And even if he melted down all the gold and silver he found, it probably wouldn't be enough to make a few more rings or sets of tableware.

"Your Excellency!" Suddenly, General Marendor heard a greeting from behind him.