Pixytokisaki14
Least crazy gun enthusiast
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2022
- Messages
- 356
- Points
- 133
So this is the third post on the interesting war stories series.
Western movies love to portray the germans of ww2 as bloodthirsty sadistic animals who want to conquer the world. This story is far from what Hollywood would like you to believe.
It's april 16th 1945, the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation is well underway, and the tide of soviet soldiers are on their way to encircle Berlin. The only plan for Germany now is to get the Hitler out of berlin by any means necessary. According to their generals in his bunker "His future is Germany's future."
The only hope is Walther Wenck and his 12th army who were retreating from the advancing American forces to the west. With the situation dire and the Soviets already starting to complete the encirclement of Berlin. Hitler himself ordered the 12th army to attack the flanks of the Soviets to relive the german capital and offer a chance for the Furher to escape. Wenck's army was in bad shape, only consisted of conscrips, elderly people, veterans, and pretty much anyone who can hold a gun and fight is included in their ranks, even kids. With only a few working vehicles and tanks, they have to make the trip to berlin on foot.
Once they were on the outskirts of the city, the situation has worsened to a degree that Wenck started thinking about his actions. You see, the Soviet Red Army has already almost finished the encirclement of Berlin. If he attacks now, he'll be sending countless of men, teenagers and kids to their death in the hands of 1 million soviet soldiers. His second in command urged him to press on with the original attack and kept reminding that only he can save Germany.
He did save Germany, just not what Hitler nor his second command would expect. He scrapped his plans on attacking the Soviet flanks of the encirclement and thought of a new plan. If he could push his army and break through a part of the Soviet lines, he could theoretically open a corridor to Berlin. He went through with the plan which consisted of attacking the south western side of the encirclement and make way for his army to push towards the small town of Potsdam, from there he can relieve the garrison there and continue towards the german capital. If they can maintain the corridor from Potsdam to Berlin, he'll be able to make way for refugees to escape Soviet clutches. While at the same time launch an offensive to the south to meet up with the remnants of the 9th army and retreat back along with the civilians to surrender to the west where the Americans were. He called this his operation rettungsmission or rescue mission mission in german. What he is about to do is ignoring direct orders from Hitler himself and instead prioritizing the civilians which is germany's true future and not the delusional man hiding under the crumbling city of Berlin.
On the morning hours of April 26th 1945 marks the start of Germany's last offensive operation of WW2. The veteran Soldiers of his Ulrich von Hutten division spearheaded their operation with tank destroyers and artillery opening the corridor. Division scharnhorst grenadiers followed alongside to provide support with house to house fighting against an overwhelming foe. The Soviets were caught with their pants down as both divisions advanced 18 kilometers or 11 miles by midday. Despite heavy casualties they continued to advance. They eventually met up with the remnants of the 9th Army after they broke out of their own encirclement and joined the 12th along with a load of civilians. Ulrich even reached a hospital where a lot wounded men and red cross personnel were stationed.
Wenck would continue to push towards Berlin with more and more civilians hopping on the corridor they had opened. A lot of people even managed to walk out of Berlin join the corridor, but this is where germany's last offensive ends. Because news would soon come out of Hitler committing suicide inside his Bunker.
With the Furher dead, Wenck did not think twice and pulled back his men and civilians, and started the trek to retreat westward and cross the river Elbe with his army protecting the rear and front as the refugees and wounded men from the 9th walked westward. Soviet persuit was weak since the red army was focused on taking down Berlin. Wenck eventually contacted the American General William Simpson of the 102nd infantry division. Thanks to dumb allied rules, they would technically have to attack the Americans and then surrender so they can cross the river.
Wenck's 12th army would fire warning shots at the Americans but immediately put down their weapons afterwards. The Americans knew their intention thanks to making contact with them so they did not return fire. General Simpson wound only allow the wounded to cross the river but with accordance to his own medical supplies, same with Wenck's soldiers but he would not allow civilians to cross the river.
As they were crossing the bridge. Soviet artillery started raining down on them, even hitting and killing some of the entrenched American soldiers on the other side of the bridge. Simpson immediately agreed to let the civilians cross and let the germans retreat across the bridge. Soviets eventually found out what was happening and they immediately dispatched some men to start attacking. Wenck and his men held the line as civilians crossed the bridge. Eventually, all of the civilians, and soldiers from the 9th and 12th army, crossed the bridge with General Walther Wenck himself the last one to cross. They entered American captivity and in the end thousands of civilians from all walks of life, old, young, women, soldiers, children, and families were saved from the fall of Berlin.
On May 6th some men of the 9th army, including some nurses were handed over to the soviets. Some even taking their own lives to not suffer that fate. After World War II, German General Walther Wenck was taken prisoner by the U.S. Army and released in 1947. He then became an industrialist, working as the managing director of Dr. C. Otto & Comp. in the 1950s and the director of the Diehl Group, an arms manufacturer, in the 1960s. He retired in 1966 and died in a car crash in Austria in 1982. A sad ending to Germany's last Hero.
A touching story of prioritizing the future of a country, which were the civilians, and courage towards overwhelming odds. To this day, lots of Germans, especially those from Berlin. Regarded General Walther Wenck, of the German 12th army, as Germany's True Hero.
Here's the full story, in detail, by sabaton history:
Western movies love to portray the germans of ww2 as bloodthirsty sadistic animals who want to conquer the world. This story is far from what Hollywood would like you to believe.
It's april 16th 1945, the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation is well underway, and the tide of soviet soldiers are on their way to encircle Berlin. The only plan for Germany now is to get the Hitler out of berlin by any means necessary. According to their generals in his bunker "His future is Germany's future."
The only hope is Walther Wenck and his 12th army who were retreating from the advancing American forces to the west. With the situation dire and the Soviets already starting to complete the encirclement of Berlin. Hitler himself ordered the 12th army to attack the flanks of the Soviets to relive the german capital and offer a chance for the Furher to escape. Wenck's army was in bad shape, only consisted of conscrips, elderly people, veterans, and pretty much anyone who can hold a gun and fight is included in their ranks, even kids. With only a few working vehicles and tanks, they have to make the trip to berlin on foot.
Once they were on the outskirts of the city, the situation has worsened to a degree that Wenck started thinking about his actions. You see, the Soviet Red Army has already almost finished the encirclement of Berlin. If he attacks now, he'll be sending countless of men, teenagers and kids to their death in the hands of 1 million soviet soldiers. His second in command urged him to press on with the original attack and kept reminding that only he can save Germany.
He did save Germany, just not what Hitler nor his second command would expect. He scrapped his plans on attacking the Soviet flanks of the encirclement and thought of a new plan. If he could push his army and break through a part of the Soviet lines, he could theoretically open a corridor to Berlin. He went through with the plan which consisted of attacking the south western side of the encirclement and make way for his army to push towards the small town of Potsdam, from there he can relieve the garrison there and continue towards the german capital. If they can maintain the corridor from Potsdam to Berlin, he'll be able to make way for refugees to escape Soviet clutches. While at the same time launch an offensive to the south to meet up with the remnants of the 9th army and retreat back along with the civilians to surrender to the west where the Americans were. He called this his operation rettungsmission or rescue mission mission in german. What he is about to do is ignoring direct orders from Hitler himself and instead prioritizing the civilians which is germany's true future and not the delusional man hiding under the crumbling city of Berlin.
On the morning hours of April 26th 1945 marks the start of Germany's last offensive operation of WW2. The veteran Soldiers of his Ulrich von Hutten division spearheaded their operation with tank destroyers and artillery opening the corridor. Division scharnhorst grenadiers followed alongside to provide support with house to house fighting against an overwhelming foe. The Soviets were caught with their pants down as both divisions advanced 18 kilometers or 11 miles by midday. Despite heavy casualties they continued to advance. They eventually met up with the remnants of the 9th Army after they broke out of their own encirclement and joined the 12th along with a load of civilians. Ulrich even reached a hospital where a lot wounded men and red cross personnel were stationed.
Wenck would continue to push towards Berlin with more and more civilians hopping on the corridor they had opened. A lot of people even managed to walk out of Berlin join the corridor, but this is where germany's last offensive ends. Because news would soon come out of Hitler committing suicide inside his Bunker.
With the Furher dead, Wenck did not think twice and pulled back his men and civilians, and started the trek to retreat westward and cross the river Elbe with his army protecting the rear and front as the refugees and wounded men from the 9th walked westward. Soviet persuit was weak since the red army was focused on taking down Berlin. Wenck eventually contacted the American General William Simpson of the 102nd infantry division. Thanks to dumb allied rules, they would technically have to attack the Americans and then surrender so they can cross the river.
Wenck's 12th army would fire warning shots at the Americans but immediately put down their weapons afterwards. The Americans knew their intention thanks to making contact with them so they did not return fire. General Simpson wound only allow the wounded to cross the river but with accordance to his own medical supplies, same with Wenck's soldiers but he would not allow civilians to cross the river.
As they were crossing the bridge. Soviet artillery started raining down on them, even hitting and killing some of the entrenched American soldiers on the other side of the bridge. Simpson immediately agreed to let the civilians cross and let the germans retreat across the bridge. Soviets eventually found out what was happening and they immediately dispatched some men to start attacking. Wenck and his men held the line as civilians crossed the bridge. Eventually, all of the civilians, and soldiers from the 9th and 12th army, crossed the bridge with General Walther Wenck himself the last one to cross. They entered American captivity and in the end thousands of civilians from all walks of life, old, young, women, soldiers, children, and families were saved from the fall of Berlin.
On May 6th some men of the 9th army, including some nurses were handed over to the soviets. Some even taking their own lives to not suffer that fate. After World War II, German General Walther Wenck was taken prisoner by the U.S. Army and released in 1947. He then became an industrialist, working as the managing director of Dr. C. Otto & Comp. in the 1950s and the director of the Diehl Group, an arms manufacturer, in the 1960s. He retired in 1966 and died in a car crash in Austria in 1982. A sad ending to Germany's last Hero.
A touching story of prioritizing the future of a country, which were the civilians, and courage towards overwhelming odds. To this day, lots of Germans, especially those from Berlin. Regarded General Walther Wenck, of the German 12th army, as Germany's True Hero.
Here's the full story, in detail, by sabaton history:
Last edited:
