April 1945

Eastern Front

The 2nd Belorussian Front continues its bitter battle to smash the 3rd Panzer Army along the Oder. Farther south the 1st Belorussian Front strikes into Berlin in force. Units of the 3rd Shock Army are embroiled in the northeast suburbs, while the 5th Shock and 1st Guards Tank and 8th Guards Armies move up to provide support in the eastern suburbs. The 47th Army meanwhile has cross the Havel near Oranienberg as it outflanks the Germans to the north. Elements of the 2nd Tank Army have wheeled south to enter the Hennigsdorf suburb in northwest Berlin. Furstenberg, Strausberg and Bernau all fall to the 1st Belorussian Front in a day of hard fighting.

South of the city the 3rd Guards Tank and 28th Armies (1st Ukrainian Front) enters the southern suburbs, lead units reaching the Teltow Canal. The 4th Guards Tank Army is also pushing up from the south and near Potsdam. On the opposite wing of Koniev's front the 2nd Polish Army nears Dresden.

Hitler announces that he will stay in Berlin, assuming control of the city defenses. He maintains he will fight and die in the city if the Russians are not repulsed. The failure of an attack he had ordered a few days before north of the city by SS General Steiner's mixed force throws him into one of his towering rates. After an abusive tirade at the uselessness of the army, the SS and the German people, he finally accepts that the war is lost.

In Moravia the 60th Army (4th Ukrainian Front) breaks into Opava after a bloody battle with the 1st Panzer Army. After a furious battle the town falls.