Anyone know more about this?
“Two captured Czech-made 38T tanks, covered in swastikas, were sent forward by the Soviets at the front of a column aiming to reach the Chancellery. Although as the group moved through German lines the ruse was spotted and the tanks engaged by a Sturmgeschütz III assault gun manned by SS Nordland men.”
I am fascinated by this photo:
Can you pinpoint the location? Looks like a suburb.
But yes, the lack of any visible damage is indeed mind boggling. Not a window or shingle seems broken.
Difficult to say. I used to read that 90% of Berlin’s residences, including apartments were destroyed. You can still find sources that say that. Other say only 30%. It depends on how they measured it. One thing is certain - the devastation in the city’s center was nearly 100%.
But showing photos of relatively intact neighborhoods is not nearly as shocking. I ultimately lived in Wedding, the French Sector, which you’d think would not have born the brunt of the heaviest street fighting. Yet even in that neighborhood, my own apartment block included, you could still see evidence of the damage as late as 1989.
Images like these are what most of us are used to seeing:
One thing you could say about Berliners - they were tough.
“Ach mensch - das poliert doch richtig jut aus.”
I don’t suppose there are any photos of these 38(t)s.
From the report I get the feeling they didn’t last very long. So maybe no chance to take a photo.
Ken
