Original subtitles

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what the hell do you mean your troops

are pinned down

come on marshall whether we are pinned

on temporarily or not the offensive will

most certainly succeed

i have adequate forces and we are in a

perfect position to turn our tank armies

towards berlin

if we can hold until the americans get

here we will have fulfilled our mission

before our people our country and

history

i regret what i'm going to say but the

order cannot be carried out the move

simply has no chance of success i demand

the approval of my request to withdraw

the ninth army

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so

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as we saw in the previous episodes the

final act of the war the offensive on

berlin was led by zhukov's first

bialorus in front and konov's ukrainian

front rockersoft's second belarusian

front played a more supportive role by

covering the northern flank

in this episode we'll focus on the most

dramatic sector zelo heights but it's

important to note that the other sectors

and especially conifers were paramount

as well to the success of the whole

offensive

on the main axis of this offensive 60

kilometers east of berlin the zelo

heights rise 40 to 60 meters above the

valley where soviet troops are about to

rush forward as a result of this

situation

german ninth army commander busa can see

all of zhukov's preparations and he can

conceal his howitzers against the slope

out of reach of the red artillery

behind the heights the defense extends

on a depth of 40 kilometers in a region

that looks like a maze of woods and

lakes

stalin has put zhukov and konov in

competition with each other for this

last race

under intense pressure and with no time

for better preparation

zhugov must rely on a very

straightforward plan for his offensive

to compensate for this he tries to

reassure himself by resorting to a

tactical trick

his troops will attack at night and

dazzle the defenders by lighting 143

powerful dca searchlights

the schedule foresees that zelov heights

will be taken in the first day of

fighting

then two tank armies will proceed as

quickly as possible to the suburbs of

berlin something they must achieve on

the fourth day

and lastly

encircle the city and penetrate the city

centre

all this should be over in six days

but in practice not all of this went as

planned especially at the beginning

let's see why

in his book the last battle cornelius

ryan retraced the details of these

historic moments based on eyewitness

accounts of participants

they don't always match up with the

official memoirs because of censorship

but more recent data and studies tend to

confirm the following account

in a bunker built into a hill

overlooking the christian bridgehead

martial zhukov stood gazing impassively

into the darkness

he was there with colonel general

chuikov the defender of stalingrad and

commander of the eighth guard's army

ever since stalingrad chuikov had

suffered from eczema he wore black

gloves to protect his hands from the

rash that affected them

now as he waited impatiently for the

offensive to begin he nervously robbed

one gloved hand against the other

zhukov suddenly asked him

the silly evan witch are all your

battalions in position

for the 48 hours comrade marshall

everything you have ordered i have done

zhukov looked at his watch

settling himself at the bunker's

aperture he tilted back his cap rested

both elbows on the concrete ledge and

carefully adjusted his field glasses

up the collar of his great coat pulling

the flaps of his fur cap over his ears

to muffle the sound of the bombardment

took up a position beside zhukov and

cited his own binoculars

staff officers clustered behind them or

left the bunker to watch from the hill

outside

now everyone gazed silently into the

darkness

zhukov glanced once more at his watch

and again looked through his glasses

then zhukov said quietly

now comrades

now

it was zero four hundred hours

three red flares suddenly soared up into

the night sky

then with blinding intensity the 143

huge anti-aircraft lights supplemented

by the lights of tanks trucks and other

vehicles focused directly ahead on the

german positions

for just a moment there was silence

as the searchlights illuminated the area

ahead of custom

then three green flares soared into the

heavens

and yukov's guns spoke

with an air-splitting earth-shattering

roar the front erupted in flame in a

bombardment that had never been equaled

on the eastern front

more than twenty 000 guns of all

calibers poured a storm of fire onto the

german positions the most fearsome sound

of all came from the katyushas or

stalin's organs as the germans called

them the rockets washed off their

launchers in fiery batches and screeched

through the night leaving long white

trails behind them

in this incredible bombardment zhukov's

troops began to move out

chuikov's well-disciplined eighth guards

led the way from the custom bridgehead

on the order's west bank

as they rushed forward the artillery

barrage remained always in front of them

carpeting the area ahead

north and south of custon where assault

crossings had to be made across the

flooded river engineers were in the

water laying pontoons and fitting

together prefabricated sections of

wooden bridges

it was a fantastic spectacle

the order was soon swarming with

boatloads of men rafts full of supplies

log floats supporting guns

waves of soviet troops were crossing

order without waiting for the bridges

tossing and bobbing in a variety of

assault boats

in the ranks were troops who had stood

at leningrad smolyensk stalingrad and

before moscow

men who had fought their way across half

a continent to reach the order

many soldiers had seen their villages

and towns obliterated their family slain

by the german invader

for all these the assault had special

meaning

they had fought on for this moment of

revenge

the germans had left them nothing at

home to return to

they had nowhere to go but forward now

they attacked savagely

equally avid with the thousands of

recently released prisoners of war

reinforcements had been so urgently

needed by the red army that the newly

freed prisoners had been given arms now

they too rush forward seeking a terrible

vengeance

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commanders were making their first

reports

shuikov told zhukov proudly so far

everything is going as planned the first

objectives have been taken

off a tense figure since the opening of

the attack became suddenly expensive

he seized chewick off by the hand and

said

excellent

excellent very good indeed

but pleased as he was zhukov had too

much experience to underestimate his

enemy

the stocky marshal would feel better

when the zelo heights were seized

and his mistrust proved right

a few hours later the mood already

changed as new sobering data reached the

soviet headquarters at first shukoff did

not believe the news

standing in the custer and command post

surrounded by his staff he stared

incredulously at shuikov and then

splatted in rage

what the hell do you mean your troops

are pinned down come on marshall whether

we are pinned on temporarily or not the

offensive will most certainly succeed

but resistance has stiffened for the

moment and is holding us up

heavy artillery fire from zero heights

had hid the troops and supporting tank

units as they advanced

although the terran through which they

are moving is proving extremely

difficult for armor

and indeed in the marshes of the eau de

brock self-propelled guns and tanks were

thrashing and churning helplessly under

constant german fire

up to now said tuikov his eighth guards

had advanced only fifteen hundred meters

according to some witnesses zhukov

his fury with a stream of extremely

forceful expressions

what had happened to the supposedly

irresistible offensive

let's switch to the german side to get

the answer

in his advanced command post heinritzy

was looking at the map

most of his officers were awestruck by

the force of the soviet bombardment

ninth army commander general busa

described it as the worst ever and

colonel iceman believing the

annihilating fire had practically

destroyed the frontline fortifications

heinrichy's difficult stratagem had

taken most of the night from all reports

in the areas where troops had been

withdrawn the maneuver had proved

successful now in the second line the

men waited for the advancing russians

on this part of the front heinrichy had

the advantage west of christian was the

sandy ground of the sea law heights the

russians had to cross this valley in

their advance from the order and all

along the crescent-shaped mound

heinrich's guns were trained on the

lines of approach

on these critical heights leahin reached

his only chance to blunt zhukov's attack

zhukov needed to seize the heights

quickly before heinrich's guns could

shell the red army's order bridges and

create havoc among the troops advancing

across the low-lying marshy terrain

the plan was to destroy most of the

resistance with the gigantic bombardment

making the capture of the heights that

much easier but because of the german

withdrawal from the front lines the

majority of heinrich's army and

artillery were intact and in position

the defensive plan had gone well

there was only one thing wrong

heinrichy did not have enough of either

men or guns

without luftwaffe help in the air and

without reserves in men guns panzers

ammunition or fuel

heinrichy could only delay zhukov's

offensive

eventually his enemy must break through

along the entire front heinrich's two

armies had fewer than 700 operable tanks

and self-propelled guns

ammunition and fuel supplies were

equally critical

apart from shells stored at battery

sites the ninth army had reserves

sufficient for only two and a half days

heinrichy could not hold the russians

back for any appreciable length of time

nor could he counter attack because he

had dispersed what little armor and

artillery there was to give each unit a

fighting chance

he could do only what he had known was

possible all along

he could buy a little time

as heinrichy looked at the map and the

broad red arrows marking the russian

advances

he thought bitterly of the panzers that

had been transferred to field marshal

shona's southern army group to stem the

russian attack which hitler

and shona had insisted was heading for

prague those armoured units would have

given heinrichi seven panzer divisions

in all

if i had these divisions the russians

wouldn't be having much fun now

bad as matters were they got even worse

when konef's first ukrainian front

attacked in turn across the river nicer

connects troops did not experience the

ordeal that befell those of zhukov

their offensive went on smoothly and in

a matter of hours it was already clear

that a breakthrough was achieved

zhukov learned of kanev's drive on

berlin from stalin himself and it was

not a pleasant conversation

what was said no one knew but the

headquarters staff could see its effects

on the commander a witness recalled

the attack had stalled and stalin

reprimanded zhukov

it was a serious situation and a

reprimand from stalin was often couched

in not very mild language

zhukov a man with all the marks of an

iron wheel about his face and a man who

did not like to share his glory with

anyone was extremely worked up

meanwhile in his headquarters located

inside cottwood castle marshall conev's

call to moscow came through

as he spoke he reverted to the military

formality that stalin always demanded

this is the commander of the first

ukrainian front

comrade stalin here go ahead

this is my tactical situation

my armored forces are now 23 kilometers

northwest of finster vault

and my infantry around the banks of the

spray

i suggest that my armored formations

move immediately in a northerly

direction

zhukov is having a difficult time

he is still breaking through the

defenses on the sealer heights

enemy resistance there appears stiff and

unyielding

why not pass zhukov's armor through the

gap created on your front and let him go

for berlin from there is that possible

comrade stalin

it would take much time and cause a

great confusion

there is no necessity for transferring

armor from the first belarusian front

operations in my section are going

favorably

i have adequate forces and we are in a

perfect position to turn our tank armies

towards berlin i could send my forces

towards the city by way of zosin 25

miles south of berlin

there was a pause while stalin referred

to his own map

after a while he said very well

i agree

can you turn your tongue armies towards

berlin

connect put down his phone immensely

satisfied

confronted with a very difficult

situation as his troops were pinned down

on the marshes before zeal of heights

zhukov took a critical decision

although originally his tank armies were

not to be committed until after the

heights had been seized he now decided

to throw them in immediately

general katokov the commander of the

first guards tank army who happened to

be in the bunker got his orders direct

zhukov left no doubt as to what he

wanted

the heights were to be captured whatever

the cost

zhukov was going to bludgeon the enemy

into submission and if necessary

baldhosie's way to berlin

then followed by his staff the stocky

marshall left the command post his anger

over the delay still evident

zhukov had no intention of being slowed

up by a few well-placed enemy guns

nor did he intend to be outrun by conor

in the berlin race

that evening the word went out from a

grim zhukov to his entire army group

now take berlin

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and so at last after an incredibly

difficult day of fighting chewy coffee

guards and gotkov's tankers had finally

gained a foothold on the zelo heights by

sheer weight of numbers

a little before midnight the first three

houses in the northern suburbs of the

town of zillow had been captured but

heavy fighting continued all through the

night red army attacks were smashed

again and again by point-blank fire from

anti-aircraft guns

the germans didn't even have to aim said

a witness they just fired over open

sights not until the following night

were the heights taken

it had taken more than 48 hours to break

through the first two lines and zhukov

believed that there were at least three

more such lions lying before berlin

at midnight on april 20 heinrichy grimly

surveyed his maps and tried to analyze

the situation

a few hours earlier one of his fears had

been realized he now commanded not only

the army group vistula but also berlin

as well

almost immediately upon receiving the

order he called general raymond head of

the berlin garrison and told him that no

bridges were to be destroyed in the city

roman had complained that the city was

defenseless anyway now that the best

part of his folk storm had been pulled

out to man defense lines

richie knew all about it he now told

raymond to send along the remainder of

the home guard

rayman don't you understand what i'm

trying to do

i'm trying to make sure that fighting

takes place outside the city and not in

it

the army group vestila commander then

drove to buses ninth army headquarters

all along the order nicer front the line

was cracking slowly but surely under

soviet pressure

heinrichy had been at the front all day

going from headquarters to headquarters

visiting field positions talking to

commanders

he marveled that buses soldiers had done

so well against such terrible odds

first the ninth army had stood off three

days of heavy preliminary attacks

now for more than 24 hours they had been

taking the full force of the main

russian offensive

boss's troops had fought back

ferociously bursa had harbored a secret

hope

so guarded

that he had never voiced it allowed to

anyone except haran ritzy and certain of

his closest commanders

he had wanted to stand fast on the order

long enough for the americans to arrive

he told heinritzi if we can hold until

the americans get here we will have

fulfilled our mission before our people

our country and history

don't you know about eclipse busa had

never heard of it

heinrichy told him of the captured plan

showing the allied lines of demarcation

and projected zones of occupation

i doubt that the americans will even

cross the elbe and even if they do so

and drive for berlin it's probably too

late

hitler is obviously prepared to contest

bitterly every mile of an american

advance he makes no distinction between

the democracies and the communists

germany's position was hopeless

so was the ninth armies but as long as

hitler continued the war and refused to

capitulate bussa believed he would try

to hold the russians up to the very last

moment

the ninth army had taken the full brunt

of the russian attacks it could not take

much more

but although buses men are still

blocking the russians nearly everywhere

it was at a terrible cost

in some areas officers reported that

they were outnumbered by at least ten to

one one division commander had

telephoned they come at us in hordes in

wave after wave we fire our machine guns

often at point-blank range until they

turn red hot

my men are fighting until they run out

of ammunition then they are simply wiped

out or completely overrun

how long this can continue i don't know

nearly every message is alike there are

frantic calls for reinforcements guns

tanks and above all ammunition and fuel

are needed one item was irreplaceable

troops

buses few reserves were either already

committed or were moving up

most of them were being hurriedly thrown

into the fighting at the crucial zelo

region

as he drove in darkness back to his

headquarters

heinrichy found himself slowed by crowds

of refugees

he had seen them everywhere this day

some carrying bundles some pulling hand

carts filled with their last possessions

some in farm wagons drawn by horses or

oxen

in many places their numbers were posing

almost as great a problem to heinrich's

troops as the russians

at his command post anxious staff

officers gathered to hear the general's

first-hand impression of the situation

gravely heinrichy summed up what he had

seen they cannot last much longer

the men are so exhausted that their

tongues are hanging out still we are

holding it is something shauna couldn't

do that great soldier has not been able

to hold conf even for one day a short

time later the okh chief of staff

general krebs rang up

well

we all have good reason to feel

satisfied

considering the size of the attack we

have not lost much ground krebs would

have preferred a more optimistic

response but heinrichy did not make it

he told krebs dryly i have learned never

to praise the day until the twilight

comes and indeed the next day their

conversation took an even more dramatic

tone the situation is becoming almost

impossible to control

it is extremely difficult for the 56

panzer corps which despite all

counter-attacks against the soviets it's

been pushed farther and farther back the

situation there is tense to the point of

bursting overall the ninth army

situation is worsening rapidly the

furore's decision is that busa will hold

on the odor consistently i have been

denied freedom of movement for the ninth

army now i demand it before it's too

late i must point out that i am not

resisting the few his orders because of

the stubbornness of unjustified

pessimism from my record in russia you

know that i do not give up easily

but it is essential to act now in order

to save the night from destruction i

have received the order that the army

group must hold the front line in its

present positions and that all available

forces must be pulled out to close the

gap between the ninth and shauna on the

southern flank i regret what i'm going

to say but the order cannot be carried

out the move simply has no chance of

success i demand the approval of my

request to withdraw the ninth army

it is in the interest of the fiora

himself that i make this request

actually what i should do is go to the

fiora and say my fuhrer since this order

endangers your well-being has no chance

of success and cannot be carried out i

request you to relieve me of my command

and give it to somebody else then i

could do my duty as a volkswa man and

fight the enemy

do you really want me to pass this on to

the fuhrer

i demanded

my chief of staff and my operations

officers are my witnesses

a short while later krebs rang back

the ninth is to hold its position

at the same time all forces that can be

made available are to try to close the

gap with schoener on the southern flank

so as to set up a continuous front once

more

heinrichy knew then

that the ninth was as good as lost

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