During the Battle of Berlin in April 1945, the German 9th Army found itself in a desperate situation. The Soviet army had pierced the German defenses and was moving quickly to surround Berlin. Despite being ordered to hold their position, General Theodor Busse's 9th Army was pushed back towards the south of Berlin.
Ignoring Hitler's orders, Busse attempted to pull his army back and withdraw westwards. However, it was too late, and the 9th Army was short of supplies, ammunition, tanks, and combat-experienced personnel.
The Soviet forces, with 280,000 men, 280 tanks, and massive artillery and air support, vastly outnumbered the 9th Army, which had around 80,000 men and 79 operational tanks.
General Busse decided to break out west towards the 12th Army, which was fighting the Americans on the Elba River. The 12th Army launched an attack on April 25, and the 9th Army made several attempts to break out.
Despite heavy losses, the German vanguard managed to link up with the 12th Army, and around 25,000 members of the 9th Army and a few thousand civilians passed into the 12th Army sector and retreated with it to the Elba River to surrender to the Americans.
The Battle of Halbe, where the 9th Army fought against the Soviet forces, resulted in the deaths of at least 30,000 German soldiers and an unknown number of civilians. Over 20,000 Red Army soldiers were also killed, and thousands more surrendered.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The German Ninth Army was in an increasingly desperate situation during the opening moves of the Battle of Berlin on April 16, 1945.
2. On April 20, 1945, Soviet forces pierced the German defenses in two places and began to surround Berlin.
3. The main Soviet breakthrough was north of the town of Custrin.
4. By April 20, 1945, the Red Army controlled the area south of Frankfurt under Order.
5. General Theodore Busse's Ninth Army was pushed back towards the south of Berlin.
6. Hitler's holdfast order exposed the Ninth Army to encirclement.
7. Colonel General Gotthard Heinrici, who commanded Army Group Vistula, ordered Busse to pull his army back and withdraw westwards.
8. By April 20, 1945, Soviet tanks had reached Berlin's outskirts.
9. Hitler appeared in public for the final time on April 20, 1945, to decorate Hitler youths in the Reich Chancellery garden.
10. The Soviet forces facing the Ninth Army numbered around 280,000 men, 280 tanks, and self-propelled guns, plus massive artillery and air support.
11. The Ninth Army had around 80,000 men and 79 operational tanks.
12. General Busse chose to break out west towards the 12th Army as it was the best chance of avoiding Soviet captivity.
13. The 12th Army's attack commenced on April 25, 1945, and managed to push forward to the town of Baylitz.
14. The Ninth Army's rear guard was in constant contact with the enemy, making withdrawal difficult.
15. The Ninth Army was critically short of food and fuel for its remaining panzers and vehicles.
16. General Busse planned to use his remaining armor to punch through the rear of the Soviet Marshal Konev's force.
17. The Ninth Army held positions in an area of lakes and gloomy pine forest southwest of Firstenwalder.
18. The only viable route for Busse's army was to cross the Berlin to Dresden autobahn south of the lakes at Toy Pits.
19. The Soviet forces occupied the forest, but a gap existed near the town of Barut.
20. The first Ninth Army breakout attempt was timed to coincide with the 12th Army's offensive east on the evening of April 25, 1945.
21. The southern thrust encircled the 291st Guard's Rifle Regiment in Radenland.
22. The Ninth Army losses were extremely heavy, with thousands of soldiers and civilians dying in the Halber forest battles.
23. At least 30,000 Ninth Army soldiers died in the battles.
24. An unknown number of civilians died, possibly as many as 10,000.
25. Over 20,000 Red Army soldiers were killed.
26. Thousands more surrendered.
27. The German vanguard managed to link up with the 12th Army still holding on to its hard-won positions at Baylitz.
28. Some 25,000 members of the Ninth Army and a few thousand civilians passed into the 12th Army sector and retreated with it to the Elba River to surrender to the Americans.
29. General Busse was released in 1948 and became West Germany's Director of Civil Defense.
30. General Busse died in 1986, aged 88.