David Porter analyses the balance of forces in the Third Reich's final battle in Part One of this series on the Battle of Berlin.
During the second week of April 1945, a massive Soviet force was assembled in the small bridgehead on the west bank of the Oder near Küstrin. Zhukov’s 1st Belorussian Front was preparing to attack the Seelow Heights, the last natural line of defence before Berlin.
The 1st Belorussian Front had 908,000 men, 3,155 AFVs, 16,934 guns, and had stockpiled over 7 million rounds of artillery ammunition. On its northern flank, Rokossovsky’s 2nd Belorussian Front was to attack to the north of Berlin, while Koniev’s 1st Ukrainian Front covered its southern flank.
At the beginning of April, Stalin had played on the intense rivalry between Zhukov and Koniev, authorising whoever first broke through the German defences to take Berlin.
Saving Spilsby sandstone structures