Red Banner Number 5 ETO (id:#57801)

Heat of Battle (Berlin: Red Vengeance ID: BRV 3)   [next]   [previous]

Reichstag, Berlin, Germany 1945-05-01 (13 others)

Overview:

After many hours of delay, the 176th Rifle Regiment of the 150th Rifle Division finally closed in on the dreaded Reichstag. Time was quickly running out to accomplish Stalin's directive to have a Banner flying on the Reichstag on May 1st. Nine special banners were distributed to the units taking part in the assault. One of these Banners had to be crowning the building in the next few hours or the commanders of the assaulting units could face a firing squad. The Russians blasted a small hole in the bricked-up building with mortars. They placed two mortars against the stout pillars in front of the Reichstag, then fired point blank at the door. The mortars made a hole just large enough to squeeze men into the objective. Once inside the building the Russians were in complete darkness and had no floor plan of the structure. Only the flash of rifles and the explosion of grenades lit the way. Desperate hand to hand fighting erupted as more Russian soldiers clambered through the breach.

Defender: German (SS) (Reichstag Detachment of Defense Zone "Z")  

Errata (source)