# Our Backs To Berlin:The German Army in Retreat 1945 (Book Review)



## 3rd Herd (7 Mar 2007)

What did the average German soldier deal with during the final stages of Hitlers Germany. Many military historians have overlooked this area concentrating instead on the grand picture. Jurgen Thorwald in Flight from the East chronicles the disorganized rout as it fell back on Berlin. Tony Le Tessier through the use of interviews, signal logs and other methods of primary research has complied an excellent in depth treatise on the final days from the grunts point of view. The book Our Backs To Berlin:The German Army in Retreat 1945 is chapter based tales commencing about the beginning of February until the fall of Berlin in May. Well recognized for his attention to detail in other works on the fall of Berlin, this is a soldiers eye view.

By chapter the role of the Hertzer tank destroyers is narrated by a panzer grenadier attached as part of the close support team. It seems each Hertzer had a small infantry group attached to each individual vehicle. For those with an interest in the indirect fire support role a chapter is dedicated to a ad hoc motor platoon who discovers a basement full of small surface to surface rockets. This caught my attention as there have been brief accounts of this over the years but nothing substantial. The use of the twin 128 mm guns on the roof of the Zoo flak tower in a direct fire role is well described by the youth who manned them.

Other chapters deal with the actual combat by section in the Fuhrer bunker and the Reichstage area in the final moments. The legions of paper pushers being formed into shock companies verses the close combat veteran. Also turned into a shock battalion was the band from the Liebstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler. In addition to the paper pushers there are several examples of the conduct of the Hitler Jugend and the Volkssturm. These again are very interesting as they shed a new light on what has been a traditional view.

For perspective included is the short narrative of a Soviet soldier and the destruction of the Halbe pocket. Following two weeks of preparation he is moving through the suburbs of Berlin in the race to be the first at the Reichstage. The myth of the famous Red Banner over the Reichstage is covered with new accounts of who was there first, along with the desire to capture top Nazi's in the hope of obtaining the status of "Hero of the Soviet Union".

The book is an easy read for just about all levels. For those not intimately familiar with the topography of Berlin there are quite good maps and drawings of areas such as the Seelow heights and specific suburbs. Again, I obtained my copy on the local used market but would not hesitate to buy this new.


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## noneck (7 Mar 2007)

+1 Excellent book.


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