Video: Seelow Heights: Preparations, Expectations, and Legacy

Today we know the Battle of Seelow Heights as a key part of the Battle of Berlin, but it wasn't always treated as such. In this video, I take a look at the preparations of the battle, its significance, and how its legacy changed over the years. 

This lecture was originally recorded for the Istochnik history club.

Armoured Confusion: Victorious '45

There are many misconceptions about the use of tanks in 1945, same as any other period of the Great Patriotic War. These myths muddle the characteristics of tanks, their application, and sometimes even introduce tanks that were not there at all. The final chapter in the series dedicated to myths on Soviet armour in the Great Patriotic War is dedicated to this period.

Multicyclone Performance

The air filter was the Achilles' heel of early T-34 tanks. The early Pomon air filters were inefficient and had to be cleaned often, which was not always possible in the heat of battle. These filters were later replaced in production with Cyclone and later Multicyclone filters. These filters proved themselves to be superior, as reports from the 2nd Guards Tank Army during the Berlin Offensive Operation indicate.

The Almighty Panzerfaust

Soviet movies set in the initial stages of the Great Patriotic War depict the Simonov and Degtyaryev anti-tank rifles as incredibly effective. In movies that cover the end of the war, not necessarily even Soviet ones, German Panzerfausts are credited with similar effectiveness. One shot = one tank, even from incredible distances. Of course, people do not come to the cinema to wonder why such a wonder weapon did not prevent Soviet T-34s and American Sherman tanks from appearing in the streets of German cities. How effective were German rocket propelled anti-tank grenades really?

Anti-Panzerfaust Tactics

"How to combat Panzerfaust soldiers and counteract them

The Red Army's use of mass amounts of tanks and SPGs forced the German command to work at reinforcing their anti-tank defenses. This reinforcement went in the following directions:

1. Introduction of high caliber anti-tank weapons.
2. Replacement of anti-tank towed guns with SPGs (Ferdinand and others).
3. Widespread use of AA artillery in anti-tank roles.
4. Invention of new types of weapons, especially close combat ones: torpedo tankette, Ofenrohr, Faustpatrone.

Lethality in Berlin

Some interesting data from the 2nd Guards Tank Army gathered during their fighting in Berlin. Analysis of tanks that were badly damaged enough to have to be written off from their unit was performed at the repair base. There, a decision was made: either the tank is irreparable and is destined for the scrap heap or is salvageable, but only after refurbishment, and is thus sent to the factory. Unfortunately there are no notes that tell us why each specific type of tank typically became unsalvageable, but only a general rule of thumb: if the ammunition rack is hit, the tank blows up and is a complete loss. If the ammunition does not go off, then the tank will probably be suitable for refurbishment, even if there was a fire.

Type	Total	T-34		IS-2		M4A2		SU-76		SU-85		SU-100		ISU-122
		Irrep.	Maj.	Irrep.	Maj.	Irrep.	Maj.	Irrep.	Maj.	Irrep.	Maj.	Irrep.	Maj.	Irrep.	Maj.
75 mm shell	39	6	8	-	-	3	16	2	2	-	2	-	-	-	-
88 mm shell	27	7	3	7	-	4	4	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	1
100 mm shell	9	2	2	3	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
22 mm AA gun	5	-	1	-	-	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Artillery total	80	15	14	10	-	12	21	2	2	-	2	1	-	1	-
Faust	47	16	2	2	1	13	8	3	-	-	-	1	-	1	-
Aircraft	4	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-
Mines	4	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	-	-	-
Total	135	33	16	12	1	25	31	5	3	-	2	3	-	4	-

Sneaking Mission

"Award Order

1. Name: Sadovskiy, Yuri Vladimirovich
2. Rank: Captain
3. Position, unit: reconnaissance officer, 530 Baranovich Order of Alexander Nevskiy Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment
   is nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
4. Year of birth: 1920
5. Nationality: Ukrainian
6. Party affiliation: VKP(b) member since 1943
7. Participation in the civil war and subsequent actions in defense of the USSR and Patriotic War: in the Patriotic War since June 1941
8. Wounds and concussions in the Patriotic War: wounded in September of 1943
9. In the Red Army since: September 1939
10. Recruited by: Oktyabrskiy recruitment office, Kiev
11. Prior awards: Order of the Patriotic War 2nd class on August 20th, 1944, Order of Aleksandr Nevskiy on February 4th, 1945

Brief and specific description of personal heroism or achievements: In battles to liquidate the surrounded group of Germans south-east of Berlin on April 29th and April 30th, 1945, he demonstrated exceptional courage and heroism.

During an attack of enemy columns on our forces, he and his scouts were the first to stand in their way, drawing fire and letting the regiment's batteries set up. In this battle, comrade Sadovskiy personally killed over 70 soldiers and officers with his submachinegun and grenades. In a critical moment of the battle, when one gun's crew was killed, comrade Sadovskiy took up a position at the gun with scout Shalunov and fought for 2 hours against an attacking enemy, destroying 2 German tanks, an APC, and over 250 soldiers and officers.

At night, with two scouts, he snuck into an enemy camp, killed a sleeping tank crew, and got into their tank. At dawn, he opened deadly fire at the enemy. When the tank ran out of ammunition, comrade Sadovskiy closed his hatches and drove the tank at an enemy column at high speed, crushing the enemy's vehicles and soldiers. Leaving behind over 200 corpses, crippled vehicles, 2 guns, and 9 machineguns, comrade Sadovskiy broke through to the regiment's HQ, taking an active role in its defense. Later, pursuing the fleeing enemy, he led the soldiers from the HQ company and crews from gun batteries, showing the enemy an unseen slaughter. 230 prisoners were taken in this battle.

Comrade Sadovskiy thrice took part in hand to hand combat, fighting with grenades, a pistol, and a knife. He killed, wounded, and knocked out about 100 enemy soldiers, personally capturing 31 soldiers, 1 Major, and 2 Oberleutnants.

He is worthy of the highest government award: the title of Hero of the Soviet Union."

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