Götterdämmerung - The Fall of Berlin: 1945

 

April 16th, 1945

1,394 days and nearly 30 million dead since the invasion of Russia, Marshal Georgy Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front prepared to attack the fortified German positions of the Seelow Heights across the Oder River. Almost 1 Million Soviet Troops and 20,000 Tanks and artillery pieces would square off against 100,000 German Troops and 1,200 tanks and guns in what would be the one of the last major pitched battles of the Second World War.

Four days later on April 19th, Zhukov and his army would break through the German positions after suffering heavy casualties, but the Gates to Berlin were now wide open and nothing but broken and routed resistance lay between them and capital city. On April 21st the Belorussian front began to shell Berlin and would continue to do so until the surrender.

The Russian Army's rapid advance had completely encircled Berlin on April 24th and after 6 days of bitter house to house, building to building fighting the Soviets crossed Moltke Bridge and stormed the Reichstag. Unbeknownst to them, Hitler had taken his own life early that morning. When the smoke finally cleared and the Allies accepted the German surrender the Soviets had lost over 80,000 dead from the Seelow Heights, Halbe and the final Battle of Berlin while German estimates counted 100,000 soldiers and 125,000 civilians dead.

The Luftwaffe was nearly non existent since January 1945 but continued to operate in small pockets of resistance until the end of the war. In these last weeks of the war in Europe the Luftwaffe would face threats from both the Western Allies and the Soviets, sometimes resulting in combat between both US/British and Soviet aircraft at the same time. They would also see limited action in the newest fighters the Luftwaffe could muster like the Ta-152, Me-262 and Ar-234.

This FSO will focus on the last days of the Luftwaffe as they fought off the last major Soviet advance and encirclement while making the usual gameplay concessions for FSO. US and British forces will not be involved.

 

 

 

Fw 190A-8

 
Each side will have one mandatory Ace mission per frame. These frames will represent notable pilots of the time and theater. One pilot from each side will designated an "Ace" Pilot. They must fly the Aces listed aircraft. They will be scored as follows.

 

They will be scored as follows.
 
Ace Pilot = 20 Points
Ace Pilot Kills = 20 Points
 
So for example if an Ace Pilot is shot down they are worth 20 points to the other side. Like wise, every victory an Ace Pilot lands they will be rewarded 20 points.

Allied Aces

La-7 – Ivan Kozhedub – Kozhedub began the war as a flight instructor but requested transfer to the front in 1943. He claimed his first kill, a Ju87 in the Battle of Kursk. Kozhedub would claim a Me 262 shot down in February of 1945 and claimed his 61st and 62nd kills over Berlin on April 17th, 1945. Kozhedub was the highest scoring Allied Ace in WW2 and was awarded 3 HSUs. Kozhedub passed away in 1991.

Yak-3 – Arsenii Vorozheikin – Arsenii had served in the Soviet Army and in 1934 he started training to fly for the military. He saw his first combat in Khalkin Gol and after that saw action against the Finns in the Winter War. By April of 1945 he was stationed near Berlin and would claim an Ar 234 shot down near the city. He ended the war with 52 kills total and awarded two HSU’s. Vorozheikin passed away in 2001.

Yak-9U – Ivan Fyodorov – Fyodorov flew his first combat sorties in the Kuban in April 1943 with his first victory coming on April 20th. Fyodorov would fly Yak fighters all the way to Berlin. He would shoot down his last enemy aircraft over Berlin, a Fw 190, on April 21st, 1945. He would claim 36 victories and be awarded the HSU.

Axis Aces

Fw 190D-9 – Hans Dortenmann – Dortenmann started his military career in the Army and started flight training in 1941. His first victory came in February of 1944 on the Eastern Front. Dortenmann would survive the war claiming 38 victories, 18 in the Fw 190D9 the most successful pilot in the Dora. His last victory would come over Berlin against a Yak-3 on April 27th, 1945.

Me 262 – Johannes “Macki” Stienhoff – Macki had started his combat experience in 1939 and fought in the West, East and Mediterranean. He began flying Me 262s with Kommando Nowotny, JG 7, and JV44. In March of 1945 Macki shot down an IL-2 near the River Oder. Stienhoff was seriously burned when he crashed his 262 on April 18th 1945, he had amassed 176 kills, 6 in the Me 262. He passed away in 1994.

Ta 152H – Josef Kiel – Kiel shot down his first aircraft, a Blenhiem Bomber, on May 15^th 1940. He was badly wounded in November, 1940 and would require a long recovery. Kiel would not claim another victory until November of 1944. Kiel would be the only pilot to make ace status on the Ta 152. His last victories came on April 21st 1945, where he shot down 2 Yak-9 fighters over Berlin.