ISBN 0-7509-2611-2
215 pages

Introduction; maps; photos; Index

   Some authors write books about a broad range of topics. Others return again and again to a specific subject. Tony Le Tissier falls into the latter category with his exemplary books about the Battle of Berlin:

The Battle of Berlin 1945
After the Battle: Berlin Then and Now
Zhukov at the Oder
Race for the Reichstag

   To that very successful list of books Le Tissier has added a new title, With Our Backs to Berlin, in which he explores the same basic area but from a somewhat different perspective.
   While his earlier four books on Berlin have been rather scholarly affairs which have involved much research and much piecing together of fragmentary evidence to produce a coherent whole, in his new book Le Tissier mostly forsakes strategic and operational perspectives in order to focus almost exclusively on the ghastly whirlwind of blood and doom as it engulfs a number of individual participants. Thus, With Our Backs to Berlin does not investigate the overall planning of the Soviet fronts, nor does the book capture the surreal drama playing out in Hitler's bunker, nor does it measure the opposing armies and chart the step-by-step course of the battle through the streets of Berlin. Instead, Le Tissier presents accounts from participants, mostly in their own words, of the horrible inferno they faced and survived—barely—as the Third Reich blazed and collapsed around them.
   With two exceptions these stories all take place on the Russian Front, and with one exception they all come from the German side of the lines.

   "In the Steps of Frederick the Great" by Erich Wittor -- A 20-year-old second lieutenant, the author led his panzer-grenadiers to re-take the village of Kunersdorf with the assistance of tank-busting Ju 87s flown by Hans-Ulrich Rudel and his mates. One of the shortest pieces, but continued later in the book.

   "The Last Defenders of Schloss Thorn" by Ernest Henkel -- Defending against the American 94th Infantry Division between the Moselle and the Saar, Henkel describes his relatively civilized experience as a forward observer and his eventual capture.

   The artillery forward observer told me that he had ordered fire on our own position. I do not know whether we as forward observers for the mortars gave a similar order with Verey lights. It is unlikely, for the fire position must have been experiencing the same as ourselves. Schloss Thorn was being raked by our own weapons, and there was also heavy fire on the American infantry advancing on Kreuzweiler.
   After a short discussion we decided to give ourselves up, otherwise we would be smoked out. One of us would have to go outside. Nobody wanted to be the one to go, but the lads picked on me as apparently I had once casually said something about speaking a little English. I opened the cellar door and climbed over the corpse of the corporal that had collected an assault rifle from us. He had been shot in the head by a sniper from the other side of the Moselle. The damaged screen that had sheltered us from view from the river had fallen down, and we had not found it necessary to put it up again last night. No one had felt responsible, and this poor devil died because of it.
   My main problem was now the sniper across the way, for as I climbed the steps he would have me in his sights. Would the same thing happen to me as to the corporal on the cellar steps? I knew from my own experience how great the urge is to squeeze the trigger when one has an enemy in one's sights. I raised my hands as high as they would go, climbed the first step and shouted out aloud: American soldiers, we surrender!'
   There was no reply. I climbed the next step with my hands stretched up high and shouted again. Then the third step, and the lad must be able to see my hands now, I thought. Then step four. I was sweating. With the fifth step he would surely see my head. Did he have me in his cross hairs? Would he squeeze the trigger? He did not, so I slowly climbed the rest of the steps and stood in the castle's inner courtyard.
   Calling out loudly I turned around and got a reply. From the adjacent cellar that we had used as a toilet came about ten Americans. They surrounded me and pointed their weapons at me. Their leader, whom I took to be a staff sergeant, cocked his big revolver and pointed it at my stomach. I was greatly relieved, for the sniper could not get me now. We looked at each other silently for a moment until I somewhat superfluously repeated: 'We surrender!'
   The section leader pointed toward the cellar. 'How many?'
   I shook my shoulders. 'I don't know, maybe six or eight. Some are dead like him', and I indicated with my head toward the dead man. The Americans stretched their necks and looked down. That satisfied the section leader. 'Let them come up, hands up and no weapons!'
   So I called down below: 'Lads, unbuckle, weapons away and hands up, then come out!'
   The first was the artillery forward observer, who grinned at me and threw me a knowing look. (They had meanwhile rendered the radio unserviceable.) With me included, we were six men in all. The war seemed to be over for us, and we had survived. They led us from the inner courtyard outside through the big arched gateway. The Sherman tank was there further up with three or four others. Several other men came out as prisoners from the outer cellars. It was clear to all of us that there was no way out of this trap.
   Then we heard the first rounds of our 105mm coming. Everyone threw themselves down in the dirt, Germans and Americans, trying to bury themselves in the earth. Here would have been a chance to escape. It would have meant running back through the fire of our own shells, hoping that they would not get me and that the Americans would not shoot after me. By the time I had thought it through, the opportunity was gone. One has to do these things without thinking, but today I am glad that I did not do it.
   With our hands clasped behind our necks, they led us down the road coming up from the Moselle. The dead enemies that I had shot were Iying there. One of the guards pointed to them with a threatening gesture. I was the last in the line. As we turned into the Moselle river bank road, I stopped and turned round once more, looking at the destroyed Schloss Thorn. It was a wretched sight and I vowed to myself never to forget it. This vow I have kept. My guard, a lanky, gum-chewing lad, struck me sharply in the chest with the barrel of his submachine gun and said: 'Let's go!', an expression I was to hear often.

   "With Our Backs to Berlin" by Gerhard Tillery -- Tillery's story of fighting the Soviets is far more wrenching. His class at the officer candidate school was abruptly halted so that he and his classmates could be hurried to the front lines. Living in holes within hand grenade range of the enemy, his classmates were killed one by one. After numerous adventures with his dwindling unit, Tillery attempted to escape to the American lines, was blown off the tank on which he was riding when it was hit by anti-tank fire, and eventually was captured by the Soviets on 6 May and served eighteen months in captivity.

   "The Siege of Klessin" by Tony Le Tissier -- Le Tissier himself has pieced together this story mainly from radio logs, a wartime diary, and a survivor's account. The action occurs largely as transcripts of radio signals, with commentary by Le Tissier. In this snippet, "M" represents a forward observer with the relief force, I is the 1st Battalion, II is the 2nd Battalion, and the four-digit numbers are times of transmissions.

To II 1940 Watch out! Our own relief operation. Pull back. Illuminate battlefield.

M 2002 Strong anti-tank fire. Tanks rolling forward. Strong anti-tank fire right of road to KLESSIN.

M 2012 Own tanks rolling forward.

M 2018 Tanks continuing to advance. No sign of own troops at the moment.

M 2033 Tanks 300-400m before position. Remainder on high position.

To II 2035 What is the situation?

M 2036 Fire from big mortars could be laid down in front of tanks.

M 2038 Infantry right of road advancing well.

From I What is the situation?

To I Head of advance has reached KLESSIN. Wing companies advancing.

M 2041 Own troops left of road advancing.

M 2047 Heavy artillery fire on own troops right of road.

M 2051 Lieutenant Wilken wounded. Coming back.

M 2055 Sounds of fighting quieter.

To I 2100 An officer to immediately go forward and clarify situation.

M 2100 Groups of our own troops are coming back right of road 200m from the position.

M 2105 Tanks still advancing. No sign of own troops.

From I 2107 Some tanks now behind village. No infantry companies to be seen. Where is artillery fire?

M 2110 Tanks now in hollow 400m from own positions. 3 tanks going further forward on right.

M 2120 Have some elements gone back?

To I Second Lieutenant Lehner to take over 3 Company and attack.

M 2118 Since last report at 2054 hours no returning troops seen.

From I 2125 KLESSIN reports via 8 Company: We are free.

M 2126 One tank returning.

M 2130 KLESSIN reports: We are free.

M 2137 Up to 8 men seen returning.

To I 2215 Breakthrough must be forced with tanks under all circumstances. Tanks have orders to this effect.

To I 2220 Has an officer gone forward from 1st Battalion to clarify situation?

From I 2223 Attack on the hollow stalled. Tanks partly ahead of own infantry companies without contact to the platoons. Partly covered by considerable mortar fire.

From II 2236 Contact to right re-established, to the left still unclear. Still enemy on the road.

From I 2238 Remove 7 wounded from 8 Company Command Post. 4 stretcher cases.

To II 2250 Urgently need to know whether contact to southern front has been completed.

From II If 1 Company/1242 left PODELZIG-KLESSIN road is not going to advance, fire on DROSSEL2 from all artillery resources requested.

To II Report immediately when armoured personnel carriers arrive.

From I 7 Company has contact with KLESSIN. If a frontal advance not possible, 3 Company is to drive forward to the Russian trenches that 7 Company has blocked off and roll them up to north. Brief the tanks and let them support us from you.

From I 7 Company has contact with KLESSIN. If a frontal advance not possible, 3 Company is to drive forward to the Russian trenches that 7 Company has blocked off and roll them up to north. Brief the tanks and let them support us from you. Report immediately whether attack frontal or from south.

From II 6 Company has contact with left platoon 7 Company, not with right of 7 Company. Armoured personnel carriers not yet arrived.

To I 0025 Prepare Engineer Platoon immediately. Platoon to roll up trenches from south to north. Lieutenant Rossmann to command platoon.

From II 0045 What is the situation?

To II 0105 Frontal thrust along the road now stalled. Engineer Platoon tasked with clearing enemy trenches from south to north. 2nd Battalion is to send an assault troop along 7 Company's front from 6 Company to re-establish firm contact with 7 Company. Armoured personnel carriers are on their way.

From I 0125 Engineer Platoon briefed and already under way.

To I 0135 As soon as the Engineer Platoon is there, roll up the position from south to north. Also commit 3 and 1 Companies. The enemy must be chased out of these trenches.

M 0135 Wounded transport to here.

From I 0135 Wounded transport to 8 Company. Numerous wounded there.

From II 0150 2 Company on right at the moment including No. 1 Platoon of 7 Company at Grid Reference 69660/14000. Request closure of still open gap by rest of Feldherrnhalle or 7 Company. Note coordinates.

From II 0045 What is the situation?

To II 0158 Query: have the armoured personnel carriers arrived yet?

To II Request Hopp to establish: a) How many pack radios in KLESSIN? b) How many of these intact? Reply immediately. Baier.

From II From Feldherrnhalle: One armoured personnel carrier and 2 heavy armoured personnel carriers driven on mines in renewed attack, also strong infantry fire.

To II 0745 Lieutenant Schone: Undertaking failed due to enemy anti-tank mines. Recognition of your steadfastness and that of your men. I will personally not rest until we are reunited.

From II 0732 Request yet today another drop of ammunition, Verey lights, hand grenades, water, food, lead and nickel batteries, anodes, tetanus, bandages.

From II 0920 Situation Report: Battalion is holding KLESSIN in old positions. One platoon 7 Company in battalion reserve broke back through to us after a short fight after being cut off. Right wing of battalion about 150m north of shot-up Russian tank. Gap to 7 Company about 500m. Also possible to close the gap with specific bombardment of the intervening hollow without putting tanks on stand-by.

From Div For Combat Team Klessin: Report approximate casualties immediately. Have you a doctor in KLESSIN?

To II 1153 Report immediately for Division: fighting strength, casualties and whether you have a doctor in KLESSIN.

From II 1230 In KLESSIN there are in all five pack radios and one unreliable Sender/Receiver. Four of the sets are on their last batteries. Regimental set has still duration of 24 hours in receiving mode. 2 Company cannot communicate with 1st Battalion, but I have secured their batteries. We will only transmit when we need you. Please note.

From II 1327 Fighting strength 5/182. Casualties: 15 (6 dead, 9 wounded). Doctor best possible.

To II 1740 Expected supply drop 1745-1815 hrs. Shoot white and green. Mark drop zone SCHLOSS yard.

From II 1902 To Commander: Re your message of 1730 hours. Messages that through encoding cannot be acted on in time are pointless and endanger confidence in the leadership. Drop zone not SCHLOSS but village street.

To II 1940 Supply bombs coming tomorrow morning. Timing will be passed on to you.

   "The Bridge at Golzow" by Horst Zobel -- Zobel commanded a panzer battalion which was ordered to defend its position in an orchard to the last man in order to cover a bridge and halt Soviet assaults. With five tanks he fought a back-and-forth battle for twenty-four hours before relief forces arrived to take over the position.

   "The Defence of Seelow" by Karl-Hermann Tams -- Already twice wounded on the Russian Front, Tams passed a company commanders' course and on 30 March 1945 received orders to join his old unit on the Seelowe Heights as a second lieutenant. Hopelessly outnumbered, they were expected to stand firm against the Soviet offensive. In the words of the commander of the Seelow combat group, "We shall stay here if necessary until the American tanks drive up our arse!" Tams tells of an eerie formal dinner, as if in peacetime, just before the final assault. He was caught up in hand-to-hand combat, wounded, and finally escaped,

   "Marxdorf" by Erich Wittor -- In another short piece, and a continuation of the opening chapter, Wittor describes further action, this time involving "National Committee" Germans fighting on the side of the Soviets and King Tiger tanks knocking out T-34s.

   "Retreat from Seelow" by Dr. Fritz-Rudi Averdieck -- Averieck served as a radio operator in the 20th Panzergrenadier Division. He fought in Poland, in France, and on the Russian Front. Like Tams he was involved in the fighting on the Seelow Heights, retreating with his until captured by the British.

   "At the Zoo Flak-tower" by Harry Schweizer -- Early in 1944 Schwizer, a sixteen-year-old schoolboy, began serving in an AA searchlight battery outside Berlin. Later in the year he was transferred to the flak artillery in the "Zoo Bunker" in Berlin. He describes the flak tower and its weapons in considerable detail, and here Hans-Ulrich Rudel makes another appearance. Schweizer also volunteered—briefly—to serve in a tank-hunting team with old men and other young boys under SS command. He soon returned to the flak tower and ended the war in Soviet captivity.

   "Halbe" by Harry Zvi Glaser -- From the Soviet side of the lines comes this brief third-person story of Harry Zvi Glaser, a Latvian Jew serving in the Red Army. He fought briefly in the streets of Berlin, then was redeployed to the village of Halbe, 40km southeast of Berlin, where he helped clean out a pocket of 60,000 Germans.

   "The Surrender of the 'Phantom Division'" by Tony Le Tissier -- In Le Tissier's second contribution to the book, he tells the tale of the surrender of the 11th Panzer Division and the "liberation" of the famous Lippizaner horses from the German Army Stud Farm at Hostau.

   "The Band of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" by Willi Rogmann -- In the longest chapter in the book, Rogmann describes the action in Berlin, beginning with the end of his assignment as a guard in the Reichs Chancellery. It makes a good story, but sounds considerably more fantastic and self-aggrandizing than all the others in what is otherwise a very matter-of-fact, down-to-earth book.

   But I had even been outspoken with our Fuhrer when I had had the opportunity to do so, and he had asked me to. This happened as follows. From February 1945, I was in charge of the Inner Guard at the Reichs Chancellery, a permanent duty as I was not allowed to return to the front as I would have preferred because of my golden close-combat badge, for the regiment was my home. One night the sentry at the bottom of the steps rang me, signalling that something special was happening. When I rushed down to him he told me that the Fuhrer was wandering around.
   Then I saw him in the half darkness (caused by the blackout) coming toward me. He went past me toward the Mosaic Hall. I stood there like a pillar of salt, as we were not allowed to salute him or draw attention to ourselves.
   Then he beckoned me to follow him. Shortly before a dud bomb had broken through the Mosaic Hall down to the cellar, leaving behind a hole in the ceiling and floor about three or four metres across. He stood in front of it looking at it gloomily and turning to me, said: 'Now they want to crush us.' Naturally I did not reply, as it was not for me to do so.
   Then he asked me directly what I as a front line soldier, as he could see from my many decorations, made of the way the war was going. I was taken aback and said: 'My Fuhrer, you have many more competent advisors.'
   'Yes,' he said, 'certainly, but they all lie to me. I want to know from you, the front line soldiers.'
   'What do you want to hear then,' I said, 'a propaganda speech or the naked truth?'
   'Naturally the last,' he said.
   Then I told him: 'If you haven't got a good ace up your sleeve, then the war is long since lost.'
   'How does this effect the fighting morale?' he wanted to know.
   'With the Waffen-SS hardly at all,' was my reply. 'We fight on even when we know that all is lost. But with the Wehrmacht it is devastating.'
   'Can you give me examples?' he wanted to know.
   'That I can.'
   Then he sighed deeply and left.
   When I went back to barracks after this episode on 4 April, I was told that the commanding officer wanted to see me immediately. When I reported to him, he told me that my Reichs Chancellery duties were finished....

   Certainly a change of pace for Le Tissier—despite taking place on the battlefields with which he is intimately familiar—and probably not all that alluring for readers interested in a more coherent, strategic and operational account of the fighting—about which the author has already written more than anyone—but With Our Backs to Berlin will prove to be mesmerizing for readers who want to learn more about "what it was really like" from veterans who participated on the front lines of the final battles.
   Recommended.
   Available from online booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from Sutton Publishing.
   Thanks to Sutton for providing this review copy.