German Red Prince

Page 202

For the next 24 hours, starting from the delivery of this letter, the troops surrounding Berlin will not launch an attack. Residents remaining in the city can leave through the safe evacuation routes designated by the Rhine Army. During this period, if the Berlin garrison takes the initiative to negotiate peace, the revolutionary army will treat these troops well.

With only twenty hours to spare, Manstein accepted the letter without speaking, instead handing the envelope to Rundstedt. After reading Guderian's letter, Rundstedt sighed, realizing that the Rhine army had indeed done everything they could.

"War is a matter for soldiers and should not involve ordinary people. If we drag civilians into the fighting, then we will be unworthy of the title of Prussian soldier."

Rundstedt agreed with the evacuation of Berlin's citizens, but he refused to surrender. This was Prussia's last battle; it wasn't just his war, but a war for Prussia and for the dignity of the German Empire. He also knew that after the Battle of Berlin, the empire would be completely gone.

"We are fighting for the German Empire. Even if we are destined to lose, we must fight. It is a matter of the honor of the Empire and the honor of Prussian soldiers."

This is the elegy of the empire; they are the last step of the old era, and what follows is a completely new order, a completely new era.

Guderian received Manstein's response: they agreed to the first condition but rejected the second. Guderian was not surprised; he would have made the same choice. Allowing civilians to evacuate would give them more freedom in the fighting, which was already quite good.

The emergency exit was opened, and a huge sign was erected. The city of Berlin was already in a state of panic. After hearing the broadcast, no one dared to come out, fearing that something unexpected might happen. Everyone just packed their luggage and began to wait and see.

Soon, a group of people couldn't stand it any longer. Going out might offer a glimmer of hope, while staying in the city meant certain death. They formed a team, packed their belongings, and carefully walked out towards the location indicated by the sign. Both sides tacitly refrained from firing, and there were even instances where the Rhine army and the Prussian army maintained order separately, separated by hundreds of meters.

Seeing that the first group of people had evacuated without incident, everyone immediately sprang into action and began rushing towards the exit. Long queues formed at the safety passage as citizens busily evacuated, having lived in fear every day during this period.

Rundstedt watched the Berlin citizens lining up to leave. This was a good thing for him. Rundstedt was a traditional officer, and he would feel uncomfortable if he dragged civilians into it. Now that the civilians were gone, at least when a fight broke out, Rundstedt wouldn't feel too guilty.

The citizens of Berlin were evacuating, and Adolf was also actively preparing in the city. Himmler and Ribbentrop now hated Prussia and couldn't wait to die. They had previously been involved in alcohol trafficking and had connections with mid-level officers, and now was the best time to make use of that network.

Although Rundstedt and Manstein wanted to set up a battle against the Rhine, many officers and soldiers below them did not want to. These people became potential targets for defection. Once Guderian launched his attack from the outside, they quickly coordinated from within to try to take Berlin with minimal casualties.

Twenty-four hours passed, and this was the most difficult night. Arahan and the other soldiers of the International Brigades stared blankly at the flag that represented the International Brigades.

Who would have thought that one day this flag would actually fly over Berlin? After tonight, tomorrow would be the final offensive. The International Brigades soldiers were looking forward to this war more than anyone else. When the red flag flew over the city of Berlin, it represented the final victory of communism.

The Rhine Revolutionary Army and Prussian troops were maintaining order in the safety passageway. This was the last group of citizens to evacuate, and the passageway was about to close.

The uniforms of the Rhine army and the Prussian army were not much different, the most obvious difference being their helmets. Their helmets were quite different. After delivering the last batch of evacuation missions, the Prussian soldier saluted the Rhine soldiers, and the Rhine revolutionary army saluted him in return. After today, they would be enemies tomorrow morning.

As dawn broke, Guderian glanced at his watch and gave his final order.

"The attack begins."

"Attack begins! Fire!"

"Feuer!"

A massive explosion rang out, and the Rhine army launched its final offensive, targeting Berlin.

456. Forward

"Comrades! This is the final battle!"

The Rhine shelling was perfectly timed, and the revolutionary government began its attack on Berlin, the capital of the German Empire. From Frankfurt to Berlin, they finally arrived.

"Liberate Berlin!"

Under the cover of artillery fire, the main force began to rush into the Berlin troops. To be honest, Manstein had no chance of winning this battle. Berlin was now surrounded from three directions, and all the troops coming were the main force divisions of the Rhine. The divisions that had just completed the military reforms had all been sent to the front line. The old, weak, sick and disabled troops that Ludendorff had left for Manstein were really no match for them.

After the shelling, the tank units were the first to rush into the city. To be honest, these armored soldiers really hated attacking in the city. Tanks are like meat cans in the city. They preferred to speed across the plains.

"Listen up, everyone, we're heading into the city. Be smart, I don't want to die here, especially you, Brien."

Blitzt's troops also participated in the battle to liberate Berlin. They even gave up their leave for this battle. Blitzt was certain that he would regret it later if he hadn't participated in this campaign.

Although Berlin had few remaining defenders, Manstein's defenses should not be underestimated. Thorne knew who his opponent was, and although the Rhine held an absolute advantage in this battle, they still could not let their guard down.

For some reason, perhaps due to excessive excitement, Adam drove incredibly fast, leaving the infantry far behind. They were aiming for the title of the first tank to reach Berlin.

"We were the first tank to storm into Berlin!"

Adam was so excited that he cheered loudly in the cramped cabin, and the roar of the engine couldn't drown out his laughter.

"I have a feeling that this tank of ours will be displayed in a museum in the future."

Even gunner Miller couldn't help but dream about it. It was absolutely right for the first tank to storm into Berlin to cancel their leave, since they could take whatever leave they wanted after the war.

"The premise is that we have to survive. Don't be silly and happy now. I don't want to be turned into a canned food."

Blitzt is no longer as frivolous as he was at the beginning. After so many battles, his unit commander has learned to think calmly. Now is not the time to pop champagne and be the first to rush in, lest he be the first to be sent away.

"Brian, keep an eye on the front. Albert, be ready at any time. If you want to celebrate, wait until we get to the city center. I'll treat everyone to all the beer we want."

Berlin was full of fortifications. Brien stared intently ahead when he suddenly saw a helmet move past the window. Fortunately, his eyesight was good enough that he pulled the trigger a second before the helmet could be aimed.

"call out--"

A cannonball landed next to Blitzkrieg's tank; if Brien hadn't shot it out beforehand, they would have been hit by a shell.

"Well done, damn it, I never expected these Prussians to have stolen our rocket launchers."

When a cannonball came flying over, it became clear that Prussian troops were hiding there. Soon, Blitzkrieg also spotted the tanks on the other side.

"Attention everyone! The battle has begun!"

Prussian tanks emerged from the street corner, puffing out smoke. Although they were both Germans, they were now enemies.

"I'm sorry, we are enemies now."

Blitzkrieg silently recited a few words to himself. If the war hadn't broken out, they might have become friends who could exchange tactics, and their relationship might even have been quite good. But now, Blitzkrieg had to be ruthless.

"fire!"

"Feuer!"

An armor-piercing shell was fired, and fierce fighting broke out on the outskirts of Berlin.

Haijal and his soldiers dodged the machine gun fire from the opposite side and crawled behind a nearby bunker. He adjusted his helmet and patted a soldier next to him. The soldier quickly understood, took out a grenade, and threw it. After an explosion, the machine gun fell silent.

As they slowly advanced, Hyjal saw the soldier lying to one side, his body riddled with bullet holes from shrapnel; a life had vanished so quickly.

One of the men in the group recognized the dead soldier; he was a Prussian soldier who had been maintaining the security passage the day before and had saluted him as he left.

"Go well."

There was no time for sadness. I silently closed his eyes and the team continued to advance. The further they went, the more difficult it became. The Prussian army on the other side also displayed astonishing fighting power. Everyone knew that this was the last battle, and they would die to show the spirit of Prussian soldiers.

Rundstedt was now standing beneath the Brandenburg Gate, the sound of gunfire so close to him. He looked up at the straight street, where, dozens of kilometers away, the last Prussian troops were fighting the Rhine, and perhaps in a few hours they would be upon him.

Faced with the Rhine's fierce artillery fire, Rundstedt did not choose to hide in the safer bunker. His command post was in the center of Berlin, in the city's defense headquarters. A bunker should not be a general's final resting place. He would feel extremely ashamed to die there.

He was an old general, not even a marshal, who held up the last bit of face for Prussia. Rundstedt even wanted to sit there in a chair and watch the Rhine tanks drive by, to watch the empire fall. From its founding to its demise, the empire didn't even last sixty years.

"General, it's not safe here, let's leave quickly."

Mackensen left Berlin with Wilhelm II, but it was interesting that Kluge and Witzleben, who had been labeled "traitors" along with him by Ludendorff, did not leave. All the patriots had fled, leaving only the former traitors in Berlin.

"How long do you think it will take for the Rhine troops to get here?"

Instead of leaving, Rundstedt joined in the jokes, betting with them when the Rhine troops would arrive. Kluge and Witzler didn't know when they would arrive, but they knew that if Rundstedt died here, the entire Berlin garrison would be doomed.

Not only was Rundstedt looking at the long central axis of the Brandenburg Gate, but Guderian was also looking at it. He remembered that he used to often walk along this road, which was once known as the safest place in the world. No army could enter Berlin. He thought so too back then. He never thought that he would be the one to enter Berlin now.

Where are the troops?

"Reporting to the general, we have broken through the outer perimeter and are advancing towards the main city."

Under the powerful firepower of the Rhine troops, the vanguard had already crossed the Havel River. Surprisingly, the Prussian army did not blow up the bridge. Perhaps they thought it was unnecessary. The final battle should be fought fair and square. Blowing up the bridge would at most delay the other side for a dozen hours. What was the point? They didn't need to cover anyone's escape from Berlin now.

Upon hearing the report, Guderian nodded. They had broken through the Havel River. If they continued their advance, there would be a straight road leading directly to the city.

The further the attack progresses, the more careful we must be. We cannot afford to destroy too much of Berlin's urban area. Guderian only hopes that things will develop as Thorne told him, and that the uprising in Berlin can proceed as scheduled.

457. Liberation of the Western District

"Adam! What the hell are you doing driving? Where the hell are we now?"

Blitzcrank cursed. They had just destroyed four machine gun positions and three tanks on the other side, and everyone was on high alert. The tanks got lost while driving and didn't know where they were.

"Commander, I've been following your orders the whole way. I just drive wherever you tell me to. How am I supposed to know where we are?"

Adam looked completely innocent. He had been following Brian's orders the whole way, going wherever Brian told him to go. He was so caught up in the moment that he had no idea what north or south was.

"Damn it, we've gotten lost in Berlin."

Blitzkrieg couldn't believe it. He had considered many possibilities before coming, but he never expected to get lost in Berlin. This was just too funny.

The surroundings were quiet, with some burning vehicle wreckage visible. Clearly, someone had already been here, so it was probably relatively safe. However, Blitzt still didn't dare to be careless and slowly opened the tank hatch with his pistol.

He could still faintly hear the sounds of gunfire, indicating that a battle was still taking place nearby. However, looking at the intricate streets, he was at a loss. Hearing gunfire did not mean he knew where the battle was taking place. With so many forks in the road ahead, which way should he turn?

"Damn it! I'm not a Berliner, can someone find me a Berliner?!"

Hiding behind the tank, Blitzkrieg looked at the map from left to right, not knowing where he was. He began to feel impotent rage. Berlin was too big, even bigger than Frankfurt.

"Hey! Why did you stop? Why aren't you attacking? Get moving! The other units are almost in the city!"

The further the Rhine Revolutionary Army advanced, the more restless the commanders became, with many directly rushing to the front lines with their troops.

"Reporting, Major! We...we're lost."

Blitzt quickly saluted. Hannah had been promoted to major after the previous battles. After the battles of Kassel and Minden, she followed Guderian's troops north and participated in many large-scale battles, including the Northern Encirclement and the Hanover Liberation. She had just been promoted to major on the eve of the Battle of Berlin.

"Are you lost?"

Hannah found this hard to believe; how could they have gotten lost when everyone was so engrossed in their fight?

"Major, where are we now? Our tanks were the first to reach Berlin, and we still have to go through the Brandenburg Gate."

Blitzt was even more anxious than Hannah. Every minute they were delayed meant they would be a minute slower getting through the Brandenburg Gate, which was their biggest wish for this trip, and they had to make it happen no matter what.

“You are here, and the Brandenburg Gate is still ten kilometers away as the crow flies.”

Hannah took out a pen and drew a line for Blitzkrieg. Their troops were attacking from the flank, advancing towards Berlin from the southwest. Hannah was very familiar with everything in front of her. Further ahead was the western part of Berlin, where she used to live.

"It's lucky you ran into me. If you keep going, you'll be in Berlin's West End. I used to live there, at 25 Friedrichstrasse."

Hannah took out a cigarette and tossed the rest of the pack to Blitzkrieg. The long hours of combat had also given him a habit of smoking and drinking, after all, the pressure on the front lines was too great.

"Here's a pack of cigarettes for you. Also, please keep an eye on my hometown. The people there are nice, so please don't damage it."

"Don't worry, Major! Anyone who fires recklessly without thinking will be dealt with leniently!"

Blitzt quickly saluted. This was a major's cigarette, and she was the only female officer in all of Rhine's tank units. This pack of cigarettes was extremely valuable. Blitzt felt that he could brag about it for a while after the war was over.

After figuring out his exact location, he immediately sprang into action and jumped onto the tank.

"Adam, drive straight ahead, turn right when you see the sign, quick!"

"Train commander? You know the location?"

"Of course, Major Hannah just told me herself. Quick, turn right when you see the sign, that's the battalion commander's hometown!"

Each member of the crew was given a cigarette, but they were reluctant to smoke it and kept it in their pockets. They were going to treasure this cigarette. When Adam heard that the battalion commander's hometown was ahead, his driving skills suddenly improved a lot. In the past, he would have just driven recklessly, but this time he drove with extra caution and care.

West Berlin is Berlin's slum, a side of Berlin that outsiders don't see. Everywhere you look, there are low-rise buildings. In the past, everyone would have looked down on it, but things may be different in the future.

With the fierce offensive of the Rhine Revolutionary Army, Prussia's defenses were further tightened, and the pressure of the offensive came mainly from the front. The Comintern troops were almost ready to commit suicide; they were determined to fight their way to Berlin from the front, which was their wish.

The main Prussian forces were engaged in fierce fighting with the Rhine and Comintern troops on the front, which greatly reduced the pressure on the flanks. It was quite strange that Blitzt's tanks had been advancing for a long time without encountering a single enemy soldier.

Hannah just drew them a map. This road is the only way for the revolutionary army to enter Berlin. They didn't see a single friendly force. They must have been advancing too fast.

These are all battles to defend Berlin. Prussia seems to be selectively blind to the West District. There is no one defending it, or perhaps Prussia has already abandoned it. It's all slums now, and it seems there's no need to care about them anymore. This area is where workers congregate. If the Prussian army really goes in, they are afraid that their troops will be led astray.

Blitzt's lone tank slowly moved forward, having just passed the old site of Adolf's Tavern, where Thorne first met Adolf. Later, Thorne moved his business to downtown Berlin, and this became a branch. Then, due to economic problems and Hess, the tavern closed down.

Although it is closed, this place holds too many stories. Adolf, Goebbels, Thorne, and even Thälmann, all important figures in the current Rhine Revolutionary Government, have left their footprints here.

The main force should still be behind, and it's unclear when they'll arrive. This place has clearly been abandoned by Prussia. Blitzkrieg needs to put up a notice to prevent any unforeseen events from causing this place to be blown up.

The tanks drove up, and the place was quiet. Blitzt was very lucky to find a resident, asked him some questions, and introduced himself. Unlike other areas, the residents here were very welcoming to the revolutionary army. It was a poor area, and many important leaders of the revolutionary government came from here, so of course they welcomed them.

These people have been waiting for the "royal army" for a long time. After the Rhine and Prussia fell out, this place was investigated many times by several governments, and many people were arrested. Although they are Berliners, they can be said to be "spiritual Rhine people".

Our troops have arrived!

A cheer drew everyone out of hiding. Blitzt had never encountered anything like this before; these people were so enthusiastic that he felt like his tank could be carried away by them.

"Gentlemen, we still have a mission! Let us go ahead! The main force is behind us! Berlin is about to be liberated!"

Blitzcrank shouted at the crowd until his voice was almost hoarse. He quickly asked someone for tools; this wasn't a combat zone, and he couldn't afford to accidentally injure anyone.

"This place is safe, there are no enemy troops, friendly forces please do not fire - Britzt, platoon leader of the 1st Platoon, 3rd Company, 502nd Armored Battalion, Rhine Revolutionary Army."

"Take this flag. When you see guys wearing helmets like this coming, that's our unit. They'll be here soon. Don't come out first. Take out the flag first, understand?"

Blitzt pulled a helmet out of the tank and handed it to the people there, asking them to identify it. He then asked where number 25 was and marked it after receiving the specific address.

Former Residence of Major Hannah, Commander of the 502nd Panzer Battalion of the Rhine Revolutionary Army