HITLER HAD RETIRED JUST BEFORE THE 4.30 HRS SUNRISE ON MONDAY APRIL 30 1945 BUT HE WAS UP AGAIN ONLY ONE HOUR LATER

AFTER THE ARTILLERY BARRAGE HAD CEASED ALL HANDS STILL ON DUTY IN THE BUNKER HAD WELCOMED THE CHANCE TO SNATCH AT LEAST A FEW HOURS SLEEP

BUT EVEN AFTER A LONG EVENING DURING WHICH THE INEVITABLE MILITARY CONFERENCES HAD MADE EVEN CLEARER THE HOPELESS MILITARY SITUATION AND DURING WHICH HITLER HAD INDULGED IN FURTHER DESULTORY TALK ABOUT SUICIDE AND CREMATION

HE DID NOT SLEEP FOR MUCH MORE THAN AN HOUR

IT WAS A COMPLETE REVERSAL OF HIS USUAL PRACTICE

ONE OF HIS FIRST ACTS ON AWAKENING WAS TO AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY TO SUMMON GENERAL MOHNKE TO REPORT TO HIM

AFTER THAT HE WANDERED ABOUT THE BUNKER LISTLESSLY HIS EYES CAST TO THE FLOOR HE HANDS CLASPED BEHIND HIS BACK

HIS TWO GUARDS WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE ON DUTY WHO SAW HIM SHUFFLING FROM HIS CRAMPED QUARTERS DOWN THE CORRIDOR TO THE STAIRCASE AND BACK AGAIN IKE A FRUSTRATED ANIMAL IN A CAGE

ONE OF THE GUARDS ROCHUS MISCH NOTED “ I KNEW THIS WAS THE END OR VERY CLOSE TO IT

TO ME AND MOST OF THE OTHER OLD HANDS IT HAD BEEN LONG CLEAR THAT OUR FUEHRER HAD NO REALISTIC CHOICE EXCEPT SUICIDE

WE WERE ALL NERVOUSLY WAITING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN THE SOONER THE BETTER”

BY NOW HOWEVER THE BUNKER HAD ALL BUT CEASED TO EXIST AS SUPREME HEADQUARTERS

THE LAST LANDLINE FIELD TELEPHONE TO THE CITY COMMANDANT GENERAL WEILDING WHO WAS LESS THAN A MILE AWAY IN THE OKW BUNKER WAS BARELY FUNCTIONING

IT HAD TWICE BEEN KNOCKED OUT OF ACTION THAT VERY MORNING

THOUGH IT WAS QUICKLY REPAIRED BY SIGNAL TROOPS

THE MILITARY ROUTINE SUCH AS IT WAS SPLUTTERED FITFULLY

ON SUNDAY April 22 1945 BEFORE THE MIDDAY CONFERENCE HITLER HAD FORMALLY PLACED THE GOVERNMENT AREA INCLUDING THE REICH CHANCELLERY AND BUNKER UNDER THE COMMAND OF MAJOR GENERAL WILHELM MOHNKE

HITLER SAID TO MOHNKE “ YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL SOLDIER AND YOU ALREADY WEAR THE HIGHEST AWARD A GERMAN SOLDIER CAN WIN ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE [THE KNIGHTS CROSS ] MY LIFE IS NOW IN YOUR HANDS”

HITLER CONTINUED “ FRANKLY I HAD HOPED TO BE ABLE TO REMAIN ALIVE AND IN BERLIN AT LEAST UNTIL MAY 5 THERE ARE HISTORICAL REASONS” MOHNKE WONDERED WHY MAY 5 IT SEEMED AN ETERNITY AWAY BUT HITLER DID NOT ELABORATE

BUT HE CONTINUED “ UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN I RISK BEING CAPTURED ALIVE

WHENEVER YOU FEEL THE MILITARY SITUATION TO BE SUCH THAT YOU CAN NO LONGER HOLD FOR MORE THAN TWENTY FOUR HOURS YOU MUST REPORT THIS TO ME IN PERSON

I SHALL TAKE THE CONSEQUENCES THIS IS A PERSONAL REQUEST IT IS ALSO AN ORDER”

ALBERT SPEER HAD RECALLED THAT IN THOSE LAST WEEKS IN THE BUNKER A SPECIAL PHENOMENON OF HITLER'S MIND WAS A KIND OF TRIGGER REACTION

WHEN HE STARTED IN ON THE THEME OF TREASON AND TREACHERY

HE WOULD USUALLY REMARK “ THIS ALL BEGAN WITH THAT IDIOT RUDOLF HESS”

HE WOULD THEN COUPLE HESS'S DEFECTION WITH THE JULY 20 STAUFFENBERG CONSPIRACY [AN ATTEMPT ON HITLER'S LIFE] WHICH WAS OF COURSE AN COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AFFAIR

THEN HE WOULD REFER TO ROTE KAPELLE WHICH WAS A COMMUNIST ESPIONAGE RING UNCOVERED BY HIMMLER'S SECRET SERVICE

WE ALSO KNEW ABOUT TWO SIGNAL COMMUNICATION LINKS IN BOTH THE ARMED FORCES AND WEHRMACHT SUPREME COMMAND BY WHICH MILITARY INFORMATION WAS GOING FROM BERLIN VIA SWITZERLAND TO ENGLAND AND THE USSR

BUT IN THE LAST FORTNIGHT WHEN HITLER MENTIONED DAS LECK [THE LEAK] HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT

A STEADY FLOW OF INFORMATION OUT OF THE BUNKER

FOR EXAMPLE HE TOLD ME [SPEER] OF AN ORDER A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK WHICH I BELIEVE WAS A ROUTINE PROMOTION LIST

YET WITHIN 48 HOURS HE COMPLAINED THE NEWS OF THESE PROMOTIONS WAS ON BRITISH RADIO

SPEER WENT ON TO SAY THAT ON HIS LAST VISIT TO THE BUNKER ON APRIL 23 HITLER HAD MENTIONED THAT HE HAD CALLED ON THE SECRET POLICE AND GESTAPO TO MAKE A THOROUGH PROBE OF BUNKER INTERNAL SECURITY

IN THIS LAST CHAOTIC WEEK THE BERLINERS HAD NOTICED A CHANGE IN THE AIR OVER BERLIN

THE ANGLO-AMERICAN AIR BOMBARDMENT HAD STOPPED NEVER TO RESUME

THE LAST AMERICAN DAYLIGHT RAID HAD BEEN ON APRIL 21 1945 THE DAY AFTER HITLER'S BIRTHDAY

IT WAS FOLLOWED BY THE 327^th ALL-CLEAR SIREN OF THE LONG WAR

THE REASON FOR THE END OF THE RAIDS SOON BECAME APPARENT

SOVIET ARMY DIVISIONS HAD REACHED THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY

DANGER HOWEVER STILL CAME FROM ABOVE FROM THE MASSIVE RED ARMY ARTILLERY BARRAGE

BERLINERS SOON REALISED THAT BOMB SHELTERS WERE NO DEFENCE AGAINST ARTILLERY UNLESS PEOPLE TOOK UP PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN THEM

IN THE LAST WEEK MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF BERLINERS WERE ALREADY BEHIND SOVIET LINES

ONLY RESIDENTS IN THE INNER BOROUGHS WERE INSIDE THE FAST-CLOSING IRON RING

SO MANY RECORDS WERE DESTROYED IN THE LAST DAYS THAT THERE SEEM TO BE NO OFFICIAL FIGURES ON BERLIN CIVILIAN CASUALTIES

UNOFFICIALLY 52,000 DIED IN THE BOMBINGS JUST FROM JANUARY 1945 21,000 CIVILIANS WERE KILLED BY SHRAPNEL OR IN STREET FIGHTING

AROUND 2.00 HRS ON APRIL 29 1945 FRAU JUNGE[ONE OF HITLER'S SECRETARY'S] RETIRED WITH HITLER INTO THE SMALLER STUDY IN THE LOWER BUNKER

THE CHIEF PURPOSE OF THE POLITICAL TESTAMENT WHICH HITLER NOW DICTATED TO HER WAS TO MAKE CLEAR THE SUCCESSION PROBLEM

AFTER DISCLAIMING ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WAR WHICH WAS “ PROVOKED EXCLUSIVELY BY THOSE INTERNATIONAL POLITICIANS WHO EITHER CAME FROM JEWISH STOCK OR WERE AGENTS OF JEWISH INTERESTS”

AFTER STATING HIS INTENTION NOT TO ABANDON BERLIN HITLER EXPELLED GOERING FROM THE PARTY AND IN HIS PLACE AS REICH PRESIDENT AND SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE ARMED FORCES HE APPOINTED ADMIRAL DOENITZ

GOEBBELS WAS NAMED AS REICH CHANCELLOR AND BORMANN AS PARTY CHANCELLOR

IN HIS PRIVATE WILL HITLER WAS MUCH MORE MUNDANE

HE LEFT HIS POSSESSIONS TO THE PARTY MARTIN BORMANN “ MY MOST FAITHFUL PARTY COMRADE” WAS GIVEN FULL AUTHORITY TO MAKE ALL DECISIONS ESPECIALLY TO ENSURE THAT ANY PRIVATE MEMENTOES OF VALUE FOUND THEIR WAY “TO MY WIFE'S MOTHER AND MY FELLOW WORKERS OF BOTH SEXES”

HE ADDED “ ALTHOUGH DURING THE YEARS OF STRUGGLE I BELIEVED THAT I COULD NOT UNDERTAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MARRIAGE

NOW BEFORE THE END OF MY LIFE I HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE AS MY WIFE THE WOMEN WHO AFTER MANY YEARS OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP CAME TO THIS TOWN ALREADY ALMOST BESIEGED TO SHARE MY FATE”

IT WAS ABOUT 24 HOURS AFTER HITLER'S MARRIAGE THAT SS DOCTOR ERNST GUNTHER SCHENCK WAS ORDERED TO ATTEND HITLER IN THE BUNKER

THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME HE HAD MET HITLER FACE TO FACE NATURALLY HE WAS RATHER NERVOUS

BUT SOON HOWEVER SCHENCK WAS LOOKING AT HITLER WITH A DOCTOR'S CLINICAL EYE

HE KNEW HE WAS WITNESSING THE END

IN THE PAST HE HAD SEEN HIS FUEHRER FROM AN ADMIRING DISTANCE

BUT NOW HE WAS STANDING WITHIN THREE FEET OF HIM

AND THE PATHETIC MAN IN FRONT OF HIM BORE LITTLE RESEMBLANCE TO THE OLD IDOL OF THE MASSES

“ I KNEW OF COURSE THAT THIS WAS ADOLF HITLER AND NO GHOSTLY DOUBLE

HATLESS HE WAS STILL WEARING THE FAMILIAR ONCE SPOTLESS PEARL GREY TUNIC WITH GREEN SHIRT AND BLACK TROUSERS

THE SIMPLE UNIFORM HE HAD DONNED ON THE FIRST DAY OF WAR

HE WORE HIS GOLD PARTY BADGE AND HIS WW1 IRON CROSS ON HIS LEFT BREAST POCKET

BUT THE HUMAN BEING BURIED IN THESE SLOPPY FOOD-STAINED CLOTHES HAD COMPLETELY WITHDRAWN INTO HIMSELF

I WAS STILL STANDING ERECT ON A KIND OF CONCRETE STEP ABOVE HIM

AS I GLANCED DOWN I COULD SEE HITLER'S HUNCHED SPINE THE CURVED SHOULDERS THAT SEEMED TO TWITCH AND TREMBLE

SOMEHOW HIS HEAD SEEMED WITHDRAWN INTO HIS SHOULDERS TURTLELIKE

HE STRUCK ME AS AN AGONISING ATLAS WITH A MOUNTAIN ON HIS BACK

HIS EYES ALTHOUGH LOOKING DIRECTLY AT ME DID NOT SEEM TO BE FOCUSING

THEY WERE FILMY LIKE THE SKIN OF A SOFT RIPE GRAPE

HITLER MUMBLED HIS THANKS AND APOLOGISED FOR HAVING SUMMONED US AT SUCH A LATE HOUR

I WAS PROFOUNDLY SHOCKED I SUPPOSE AS ANY DOCTOR WOULD HAVE AND NOT WITHOUT SYMPATHY

AND YET IT WAS FAR TO LATE IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE FOR ANY MORTAL DOCTOR

AT FIFTY SIX HITLER WAS A PALSIED PHYSICAL WRECK HIS FACE PUCKERED NOW LIKE A MASK

THE MAN I AM SURE WAS SENILE

INDIVIDUALS IN THE BUNKER REACTED IN VARYING WAYS AS THE END APPROACHED

IT SEEMED TO DEPEND ON THEIR CHARACTER PHYSICAL STAMINA AND MORAL INTEGRITY

SOME WENT COMPLETELY TO PIECES

SOMETIMES EVEN GENERALS CRACKED UP WHILE SOME LOWER-RANKS KEPT COOL

OFTEN WOMEN SHOWED MORE COURAGE THAN MEN

MANY OF THE BUNKER INMATES HAD LITTLE OR NOTHING TO DO

THERE WERE MANY LONG HOURS OF ANGST WAITING AND BROODING

IT WAS ALSO IN THIS ATMOSPHERE THAT THE MORBID TALK OF SUICIDE KEPT MOUNTING

LIQUOR FEAR DESPAIR AND THE HANDINESS VIALS OF POISON AND WEAPONS PLAYED THEIR SUGGESTIVE ROLE

EVERYONE SEEMED TO BE WAITING FOR HITLER TO SHOOT HIMSELF

HIS LIKELY SUICIDE BECAME THE FOREMOST TOPIC OF CONVERSATION

HITLER HAD DECIDED TO MARRY HIS MISTRESS EVA BRAUN

SO LATE ON SATURDAY APRIL 28 1945 GOEBBELS IN HIS CAPACITY AS GAULEITER OF BERLIN HAD TO LOCATE A MINOR OFFICIAL WITH NOTARY AND REGISTER POWERS TO PRESIDE AT THE MARRIAGE OF HITLER AND EVA BRAUN

HE MANAGED TO LOCATE ONE

HITLER AND EVA WERE ACTUALLY MARRIED AS A “WAR COUPLE”

BUT THE NOTARY COULD NOT BY-PASS THE FORMALITY OF ASKING BOTH THE BRIDE AND GROOM WHETHER EACH WAS A THIRD-GENERATION ARYAN

THE WEDDING FORMALITIES HAD TAKEN PLACE IN THE BUNKER'S SMALL CONFERENCE ROOM ONLY GOEBBELS AND BORMANN WERE PRESENT

BOTH HAD TO SIGN AS WITNESSES

WE SHALL NEVER KNOW FULLY EXACTLY WHY HITLER DECIDED TO MARRY EVA BRAUN

HITLER HAD URGED EVA TO LEAVE THE BUNKER BUT SHE HAD STEADFASTLY REFUSED

SOME THINK IT WAS A THROWAWAY GESTURE IN RESPONSE TO HER LOYALTY

IT CERTAINLY APPEARED TO BE A SNAP DECISION

AFTERWARDS THERE WAS A RECEPTION IN HITLER'S STUDY WITH CHAMPAGNE ON OFFER

HITLER'S TWO SECRETARIES WERE PRESENT AS WAS WALTER HEWEL GENERALS KREBS BURGDORF

ALSO PRESENT WERE JOSEPH AND MAGDA GOEBBELS AND OTHERS

ON THE EVENING OF APRIL 26 1945 GENERAL ROBERT RITTER VON GREIM ARRIVED IN THE BUNKER TOGETHER WITH HIS MISTRESS HANNA REITSCH

VON GREIM COMMANDED LUFTFLOTTE 6 IN MUNICH

BUT AFTER THE DISMISSAL OF GOERING ON MONDAY 23 APRIL HITLER HAD ORDERED VON GREIM TO REPORT TO HIM IMMEDIATELY

HE WANTED TO PROMOTE TO FIELD MARSHALL AND NAME HIM AS THE NEW COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE LUFTWAFFE[GERMAN AIR FORCE]

GREIM HAD HOPED TO FLY INTO BERLIN IN A HELICOPTER BUT THE LAST ONE HAD BEEN STRAFED AND BURNT NEAR THE RUNWAY

FINALLY AN EXPERIENCED FOCKE-WULF 190 PILOT VOLUNTEERED TO FLY THEM

TWENTY FIGHTER ESCORTS WERE LAID ON

THE FOCKE-WULF WAS A TWO SEATER AND THIS PRESENTED A PROBLEM

HANNA REITSCH HOWEVER WHO WAS PETITE AND WIRY CRAWLED INTO THE BACK OF THE FUSELAGE

IT WAS A FAST FLIGHT ONLY TWENTY MINUTES

HALF THE FIGHTER ESCORT WERE SHOT DOWN AND THERE WERE BULLET HOLES IN BOTH OF THE PLANE'S WINGS

WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT GATOW [BERLIN] THEY WERE ADVISED BY PHONE FROM THE CHANCELLERY THAT FLYING WAS STILL SAFER THAN DRIVING TO THE BUNKER

VON GREIM TO THE CONTROLS A SMALL PLANE REITSCH CROUCHED IN A HALF STANDING POSITION BEHIND HIM

THE FLEW AT TREETOP LEVEL ACROSS THE CITY

THE FLOOR OF THE PLANE WAS SHOT UP AND THE FUEL TANK PUNCTURED

VON GREIM WOUNDED IN THE RIGHT FOOT FAINTED FROM LOSS OF BLOOD

REITSCH REACHED OVER TO GRAB THE CONTROLS

SHE FLEW THE LAST TEN MINUTES AND MADE A SAFE LANDING JUST BEFORE THE BRADENBURG GATE

TWO DAYS LATER AFTER HITLER HAD NAMED VON GREIM HEAD OF THE LUFTWAFFE VON GREIM AND REITSCH LEFT THE BUNKER

THEIR DEPARTURE WAS TO BE AS SPECTACULAR AS THEIR ARRIVAL

THE SOVIETS HAD NOW MOVED CONSIDERABLY CLOSER

SOVIET SEARCHLIGHTS PIERCED THE NIGHT SKY CRISS-CROSSING THE WHOLE OF THE CITY

DESPITE THIS THE SAME BRAVE PILOT WHO HAD FLOWN THEM IN HAD NOW MANAGED TO SNEAK IN AGAIN THIS TIME IN AN ARADO-96 LIGHT OBSERVATION PLANE

IT WAS ANOTHER TWO-SEATER SO REITSCH HAD TO BE BUNDLED IN BEHIND THE PILOT'S SEAT

THEY TOOK-OFF WITH TRACER BULLETS WHIZZING PAST THEIR WINGS AND AT 4,500 FEET THEY FORTUNATELY ENTERED A CLOUDBANK AND MADE THEIR ESCAPE

ON WEDNESDAY APRIL 25 1945 THE SOVIET ARMY CAPTURED TEMPELHOF AIRPORT AND REACHED THE BERLIN INNER RING THE ZITADELLE

SOVIET PLANES AND ARTILLERY BEGAN TO HIT THE AREA AROUND THE CHANCELLERY AND THERE WAS STREET-FIGHTING BETWEEN TANK AND INFANTRY FORCES

A MASSIVE ARTILLERY BARRAGE TOOK PLACE ON THE 27 APRIL 1945 AND IN THE EARLY HOURS OF APRIL 28

THE SOVIET ARTILLERY OF GENERAL KASAKOV WAS ABOUT TWO MILES AWAY ON THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE TIERGARTEN

THERE WERE TWO MAIN TARGETS ONE WAS THE REICHSTAG THE OTHER THE REICH CHANCELLERY

THE SOVIETS DID NOT KNOW THE PRECISE LOCATION OF THE HITLER BUNKER

STILL THE NOISE OF EXPLODING SHELLS GAVE THE INHABITANTS OF THE BUNKER THE FEELING THAT THE ENTIRE CITY WAS UNDER BOMBARDMENT

PROFESSOR SCHENCK WAS ONE OF THE FEW OFFICERS ON DUTY IN THE REICH CHANCELLERY WHO IN THESE LAST DAYS MANAGED TO MAKE SOME NIGHT SORTIES INTO THE CITY AND SAW FOR HIMSELF THE APPALLING DAMAGE AND HUMAN TRAGEDY ALL OVER BERLIN

MOST OF THE SOVIET ARTILLERY FIRE NOW DID NO MORE THAN PULVERIZE OLD RUBBLE

THE REICHSBAHN[THE NATIONAL RAILWAY] ESTIMATED THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH RUBBLE TO FILL 4,000,000 FREIGHT CARS OR IF PILED IN ONE PLACE WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO MAKE AN ARTIFICIAL MOUNTAIN OVER 3,700 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL

MORE THAN TEN SQUARE MILES IN THE CENTRE OF THE CITY HAD BEEN FLATTENED

LESS THAN ONE-THIRD OF ALL PRIVATE DWELLINGS HAD ESCAPED DESTRUCTION OR WERE EVEN HALF -HABITABLE

INTACT WINDOWS WERE A RARITY

MORE BERLINERS WERE LIVING WITH RELATIVES FRIENDS OR STRANGERS THEN WERE LIVING UNDER THEIR OWN ROOFS

THERE WAS NO GAS AND ELECTRICITY WAS ONLY AVAILABLE AT ODD HOURS

YET ALMOST TO THE END LIFE CONTINUED BEHIND A LUDICROUS FACADE OF NORMALITY

SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND BERLINERS STILL HAD ESSENTIAL WARTIME JOBS THEY COULD STILL BE FINED FOR BEING LATE

THE FACTORIES EVEN IN APRIL 1945 WERE STILL OPERATING AT 74% CAPACITY

HANS BAUR ADVISED HITLER ON TUESDAY 24 APRIL 1945 THAT LARGE PLANES WOULD NO LONGER BE ABLE TO TAKE-OFF FROM THE FROM THE EMERGENCY AIR STRIP WHICH WAS NOW UNDER SOVIET ARTILLERY BARRAGE

HITLER SIMPLY SAID “BAUR TAKE OFF YOURSELF [LIGHT AIRCRAFT] WHILE THERE IS STILL TIME

THERE IS NO URGENT NEED FOR YOU HERE

I SHALL STAND OR FALL IN BERLIN

YOU CAN BETTER SERVE MY CAUSE FROM OUTSIDE BERLIN”

BAUR DECLINED TO LEAVE BERLIN AND REPLIED “I KNOW I CAN BE SOME USE TO YOU HERE”

HITLER GAVE IN NODDING IN FRIENDLY RESIGNATION

TOWARDS EVENING ON APRIL 24 1945 THE LAST OVERLAND HIGHWAYS OUT OF BERLIN WERE CUT

FROM THIS MOMENT THE ONLY LINKS WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD WERE BY AIR

THREE DAYS LATER KLADOW AND GATOW STRIPS WENT OUT OF OPERATION

EVEN THE AIR-LINK NOW WAS RESTRICTED TO HAZARDOUS TAKE-OFF'S FROM THE EMERGENCY STRIP NEAR THE BRADENBURG GATE

ONLY SMALL PLANES COULD LAND THERE OFTEN UNDER FIRE

NEVERTHELESS SEVERAL VISITORS DID ENTER AND LEAVE THE BUNKER BY AIR

EVEN WHEN OUTSIDE THE BUNKER BAUR WHO MADE SEVERAL DAILY EXCURSIONS DID NOT SEE MUCH OF BERLIN IN IT'S DEATH THROES SINCE HE ALWAYS WENT DIRECTLY TO BRANDENBURG GATE ONLY HALF A MILE AWAY

IN NORMAL TIMES THIS WAS A VERY LIVELY AREA THE VERY CENTRE OF THE CITY

BUT NOW MOST OF IT WAS BOMBED AND FEW BERLINERS LIVED THERE ANY MORE

FEWER AND FEWER COULD REPORT FOR WORK AT THE MINISTRIES NEARBY SINCE THEY HAD BEEN EVACUATED

THE GREAT DEPARTMENT STORES WERE CLOSED MOST HAD BEEN BOMBED AND LOOTED

THERE WERE NO RESTAURANTS NO THEATRES NO CINEMAS BUSES TRAMS AND THE SUBWAY WERE NO LONGER RUNNING

MANY TRAMS HAD BEEN TURNED OVER AND USED AS TANK OBSTACLES

THE BERLIN THAT BAUR HAD KNOWN HAD ALL BUT VANISHED

THE FLOW OF NORMAL TRAFFIC HAD STOPPED THE STREETS WERE STREWN WITH GIANT BLOCKS OF MASONRY

ONLY MILITARY AND IMPORTANT GOVERNMENT AND PARTY OFFICIALS STILL HAD PETROL-RATION CARDS ONE OF THE FEW SHOPS REMAINING OPEN IN THE WILHELMSTRASSE WAS A SMALL BAKERY

THE BAKER WHO SEEMED TO HAVE HAD AN EMERGENCY CACHE OF FLOUR STAYED ON THE JOB THROUGH IT ALL

WHEN THE FIRST SOVIETS STORMED IN HE OFFERED THEM WHITE BREAD SOMETHING FEW OF THEM HAD EVER EATEN

A SECOND STRANGE OASIS WAS THE CELLAR BAR OF THE ONCE FASHIONABLE ADLON HOTEL SOME OF WHICH WAS STILL STANDING NEAR THE BRANDENBURG GATE

ON VON RIBBENTROP'S ORDERS IT WAS NOW THE EXCLUSIVE PRESERVE OF THE FEW DIPLOMATS STILL ACCREDITED TO THE THIRD REICH

THESE INCLUDED REPRESENTATIVES FROM MUSSOLINI'S RUMP ITALIAN REPUBLIC JAPAN EASTERN EUROPEAN SATELLITE GOVERNMENTS-IN-EXILE LIKE TISO'S SLOVAKIA AS WELL AS SOME FRENCH VICHYITES WHO HAD DISCREETLY NOT GONE BACK TO FRANCE

MANY OF THEM NOT ONLY DRANK AT THE ADLON BUT WHEN THE BAR CLOSED AT MIDNIGHT SLEPT THERE FOR THEIR EMBASSIES HAD BEEN DESTROYED BY BOMBS

  THE SOFA ON WHICH EVA BRAUN WAS SAID TO HAVE COMMITTED

SUICIDE 
 

NOW THAT THE BUNKER WAS MUCH LESS HECTIC THE PRESENCE OF WOMEN BECAME MORE APPARENT

ALTHOUGH SECRETARIES JOHANNA WOLF AND CHRISTA SCHROEDER HAD LEFT EVA BRAUN AND FRAU GOEBBELS HAD ARRIVED WITH HER SIX CHILDREN

HITLER WAS SPENDING MORE AND MORE OF HIS TIME IN FEMALE COMPANY

HE TOOK MANY MEALS ALONE ON A TRAY BUT AT TEA TIME HE USUALLY INVITED HIS TWO FEMALE SECRETARIES TO JOIN HIM

IN THIS LAST WEEK EVEN KONSTANZE MANZIALY HIS PERSONAL COOK WAS INVITED TO JOIN THE TEA GROUP

FOR THE MOST PART HIS SECRETARY FRAU CHRISTIAN RECALLED HITLER WOULD DRINK HIS TEA AND EAT IN SILENCE

THIS WAS AT TIMES BROKEN BY REMINISCENCE RECRIMINATIONS OR SOME BLEAK COMMENTS ON THE EVENTS OF THE DAY

WE JUST LISTENED GLUMLY WE HAD HEARD IT ALL BEFORE

SPEER RECALLS [PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE] THAT EVA BRAUN WAS PERHAPS THE ONLY BUNKER INMATE WHO SEEMED EVEN REMOTELY HAPPY

HER QUIET CALM WAS NOT MERELY PLAY-ACTING

IT WAS A SERENITY NOT UNMIXED WITH EXULTATION ON THE PART OF A WOMEN WHO WAS FINALLY GOING TO MEET HER DEATH WITH THE MAN SHE LOVED

BY 20.00 HRS THE CALM OF MONDAY AFTERNOON ON 23 APRIL 1945 WAS SHATTERED

FROM BERCHTESGADEN A TELEGRAM HAD ARRIVED FROM REICHSMARCHALL HERMANN GOERING IT WAS ADDRESSED TO HITLER INQUIRING WHETHER IN LINE WITH THE 1941 LAW OF SUCCESSION HE GOERING SHOULD TAKE OVER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE REICH

“ IF YOU MY FUEHRER ARE NOW HINDERED IN YOUR

FREEDOM OF ACTION OR DECIDE TO REMAIN IN FORTRESS BERLIN”

GIVEN THE GRIM SITUATION IT NO DOUBT SEEMED TO GOERING A SENSIBLE REQUEST

MARTIN BORMANN HOWEVER ROARED INTO HITLER'S OFFICE ACCUSING GOERING OF TREASON AND OF AMBITIONS FOR A coup d'etat

SPEER FOLLOWED HIM INTO HITLER'S PRESENCE MORE OUT OF CURIOSITY THAN ANY ACTIVE INTEREST IN THE DWINDLING POWER STRUGGLE

GOERING HAD ALSO SENT A TELEGRAM TO VON RIBBENTROP [FOREIGN MINISTER] SUGGESTING THAT IF BY 22.00 RS ON APRIL 23 1945 HAD NOT GIVEN HIM INSTRUCTIONS THAN HE GOERING WOULD ASSUME CONTROL UNDER THE DECREE

HE ADVISED RIBBENTROP THAT IF HE HAD NOT RECEIVED WORD FROM HITLER OR HIMSELF BY MID-NIGHT THEN HE WAS TO REPORT TO HIM AT ONCE BY AIR

THE CONTENTS OF THIS TELEGRAM REACHED BORMANN WHO SHOWED IT TO HITLER THIS COMMUNICATION WAS PROBABLY MORE DECISIVE THAN THE ONE ADDRESSED DIRECTLY TO HITLER IN BRINGING ABOUT GOERING'S DOWNFALL,

MARTIN BORMANN WAS OUT FOR BLOOD AND AND SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO ELIMINATE A FORMIDABLE RIVAL

HE SUGGESTED THAT GOERING BE SHOT FORTHWITH

HITLER WAS NOT PREPARED TO GO THAT FAR

HE DID HOWEVER STRIP GOERING OF ALL RANK AND OFFICE AND DEMANDED HE RETIRE INSTANTLY FOR “REASONS OF HEALTH”

WITHIN A HALF HOUR A TELEGRAM ARRIVED FROM GOERING MEEKLY COMPLYING WITH HITLER'S ORDERS

SHORTLY AFTER THE GOERING INCIDENT SPEER LEFT THE BUNKER FOR THE LAST TIME