Opening Moves

One ‘A’ Sqdn Sherman took a direct hit from a 122mm shell and was transformed to a blazing junk pile, setting light to the adjacent building in Mönkedamm. The other ‘A’ Sqdn tank lost its nearside track to an adjacent burst in Adolphsplatz.

One section of the Welch’s C Company was set up to cover a 6-pdr defending the Borsenbrucke approach. Men and weapon disappeared in the blink of an eye as five Katyusha rockets contrived to land within a few feet of each other.

‘A’ Company of the Welch lost its commander and CSM, both killed by a massive 152mm howitzer shell punching through the roof of their building and arriving in the room they had selected as a headquarters. Although it did not explode, the projectile obliterated both men, leaving little evidence of their existence.

The dud shell proceeded to bury itself deeply in the buildings foundations.

Admin platoon lost half their number to Katyusha rockets, the survivors either leaving their positions in a quest for safety or burrowing deeper in the rubble. More casualties were inflicted on those trying to flee as a second wave of shells arrived.

Apart from those killed covering the anti-tank gun, ‘C’ Company was remarkably unscathed, its sole other casualties being a lance-Corporal who took a large concrete splinter in the left ear and the young fusilier who was subsequently hit in the face when it exited the NCO’s right ear. The screaming, blinded teenager was quickly carried away to the aid station on the other side of the Adolphesbrücke.

The Black Watch lost men too, although few rounds seemed to come their way. One Katyusha rocket obliterated a Bren gunner and his team in the centre of the Rathausmarkt and one mortar shell blew the company runner into the canal where, rendered unconscious by the blast, he sank like a stone.

The Rathaus was burning, having received huge quantities of incoming fire. The defenders were not occupying the upper floors and so the rocket and mortar strikes killed no one, solely damaging the upper structure and starting fires that developed quickly, producing vast quantities of thick smoke. The same could not be said of the heavy artillery fire.

In the first volley, four 122mm shells plunged down and penetrated deeper into the building, the first transforming the chamber of the Bürgerschaft into a ruin. It killed four fusiliers, namely the RWF’s chief medical officer, who was setting up a triage station with three of his men. The other three inflicted casualties on the Manchesters and fusiliers equally.

The newly-fledged commander of the 71st Anti-Tank Regiment’s ‘C’ Battery, 1st Lieutenant Ramsey, was not struck by the last projectile but was propelled by its irresistible explosive power, slamming into the adjacent stone window frame with such force that he remained ten foot up, welded into the stonework by the force. Whilst the sight was extremely gruesome, more than one man who passed the barely identifiable mess remarked on the presence of gaiters and the odd absence of boots and trousers.

High explosive can do strange things.

^{Fig#29 – Hamburg – Soviet artillery}

^{At A – Two ‘platoons’ of Fallschirmjager lost when buildings unexpectedly collapse under bombardment.}

^{At B – ‘A’ Sqdn Sherman killed by direct strike from a 122mm Shell.}

^{At C – ‘A’ Sqdn Sherman disabled by near miss.}

^{At D – 6-pdr Anti-tank gun and section from C/4RWF lost in Katyusha strike.}

^{At E – OC ‘A’ Coy 4RWF and CSM killed by artillery.}

^{At F – Admin Platoon 4RWF receives high casualties from artillery.}

^{At G – 4RWF Chief Medical Officer and orderlies killed by artillery fire.}

^{At H – Lt Ramsey killed by artillery fire.}

^{At J – ‘D’ Sqdn ERYY Sherman killed by artillery fire.}

The incoming rounds were relentless, covering the whole defensive area with smoke and dust in equal measure.

Most allied casualties were sustained in the first few minutes, although the destruction of the Yeomanry’s D Sqdn tank in Reesendamm occurred in the very last salvo before the Soviet’s switched their attention to the other side of the canal.

Despite the fact that every fusilier and rifleman was fully focussed, the first warning of an attack was the roar of a Russian tank exploding in Bergstraße as a Fallschirmjager panzerfaust sought it out. This was closely followed by the sound of a Sherman’s 75mm as D Sqdn engaged Soviet T-34’s flanking Rathausmarkt.