Editing Waffen-SS (section)

====Berlin====
[[Army Group Vistula]] was formed in 1945 to protect Berlin from the advancing Red Army. It fought in the [[Battle of the Seelow Heights]] (16–19 April) and the [[Battle of Halbe]] (21 April – 1 May), both part of the [[Battle of Berlin]]. The ''Waffen-SS'' was represented by the III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps.

On 23 April, SS-''Brigadeführer'' [[Wilhelm Mohnke]] was appointed by Hitler as Battle Commander for the centre government district (Zitadelle sector), which included the [[Reich Chancellery]] and the ''[[Führerbunker]]''. Mohnke's command post was in the bunkers under the Reich Chancellery.{{sfn|Fischer|2008|pp=42–43}} He formed ''Kampfgruppe Mohnke'', divided into two weak regiments. It was made up of the LSSAH Flak Company, replacements from the LSSAH Training and Reserve Battalion from Spreenhagan (under ''Standartenfuhrer'' Anhalt),{{sfn|Fischer|2008|pp=42–43}} 600 men from the ''[[Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer-SS]]'',{{sfn|Stein|2002|p=162}} the Führer-Begleit-Company, and the core group—800 men of the LSSAH Guard Battalion assigned to guard the ''Führer''.{{sfn|Fischer|2008|pp=42–43}}

On 23 April, the Reich Chancellery ordered SS-''Brigadeführer'' [[Gustav Krukenberg]] to proceed to Berlin with his men, who were reorganised as Assault Battalion ''Charlemagne''. Between 320 and 330 French troops arrived in Berlin on 24 April after a long detour to avoid Soviet advance columns.{{sfn|Forbes|2010|pp=396–398}} Krukenberg was also appointed the commander of (Berlin) Defence Sector C. This included the ''Nordland'' Division, whose previous commander, [[Joachim Ziegler]], was relieved of command the same day.{{sfn|Beevor|2002|p=301}} On 27 April, after a futile defence, the remnants of ''Nordland'' were pushed back into the centre government district (Zitadelle sector) in Defence Sector Z. There Krukenberg's headquarters was a carriage in the Stadtmitte U-Bahn station.{{sfn|Beevor|2002|p=323}} The men of the ''Nordland'' Division were now under Mohnke's overall command. Among the men were French, Latvian, and Scandinavian ''Waffen-SS'' troops.{{sfn|Stein|2002|p=246}}{{sfn|McNab|2013|pp=328, 330, 338}}

A heavy artillery bombardment of the centre government district had begun on 20 April 1945 and lasted until the end of hostilities. Under intense shelling, the SS troops put up stiff resistance which led to bitter and bloody street fighting with the Red Army.{{sfn|Beevor|2002|pp=365–367, 372}} By 26 April, the defenders were pushed back into the Reichstag and Reich Chancellery. There, over the next few days, the survivors (mainly French SS troops from the former 33rd SS Division ''Charlemagne'') fought in vain against the Soviets.{{sfn|Weale|2012|p=407}}

[[File:Himmler Dead.jpg|thumb|Heinrich Himmler's corpse after his suicide, May 1945|175x175px]]

On 30 April, after receiving news of Hitler's suicide, orders were issued that those who could do so were to break out. Prior to the break-out, Mohnke briefed all commanders that could be reached within the Zitadelle sector about Hitler's death and the planned break-out.{{sfn|Fischer|2008|p=49}} The break out started at 2300 hours on 1 May. There were ten main groups that attempted to head northwest towards Mecklenburg. Fierce fighting continued all around, especially in the [[Weidendammer Bridge]] area. What was left of the ''Nordland'' Division under Krukenberg fought hard in that area, but Soviet artillery, anti-tank guns, and tanks destroyed the groups. Several very small groups managed to reach the Americans at the [[Elbe]]'s west bank, but most, including Mohnke's group, could not make it through the Soviet rings.{{sfn|Fischer|2008|p=49}}

Himmler fled and attempted to go into hiding. Using a forged paybook under the name of Sergeant Heinrich Hitzinger, he fled south on 11 May to [[Friedrichskoog]]. On 21 May, Himmler and two aides were detained at a checkpoint set up by former Soviet POWs and then handed over to the British Army. On 23 May, after Himmler had admitted his real identity, a doctor attempted to examine him. However, Himmler bit into a hidden [[Suicide pill|cyanide pill]] and collapsed onto the floor. He was dead within 15 minutes.{{sfn|''Bend Bulletin''|1945}}{{sfn|Longerich|2012|pp=1–3}}