45
The bombing continued. Every day and every night for a month the city was pounded by Allied bombers. Hans, Gretchen, Oskar, Martha and Inge took to sheltering in the U-Bahn station. Anyone who asked was told that Inge was Martha’s niece. She’d lost her papers when Martha’s block had been bombed. Gretchen kept the few small things she treasured in a bag that she carried everywhere.
Food became scarcer and scarcer, and people began to starve. Hans kept them going by foraging for vegetables among the ruins of the allotments.
Every day they tuned in to listen to the regular broadcasts of Dr Joseph Goebbels, Berlin’s plucky Gauleiter. He remained stubbornly defiant. The spirit of the German people would never be broken by a few bombs. Berlin was secure against the criminal invaders. It would continue to be defended by the brave Wehrmacht and young and old of the Volkssturm. “Even as our bodies are covered in cuts and bruises, we will remain ever defiant, proud and honored to serve our Fatherland and our Führer.”
Gretchen searched the faces of the men building barricades and tank traps in the streets. She found no traces of pride or honor, only fear and abject misery.
Every morning, after the last bomber had left the skies, they went foraging for food. The scenes of destruction shocked Gretchen to the core, as fewer and fewer of Berlin’s buildings were left standing. Blackened walls of offices, shops, homes and churches resembled dead bodies sliced open under the scalpel of a deranged forensic surgeon. And everywhere she looked were mountains of rubble, lines of streetlamps where there were no streets anymore, and electricity poles tottering at crazy angles, held in place by the few lifeless cables still attached.
Kaiser Wilhelm block 2 led a charmed life; it survived the bombs until it was hit on April 7. There was no fire, but the block simply disintegrated. After that, the U-Bahn station became their home.
Once they were living permanently among strangers, Gretchen and Martha found it impossible to shield Inge from the stories about the Russian soldiers’ mistreatment of civilians – men and women. Inge became increasingly nervous and continued to pester Gretchen and Martha into coming up with a new escape plan.
Gretchen pestered Hans in turn. “You said you needed a few days. Where’s your wonderful new escape plan?”
Hans shook his head. “There’s nothing I can do until the bombing stops.”
“And when the bombing stops, what then?”
“As I said before, I have a plan that should work.”
Part VI
46
On April 12, the electricity supply finally died. From that date, carbide lamps and candles were used to light the U-Bahn stations. The smoke from the lamps made all their eyes water, and as more and more people decided to leave and take their chances on the refugee trail, the shelter became colder and colder.
They all moved to Hans’s allotment. Gretchen went first. “You don’t mind, do you, Hans.” She blushed. “The underground station is no longer habitable.”
“No, I don’t mind. You are most welcome. I’ll see what I can do to fix you up with some sort of bed.”
“We’ll need one for Oskar too,” she said.
“Of course. Yes, Oskar, of course.”
“And Inge, the young Jewish girl…”
“That’s rather a lot,” he said. “There’s not much room in here, as you can see.”
“And my friend Martha.”
“Is that everyone?” he said.
“That’s everyone.”
They did what they could with the space they had. Hans looked less than happy to have his private space invaded by so many people. They had no way of washing bodies or clothes and no toilet. The cabin soon became unbearably smelly, and everyone had fleas. Gretchen could see how unpleasant he found it, but Gretchen pointed out that they would need to be together in one place for Hans’s new plan to work.
“You are still thinking about that new escape plan?” she asked him.
“Yes, yes. As soon as the bombing stops, I’ll be able to sort that out. Trust me.”
In a trench at Seelow Heights, the Hitler Youth leader Ludwig was paired with master baker Herr Korn. They were equipped with a Panzerfaust 100 and 25 anti-tank warheads.
On April 16, following a week of sustained artillery bombardment, the Red Army began to advance.
“Wait for the order. Make every shot count!” shouted a Wehrmacht Hauptmann.
Herr Korn watched the advancing Russian infantry and tanks through a narrow gap in the sandbags. Ludwig’s hands were sweating, but he held the weapon steady, loaded and ready to fire.
“One hundred and fifty meters,” said the master baker. Then, “One hundred and twenty-five.”
Ludwig regulated his breathing as he’d been taught in training.
“One hundred,” said Herr Korn. “Hold your fire. Wait for the order.”
An agonizing minute passed before the order came. “FIRE!”
A thunderous roar erupted from the trenches as 200 Panzerfaust 100s opened fire. Ludwig saw three Russian T34 tanks hit. One lost a track and slewed to a halt, the other two burst into flames, their crews leaping to safety from the turrets. Thirty Russian tanks continued to advance. Korn reloaded Ludwig’s weapon and he fired again.
“I hit one!” he shouted.
Some of the Russian tanks fired their cannons. One incoming shell exploded behind Ludwig’s trench, spraying them with a half-ton of loose soil, but doing no damage.
The defenders fired again, taking out six or seven more T34s. The tanks and infantry stopped their advance, then began to retreat.
“Cease firing!” came the order.
A great cheer rose from the trenches.
Ludwig lit a cigarette. He offered the packet to his companion, but Herr Korn declined. “You shouldn’t smoke at your age,” he said. “It’s not good for your health.”
They both laughed.
The next three waves were more determined. The tanks moved faster, coming toward the trenches from the flanks as well as the front. It took a more sustained response from the defenders to repel them. Each wave lasted an hour before the Russians drew back.
Herr Korn counted their warheads. They had seven left.
“We’re going to need
