King Tiger's World War 2 Battlefield Tour (Europe)

[King Tiger]

42. Führer bunker

The Führer bunker was an air-raid shelter located near the Reich Chancellery in Berlin, Germany.
It was a bunker complex which were completed in 1944 and was the last of the Führer Headquarters used by Adolf Hitler.

July 1947 - Photo of the rear entrance to the Führerbunker.
Hitler and Eva Braun were cremated in a shell hole in front of the emergency exit at left;
the cone-shaped structure in the centre served as the exhaust, and as bomb shelter for the guards.


Oct 2013 - The present site of Führerbunker today, nothing more than a neglected car park.
70 years ago, the site was once the most heavily defended Nazi fortification against Russian attack.

 

[King Tiger]

Hitler took up residence in the Führerbunker on 16 January 1945 and it became the centre of the Nazi regime until the last days of World War II in Europe.

One of the last picture of Adolf Hitler outside Führerbunker. A confused man watching the damage to the bunker.


Hitler inspecting the damage to the bunker.

 

[King Tiger]

The last picture of Hitler was made when he shakes hands with his child soldiers just outside the bunker.


Boys only 16 years old were sent into death.


The boys were so much brainwashed that they fought against the Russian tanks and superior Allies forces.

 

[King Tiger]

The same scene from the film "Downfall"




[video=youtube;gvrIqNaZQQs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvrIqNaZQQs[/video]

 

[King Tiger]

Perhaps one of the most popular scene when the Generals brief Hilter on the final situation in Berlin.
[video=youtube;t7PmzdINGZk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7PmzdINGZk[[/video]

 

[King Tiger]

After midnight on 29 April 1945, Hitler married Eva Braun inside the Führer bunker.
On 30 April 1945, when the Soviets were fighting less than 500 metres (1,600 ft) from the bunker, and the sound of the Russian guns was clearly audible,
Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide.

 

[King Tiger]

Dec 1947 - After the war, the bunker was levelled by the Soviets.


Oct 2013 - The present site of Führerbunker today

 

[King Tiger]

Dec 1947 - Führerbunker after Soviets' demolish.


Oct 2013 - The present site of Führerbunker today

 

[King Tiger]

Dec 1947 - Führerbunker after Soviets' demolish.


Oct 2013 - The present site of Führerbunker today, nothing more than a simple car park.

 

[King Tiger]

Oct 2013 - Initially there was nothing because of fear that this place would be a place of pilgrimage for neo nazis.
The site remained unmarked until 2006.
Given the historical significance of this location, an information board was installed.

 

[King Tiger]

Oct 2013 - Me at the actual site of Führerbunker
On this location was the Fuhrerbunker. Nothing is left. Only a parkingplace.
It is hard to imagine what an apocalypse it was on this place, where Hitler came to an end.

 

[King Tiger]

Oct 2013 - Me and my wife at the site of Fuhrerbunker.
When I eventually found this place where the Fuehrer bunker was located,
it is just an simple, neglected parking place with a signboard containing the description about this historic site.

 

[King Tiger]

Today is the 70th Anniversary Of Victory in Europe.

Right now today, victory parades are being held in respective countries in Europe, Russia and USA.

 

[King Tiger]

The Battle of Berlin was the last of vital importance in the European sector and marked the end of World War Two in Europe.
The final chapter in the destruction of Hitler's Third Reich began on 16 April 16 1945,
when Stalin unleashed the brutal power of 20 armies, 6,300 tanks and 8,500 aircraft
with the objective of crushing German resistance and capturing Berlin.

The depleted German forces put up a stiff defense, repelling the attacking Russians, but ultimately succumbing to overwhelming force.
By 24 April 1945, the Soviet army surrounded the city slowly tightening its stranglehold on the remaining Nazi defenders.
Fighting street-to-street and house-to-house, Russian troops blasted their way towards Hitler's bunker in the city's center.
On 30 April 1945, when the Soviets were fighting less than 500 metres from the bunker, Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide.
On 02 May 1945, German forces in Berlin surrender.
On 08 May 1945, Germany surrender.

The Battle of Berlin cost the Soviets
300,000 casualties
2000 tanks
2100 artillery pieces
and 1000 aircrafts

The Germans suffered 340,000 casualties and 480,000 captured.

 

[King Tiger]

With these, I conclude my Then and Now, and the documentary thread on Battle of Germany battlefield areas.

 

[King Tiger]

44. Conclusion
For the European Theatre of war, I started the journey at Omaha Beach D-Day and Ended at Berlin Hitler's bunker

Jun 1944 - Omaha Beach

May 2010 - Omaha Beach

 

[King Tiger]

July 1947 - Hilter's Bunker


Oct 2013 - Hilter's Bunker (present site a simple car park)

 

[King Tiger]

For the Asia Pacific Theatre of war, I started the journey at USS Arizona, Pearl Harbour and Ended at USS Missouri, the surrender site of the Empire of Japan.

07 Dec 1941 - USS Arizona, Pearl Harbour

Nov 2007 - The left over turret of USS Arizona, Pearl Harbour

 

[King Tiger]

02 Sep 1945 - The site for the Unconditional Surrender of the Japanese to the Allies and officially endeing of the Second World War.

Nov 2007 - The site for the Unconditional Surrender of the Japanese to the Allies and officially endeing of the Second World War.

02 Sep 1945 - The site of the surrender of the Empire of Japan


Nov 2007 - The site of the surrender of the Empire of Japan

 

[King Tiger]

World War II was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, though related conflicts began earlier.
Majority of the world's nations threw in their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort,
it was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries.
Marked by mass deaths of populations, resulted in an estimated 85 million fatalities,
making World War II the deadliest conflict in human history.



War is one of the most regrettable human activities.