In April 1945, the Berlin Alkett factory delivered 22 tanks in need of major repairs to the city’s defenders, who used them to equip fixed pillboxes. The tanks were in varying states of repair—some had gun turrets. Of these, 10 were Panzer V tanks and 12 Panzer IV tanks. The tanks were dug into the ground at what were considered important intersections.
Due to the chaos in the city and the haste to organize the city’s defense, these pillboxes had no strategic value, and most of them never fired a single shot at the enemy, either because they were misplaced or because they ended up behind advancing Soviet lines.
The crews had no contact with either command or their neighbors. Therefore, the vast majority of these pillboxes were abandoned and disabled by their own crews.
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In April 1945, the Berlin Alkett factory delivered 22 tanks in need of major repairs to the city’s defenders, who used them to equip fixed pillboxes. The tanks were in varying states of repair—some had gun turrets. Of these, 10 were Panzer V tanks and 12 Panzer IV tanks. The tanks were dug into the ground at what were considered important intersections.
Due to the chaos in the city and the haste to organize the city’s defense, these pillboxes had no strategic value, and most of them never fired a single shot at the enemy, either because they were misplaced or because they ended up behind advancing Soviet lines.
The crews had no contact with either command or their neighbors. Therefore, the vast majority of these pillboxes were abandoned and disabled by their own crews.