Any information anyone has about the actual performance of Volksturm units during the actual Battle of Berlin April 1945 (not the battle that raged on the Seelow heights on in front of Berlin, but the actual street fighting.

For a project...info on the Berlin units I find to be both confused and sketchy. Most brief comments on the Volksturm is that their performance was not good.

Eddy UK

The Volkssturm units was the last line Hitler had
They consisted of elderly men...i think to the age of 70 every man was drafted
also all the youth organisations like the Hitlerjugend had to fight
and of course every soldier who was sent home because of a injury

Yes I know what they were made up of, but your comment Pollux that they included many Werhmacht recovered wounded - a fair point - would I think mean they would have given a better account of themselves than the aged 'Home Guard' they are often depicted as. What I amlooking for is recruitment, casualty and actual combat statistics.

Thanks
Eddy UK

got some adresses for you
but theire in german....you have to get them trough a translator...
if there are any language questions, just ask me..
http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/wk2/krie...uf/volkssturm/
http://www.net-lexikon.de/Volkssturm.html

and this one should answer all your questions:
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...lkssturm-R.htm

Thanks for the links Pollux - my German is not too bad to I should muddle through
EddyM14