Germany prepares to defend Fortress City of Breslau in Lower Silesia, Germany (now Poland) against Soviets in World War II

The city of Breslau being fortified and prepared to defend against surrounding soviet forces in January, 1945, World War 2. Armed sentries patrolling the city streets. Snow on ground in some places. Poster announces the situation and requests cooperation of all Men, women, and children (over the age of 10). A poster being nailed to a pole, showing a defender with a panzerfaust anti-tank weapon confronting a tank. German soldiers shouldering panzerhaust on patrol in the snow. Closeup of insignia on sleeves on defenders' overcoats reading,"Volkssturm Wehrmacht." Men on defensive barricades. Others hauling material for defenses in wheel barrows. Tram cars being overturned and placed as impediments to invading forces. Closeup of Karl August Hanke, Gauleiter of Silesia, the city's Battle Commander (Kampfkommandant), mingling with other officers, and various groups of defenders. Hatless, he shakes hands with a defender who is dressed in heavy white cold weather coat. A car riding on road laced with tram tracks. view from inside the car of streets, building, and barriers contrived from overturned vehicles. Tram cars being set up as barriers. View from inside a defensive position, of a woman and man walking in the snow. Men setting up boxes of explosives and hooking them up to detonators along railroad tracks on a bridge. Closeups of the boxes and detonators. The charges are ignited and a large destructive explosion results raising dust and smoke. Civilian residents of Breslau, under orders to evacuate, are seen leaving the city with their belongings. Some of the refugees ride in army trucks, others use any means available to transport their belongings, including , wagons, bicycles, carts, and even baby carriages. As they leave, German soldiers including Volkssturm (Peoples' Militia) enter to reinforce the city defenses, Views of the reinforcements, some carrying panzerfaust anti-tank weapons, but most shouldering rifles as they march into the city. Cases of small arms being offloaded from army trucks to supply the reinforcements. A Goliath, SdKfz. 303 remote controlled tracked mine is seen scurrying across the ground as soldiers watch it in operation. A contingent of Volkssturm carrying panzerfaust weapons. City defenders setting up a large artillery field piece. A supply train carrying heavy armor and artillery to the city. A German Hetzer light tank destroyer (JagdPanzer 38) being maneuvered into position with other armor on a dirt road. A line of Panther tanks on a roadway behind supply trucks. Closeup of one with crew members visible. Scene shifts to a dirt airfield where a German Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 109 aircraft is taking off. It is followed by several Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft. Some raise considerable dust during takeoff. Closeup of one passing the camera on takeoff. Next, one is seen nosing over in the soft dirt of the airfield. But the pilot manages to right it again and continue the takeoff. Some Messerschmitt Bf 109 aircraft taking off in the dust. German airmen look up to watch the departing airplanes. Aircraft are barely seen in distance above, possibly engaged in dogfights with Soviet aircraft. Black smoke rising from Soviet bombing or shelling. German Army soldier on the airfield, shouldering a panzerfaust, looks skyward, with a comrade. View of sky shows aircraft engaged above, but barely discernible. White smoke rises from the ground, possibly from a crashed airplane.

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