The buildings were created so that they would, when looked at from the air, appear like ordinary houses, with pitched roofs, tiles, and even chimneys and windows. In reality, under the slanted roofs were thick layers of concrete, the “chimneys” were actually vent openings, and some windows were false.
On this day, at the end of World War II, Soviet troops reached the German military headquarters in the town of Zossen, about 30 kilometers south of Berlin. Namely, that is where the German High Command – OKH (Oberkommando des Heeres) – was housed in underground bunkers called Maybach I and Maybach II.
The OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht) was also accommodated at the same location, and was theoretically the supreme command of all the German armed forces. Indeed, the air force High Command (OKL – Oberkommando der Luftwaffe) was also located at the same place. On the contrary, the high command of the Navy (OKM – Oberkommando der Marine) was located north of Berlin, near the town of Bernau.
The OKH / OKW / OKL complex in Zossen was well fortified, with underground bunkers made of thick concrete. It is very interesting that the buildings were created so that they would, when looked at from the air, appear like ordinary houses, with pitched roofs, tiles, and even chimneys and windows. In reality, under the slanted roofs were thick layers of concrete, the “chimneys” were actually vent openings, and some windows were false. Pictured are some of the remains of the Maybach I complex near Zossen.
Of course, the commands withdrew from Zossen before the Soviets arrived. The OKH was evacuated to Eiche, and the OKW to Krampnitz. Both of these sites were near Potsdam (west of Berlin), somewhat farther away from the Soviets who had come from the east. When the Soviets reached Zossen on this day, they reportedly found only four German soldiers in the complex. The Soviets later blew up bunkers Maybach I and II. However, it is interesting that they later made their own military complex on that site, which allegedly became the largest Soviet military base outside the USSR.
