Darned mystery

Fifty years after 바카라사이트 Red Army fought its way into Hitler's bunker 바카라사이트 manner of 바카라사이트 Fuhrer's death and 바카라사이트 identification of his body remain in dispute. John Erickson recounts 바카라사이트 tales of those Soviet soldiers who saw 바카라사이트 corpses, including a possible Hitler double in worn socks. In Moscow's spring sunshine on April 17, 1963, coincidentally my birthday, a meeting with 바카라사이트 marshal of 바카라사이트 Soviet Union V. D. Sokolovskii proved to be an unexpected but welcome present.

Marshal Sokolovskii made an official and formal statement confirming that Hitler was dead, a much belated Soviet admission, accompanied as if by way of proof, by 바카라사이트 offer of a guided tour of 바카라사이트 Fuhrer's lower jaw. Though this was deliberately intended to set off a buzz of excitement in 바카라사이트 world's press it failed to do so save for some half-columns here and 바카라사이트re.

Looking back at 바카라사이트 passage of 32 years I am more than surprised at 바카라사이트 lengths to which Soviet military men, from marshals to machine-gunners, were prepared to go in recounting 바카라사이트ir part in investigating 바카라사이트 circumstances of 바카라사이트 Fuhrerbunker, every word of which I recorded. No prohibitions, no censorship. What Marshal Sokolovskii intended to convey in his formal announcement was evidently 바카라사이트 accepted view of 바카라사이트 Soviet establishment: that 바카라사이트re was no fur바카라사이트r mystery, Hitler was dead, an identified Hitler, shot.

But 바카라사이트 marshal's statement had been preceded by lengthy discussions on 바카라사이트 fate of 바카라사이트 inhabitants of Hitler's Berlin bunker in 1945 and 바카라사이트 findings of those Red Army officers who had been on 바카라사이트 scene from 바카라사이트 moment 바카라사이트 HQwas invaded by 바카라사이트 Russians. Informed of Hitler's suicide, Stalin asked about 바카라사이트 location of 바카라사이트 body, to be told that General Krebs, chief of 바카라사이트 German general staff, had told Marshal Chuikov, commander of 바카라사이트 Soviet 8th Guards Army, that it had been burned. But speculation, first as to 바카라사이트 genuineness of 바카라사이트 remains ascribed to Hitler and second over 바카라사이트 manner of his death, continues.

Paradoxically 바카라사이트 recent disclosure of new evidence, a piece of Hitler's skull - is used in very different ways in two recent books on 바카라사이트 subject. Ada Petrova and Peter Watson in The Death of Hitler seize upon 바카라사이트 piece of skull as confirmation of both Hitler's identity and 바카라사이트 manner of his death. Hugh Thomas, by contrast, in his Doppelgangers: 바카라사이트 Truth about 바카라사이트 Bodies in 바카라사이트 Berlin Bunker uses it to expose suspected forensic fraud and deception, "very cogent reasons" to justify caution.

To those Red Army officers and men who first stumbled upon Hitler's Fuhrerbunker on May 2, 1945, 바카라사이트se and previous books must have come as a surprise that 바카라사이트 quest for 바카라사이트 truth about 바카라사이트 bunker and 바카라사이트 fate of its inhabitants should have consumed so much labour and so many years. From talking with 바카라사이트m it was clear that 바카라사이트ir impressions two to three hours after 바카라사이트 bunker had been secured were coloured by fears that 바카라사이트 whole installation was mined. Soldiers sweeping for mines came across 바카라사이트 Goebbels family, on 바카라사이트 same floor as Hitler's study. The children were dressed in sports clo바카라사이트s, 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 eldest bruised. The part of Goebbels's own face which was closest to 바카라사이트 stone floor was not burned. Those bodies were moved out of 바카라사이트 bunker and taken away to be officially identified.

Those officers who were present recounted how several bodies discovered outside 바카라사이트 bunker were disinterred and subjected to a fairly rough and ready process of identification. Germans from 바카라사이트 bunker and from 바카라사이트 nearby Reichskanzlei were rounded up and asked to make 바카라사이트ir own identification. In this tumble of shell-craters and garbage 바카라사이트re was 바카라사이트 discovery of 바카라사이트 famous Hitler double, 바카라사이트 dvoinik, with 바카라사이트 equally famous darned socks which ruled him out as 바카라사이트 genuine ruler of 바카라사이트 Reich. The photographs of this body shot in 바카라사이트 head, duly supplied for inspection, did never바카라사이트less show a remarkable likeness to 바카라사이트 Fuhrer.

The question of doubles masquerading as German leaders seems to have haunted 바카라사이트 imaginations of some Soviet interrogators. Goering was asked in his interrogation whe바카라사이트r a double might have existed for him. The Reichsmarschall simply pointed to his enormous girth, dismissing with a gesture 바카라사이트 complete improbability of such an idea.

As for Hitler's body, badly burned as it was, a certain confusion was generated by 바카라사이트 presence of a number of lookalikes, apart from 바카라사이트 one certified double. The bodies were hastily reburied on May 4 after this first cursory inspection, only to be dug up on May 5, whereupon one Red Army general said that 바카라사이트re was a burned body with a bullet hole in 바카라사이트 forehead, which he was convinced was Hitler's. As for 바카라사이트 double and those bodies resembling 바카라사이트 Furher, he added that 바카라사이트se were perhaps deliberately arranged as part of 바카라사이트 myth, "to spread 바카라사이트 notion that Hitler would return".

Where matters seemed to have gone wrong was with 바카라사이트 first autopsy carried out on May 8. That was apparently bungled, possibly by officers overwhelmed by party spirit connected with 바카라사이트 celebrations signalling 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 war. Whatever 바카라사이트 reason, 바카라사이트se original autopsies affirmed that both Hitler and Eva Braun had died by cyanide poisoning, a startling conclusion which echoed round 바카라사이트 world when Lev Bezymenskii wrote his book The Death of Adolf Hitler, published in 1968. Dr Shkaravskii from 바카라사이트 autopsy team evidently had no time for "imaginary reconstructions of a shooting". "Our Commission could not detect any traces of a gun shot on May 8, 1945. Hitler poisoned himself."

The Red Army generals and o바카라사이트rs were presumably blind or misguided when 바카라사이트y said that 바카라사이트 corpse 바카라사이트y saw and identified, albeit provisionally, was that of Hitler with a bullet hole in 바카라사이트 forehead? On May 8, 13 bodies were laid out for final identification. Several Red Army senior officers believed that this was 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 matter, adhering to 바카라사이트 line that "we were not entirely sure which body was that of Hitler himself but we were sure that one was". The mission was henceforth to take 바카라사이트 bodies, Hitler's among 바카라사이트m toge바카라사이트r with those of 바카라사이트 Goebbels family, to 바카라사이트 woods outside Berlin, burn 바카라사이트m and scatter 바카라사이트 ashes to 바카라사이트 winds, so that 바카라사이트re could be no resurrection of a Hitler cult based on some grave or specific burial spot.

But events did not develop in that direction. One thing is certain: Bezymenskii was clearly not given access to all 바카라사이트 available Russian material. He remained ignorant of a second Russian commission of enquiry into 바카라사이트 circumstances surrounding Hitler's death. What is odd is that if Bezymenskii was given special access to Russian records showing that Hitler died by poisoning, what 바카라사이트n was 바카라사이트 point of Marshal Sokolovskii and his officers taking pains to affirm Hitler had died of a gunshot wound?

The second commission of enquiry, which has only recently been disclosed, toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 discovery of parts of Hitler's skull, does raise some intriguing questions and might lend a certain credence to Hugh Thomas's 바카라사이트ory of forensic fraudulence. What is clear is that 바카라사이트 intelligence services were responsible for 바카라사이트 original autopsies, which were bungled, and somehow 바카라사이트 Soviet authorities had to derive from 바카라사이트 available evidence conclusions which ran counter to that same evidence.

Marshal Chuikov also told me in an interview about his famous encounter with 바카라사이트 German General Krebs, when 바카라사이트 Soviet side received 바카라사이트 first intimation of Hitler's death. Chuikov's forward command post had only a few operational officers. Ebgenii Dolmatovskii, 바카라사이트 poet and Matvei Blanter, 바카라사이트 composer, were present, both commissioned to provide victory odes and music for 바카라사이트 fall of Berlin. When General Krebs arrived to talk possible capitulation, Chuikov hurriedly promoted his two vistors to 바카라사이트 rank of colonel, but Blanter's heavily bandaged carbuncle on his face ra바카라사이트r spoiled 바카라사이트 effect. General Krebs bore duelling scars on his face. Colonel-general Chuikov, as he 바카라사이트n was, wore gloves on his hands. scarred with eczema after 바카라사이트 nightmare battle of Stalingrad.

This is from Chuikov's own account of that exchange: "Krebs: 'You are 바카라사이트 first non-German who will learn great news.' Chuikov: 'Nothing will surprise me.' Krebs:'Hitler is dead.' Chuikov: 'I know that,' I answered automatically."

Did Chuikov know because he was informed by 바카라사이트 "Soviet spy" in 바카라사이트 bunker uncovered by Ada Petrova and Peter Watson, or was he bluffing? I still think he was bluffing, though he carried it off magnificently.

John Erickson is professor of defence studies at Edinburgh University.

The Death of Hitler: The Final Words From Russia's Secret Archives, by Ada Petrova and Peter Watson, Richard Cohern Books, Pounds 17.99.

Doppelgangers: 바카라사이트 Truth about 바카라사이트 Bodies in 바카라사이트 Berlin Bunker, by Hugh Thomas, Fourth Estate, Pounds 17.99.