Steiner's Attack: What If It Succeeded? WW2 Scenario

Could a single attack have altered the course of World War II, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat for Nazi Germany? The story of "Army Detachment Steiner" in the dying days of the Third Reich offers a stark illustration of delusion and desperation, highlighting the chasm between reality and the fantasies of a crumbling regime.

As the Red Army closed in on Berlin in April 1945, Adolf Hitler clung to the desperate hope of a counterattack that could somehow, miraculously, turn the tide. The man tasked with this impossible mission was SS-Obergruppenfhrer Felix Steiner, a seasoned officer who had previously demonstrated a degree of effectiveness in slowing the Soviet advance. Hitler envisioned Steiners forces, grandly designated "Armeeabteilung Steiner," as the savior of Berlin, the spearhead that would shatter the Soviet encirclement and secure the Reich's survival.

The reality, however, was far more bleak than Hitler's optimistic pronouncements. By April 21, 1945, Hitler, consumed by his own delusions, ordered Steiner to attack the northern flank of the salient created by the 1st Belorussian Front's breakout. This attack was meant to coincide with General Theodor Busse's Ninth Army launching a pincer movement from the south. Steiner's forces, though, were a shadow of what Hitler imagined. In truth, Army Detachment Steiner existed primarily on paper, a desperate creation born from the Fhrerbunker, assembled with ragtag units of exhausted soldiers, a few tanks, and little realistic hope of success. Hitler was in the Fhrerbunker, the dimly lit halls of the underground refuge in Berlin, became an execution chamber for the Fhrer and his closest advisors. Steiner received orders to attack straight from the Fhrerbunker late on April 21. He and his staff were threatened with execution if they failed.

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The situation in Berlin was dire. The Russian army encircled the city. As Hitler issued his orders from the Fhrerbunker, he was surrounded by his closest advisors: Keitel, Jodl, Krebs, and Burgdorf. On April 22nd, a conference was held where the devastating truth was revealed: Steiner would not, and indeed, could not, attack. He could not gather enough forces for the attack. His divisions existed more in Hitlers mind than on the battlefield, and the expected relief attack was simply not possible. Hitler's chief of staff, General Hans Krebs, was forced to explain the grim reality to the dictator. The subsequent breakdown, immortalized in the film "Downfall," captured the moment of utter despair as the dream of salvation evaporated. Steiner's attack, a desperate gamble to stave off the inevitable, was ultimately a futile gesture, a testament to the disconnect between the crumbling Nazi regime and the brutal realities of war. His dream was about to end.

Steiner's orders were simple: launch a counter-attack and cut off the Red Army's advance. If successful, the repercussions would have been enormous, potentially delaying or even preventing the fall of Berlin. It's worth noting that some historical assessments suggest that the attack, even if successful, would only have bought the Germans a little more time.

Attribute	Details
Full Name	Felix Steiner
Born	May 23, 1896, Ebenrode, East Prussia
Died	May 17, 1953, Munich, West Germany
Military Rank	SS-Obergruppenfhrer und General der Waffen-SS
Years of Service	19141945
Commands Held	SS Division Wiking, III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps, Armeeabteilung Steiner
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Notable Actions	Eastern Front campaigns, defense of Berlin
Known For	Commanding various SS units; his role in the Battle of Berlin.

For Adolf Hitler, Steiner's attack was more than just a military operation; it was the linchpin upon which he pinned his last hopes for salvation. The dictators chief of staff Hans Krebs had to explain the situation to Hitler. Hitler remained in control, drawing possible lines of attack on the map, believing that SS commander Felix Steiners Panzer divisions would repel the Soviets. The orders were given, and the fate of the Reich hung in the balance. Is he attacking yet? Hitler demanded in April 1945, as his thousand-year Reich crumbled around him. The reality was, Steiner's divisions existed only on paper. Hitler started to call the ragtag units that came under Steiner's command Army Detachment Steiner, as if by naming it, he could bring it into existence as a force of nature. The planned pincer attack, which was supposed to coincide with General Theodor Busse's Ninth Army attacking from the south, would have been a desperate attempt to regain some ground. In this scene, it becomes undeniable that the expected relief attack of Steiners army detachment cannot be implemented.

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The incident of April 22nd is mentioned in several texts, but surprisingly, the important eyewitnesses for many events shown in the movie. The scene of Hitler's rage, when the news about Steiner's failure to launch the attack reached him, has become one of the most iconic and studied depictions of the downfall of the Nazi regime. It showcased the final breakdown of a man clinging to a fantasy, in a desperate attempt to alter the course of the war. Hitler falls into a tearful rage and declares that the war is lost. The fact that the expected attack never happened underscored the gap between Hitler's delusional vision and the realities of the battlefield. By 1945, German counterattacks were often futile, causing more German deaths and expending more Allied/Soviet ammunition. The VVS ruled the skies of Eastern Germany, while Red Army artillery provided timely support for their infantry and tanks.

Steiner's attack was meant to have a strategic impact. If it had succeeded, the consequences would have been far-reaching. The attack was intended to cut off the Russian salient, potentially ending the encirclement and saving the Reich. The attack aimed to drive back the Red Army, preventing them from reaching Berlin. Hitler's staff exchanged nervous glances before one haltingly informed the Fhrer that Steiner had not and would not attack. This meant that the red army would not have been obliterated at the Oder and the Germans would not have pushed them back to the Vistula. They would not have retaken the Balkans and also steamrolled France. The Germans would not have launched a full-scale invasion of the USSR, taking Moscow and causing Soviet capitulation, which would have resulted in Operation Sealion commencing with Britain. Even a limited victory could have given Hitler some breathing room and allowed him to negotiate, prolonging the war and the suffering it entailed.

Had Army Detachment Steiner (3rd SS Panzer Corps) launched its counterattack as ordered, it would have faced Red Army units that were already entrenched and enjoying superiority in supporting fires. With Steiner's attack, Hitler believed that salvation was at hand. But Steiner could not field enough strength for a massed attack. The attack was not occurring. The failure of the attack, however, also had profound symbolic importance, symbolizing the collapse of the regime's military and political capacity. The order was given, but the attack was never executed. Der Angriff Steiners ist nicht erfolgt. Steiner's attack is not occurring.

The attack was meant to attack the northern flank of the huge salient that had been created by the 1st Belorussian Front's breakout. The objective was to strike Red Army units that were already dug in and had superiority in supporting fires. Steiner received orders to attack straight from the Fhrerbunker late on April 21. He and his staff were threatened with execution if they failed. Ultimately, the failure of Steiner's attack was a microcosm of the larger German defeat. The red army was closing in on berlin, The situation was grim.

The conference on April 22nd in the film "Downfall" is a crucial moment. The key players were present: Keitel, Jodl, Krebs, and Burgdorf. The scene underscored the vast difference between Hitlers delusional vision and the reality on the ground. The true situation was vastly different. Traudl Junge, the final secretary for Adolf Hitler, tells of the Nazi dictator's final days in his Berlin bunker at the end of WWII. In this context, the failure of Steiner's attack was not just a military setback; it was a psychological blow, a moment when the facade of invincibility shattered, and the final descent into the bunker began.

The attack, even if successful, would not have won the war. The war was pretty much over and any attack was futile, but still it was a desperate attempt to achieve the impossible. The fact that Steiner's divisions existed primarily on paper, a product of Hitler's imagination, is a telling symbol of the regime's final, desperate acts. Recalling Steiners earlier successes in slowing the Soviet advance, Hitler demanded that Steiner be ordered to attack the Soviet salient. By now, Steiners forces, grandly named Armee-Gruppe Steiner, consisted of about only 10,000 exhausted soldiers, mainly survivors from other pulverized units. He also had a few tanks. Little did Hitler know that Steiners divisions existed only on paper.

In the closing stages of the war, Steiner was Hitlers last hope. The question remains: could any attack, no matter how valiant, have altered the final outcome? In the end, the failure of Steiner's attack was a poignant testament to the hubris and delusion of the Nazi regime.