Hi there! This series of posts was originally posted by me on Reddit, feel free to check it there if you prefer.
Last time we had a tour across Stalingrad. Hope you liked it.
This time I invite you to take a look at another key city of WW2 in Enlisted - Berlin!
First of all, let’s take a look at the overall ingame map I’ve assembled by overlapping 3 different minimaps. Most key objectives and streets marked:
1 - Lehrter Bahnhof; 2 - Moltke Bridge; 3 - Ministry of the Interior; 4 - Moat; 5 - Kroll Opera; 6 - Königsplatz; 7 - Reichstag; 8 - Brandenburg Gate; 9 - US Embassy; 10 - “Goebbels’ Villa”; 11 - Greenhouse; 12 - Old Reich Chancellory; 13 - New Reich Chancellory; 14 - SS Barracks
Now if we compare it to the actual 1945 aerial shot of Berlin, we will see that the devs have done an amazing job once again, putting a lot of effort and detail into recreating the city layout accurately:
Finally, here is the chart of the real Berlin Operation where you can recognize familiar movements of troops. I really hope we see Reichstag assault soon (May 9 Victory Day incoming?)
I must admit I did not know much about the city of Berlin before researching it apart from the Reichstag, and the accuracy and care from the devs really impressed me once again.
From Lehrter Railway Station and Moltke Bridge:
To Ministry of the Interior and Brandenburg Gate, the locations have been recreated incredibly truthfully:
Now during my research the most enigmatic area for me was the “Moat” (lake, trench) together with the “anti-tank” ditch filled with water as many describe it on the Internet, which the Soviet forces encountered in front of the Reichstag:
Turns out, the “ditch” was open-ground construction of a new metro line which got flooded, and the “moat” is part of Hitler’s grand plan to straighten the Spree river and rebuild Berlin into a capital of the world (literally Welthauptstadt Germania after the inevitable end victory in WW2):
The re-routed River Spree was supposed to flow underneath a massive Grosse Halle (Grand Hall) and Grosser Platz (Grand Plaza) which would be constructed in the Reichstag area (the Reichstag itself was decided to stay, however it would be dwarfed by the gigantic new buildings):
Here is the general plan of the Welthauptstadt Germania project where you can see the Spree river altered via the “moat”:
Construction was started in 1938, although the grand plans were not discolsed to the public or the construction workers:
With the failure of Operation Barbarossa and immense struggle on the Eastern Front, construction on “Welthauptstadt Germania” was halted permanently in March 1943.
The exact reason for the flooding is still unclear, it might have been soil waters or the flooding of Berlin metro, but nevertheless this intricate body of water posed a significant obstacle for the Soviet troops.
Continuing our journey across Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate (8) is one of the most famous landmarks of Berlin, located not far from the Reichstag:
As we go down Hermann Goering Strasse, right next to the Brandenburg Gate we will see the US Embassy (9), which is nicely recreated in Enlisted:
Even its back side seems to have been recreated with great detail:
The next building down this road should be familiar to you as well, it’s the “Goebbels’ Villa” (10). In fact, it is quite an enigmatic place, not much can be found about it in either English or Russian, maybe someone can shed more light on it, but from what I have been able to research, this building was indeed placed just behind the US Embassy and a large bunker was found under the ground during construction works after the war, by all accounts this was the house used by Goebbels’ for official purposes.
In this 1957 shot you can see the white building still standing next to the embassy:
The same building can be seen at the top of this aerial photo (next to ‘Alamy’ text):
It looks like no proper photos of Goebbels’ residence facade have survived (or were taken), but here we can see what it looked like from Hermann Goering Strasse:
And the same view in Enlisted:
Given the lack of historical data and photos, I’d say the devs did a fantastic job once again. Have to admit, for the longest time I thought this building in the game was just a creative liberty. Really impressed by the research on the devs’ part now.
Continuing our way down Hermann Goering Strasse alongside the gardens, we are nearing the Reich Chancellery complex:
The two long buildings you see at the top of the model, located on the Hermann Goering Strasse, are Barracks of the SS garrison:
The barracks had a little square of their own with a parking lot underneath it:
Passing the barracks and reaching the corner of the Reich Chancellery on the junction of Hermann Goering Strasse and Vossstrasse:
Turning left from Hermann Goering Strasse and strolling along Vossstrasse we see the Reich Chancellery’s main facade:
This monumental building was constructed in 1938-39 when Hitler assigned his favourite architect Albert Speer to build the New Reich Chancellery suitable to be headquarters of a Greater German Reich, saying that Bismarck’s Old Chancellery was only “fit for a soap company”.
The New Reich Chancellery was built to demonstrate the new German style of “power” and “authority” fit for the Thousand Year Reich, contrasting with the “mellow” and “soft” style of the old Berlin.
Now then, we have reached the corner of Vossstrasse and Wilhelmstrasse, where we can see Borsig Palace, originally built in 1877 for industrialist Albert Borsig, later converted into the new headquarters of the Storm Troopers on Adolf Hitler’s direct orders and integrated into the New Reich Chancellery, also recreated in Enlisted:
Now on Wilhelmstrasse, To the right of the Borsig Palace we can see the two-piece gates to the Courtyard of Honor, and to the right from them - even the famous “Speer Balcony” which Hitler asked the architect to add so that he wouldn’t have to lean out of the window when addressing the crowd:
Now let’s take a look at the Reich Chancellery complex, and I have to say while doing the research I was blown away by the amount of detail put into it. Not even kidding, this might be the mose accurate 3D representation of 1945 Reich Chancellery available online at this point (and interactive, too). I even came across screenshots from Enlisted on a history forum where people praised the game for such attention to detail.
Now we are at the corner of Vossstrasse and Wilhelmstrasse, where part of the New Reich Chancellery complex was constructed right between the Palace Borsig on the left side and the Old Reich Chancellery (the “soap company” building as Hitler called it) on the right.
View from Wilhelmstrasse, the Old Reich Chancellery is to the right:
And here it is recreated in Enlisted.
Even the archway leading into the New Reich Chancellery to the left from the facade is modelled in the game:
Here is a detailed map of the New Reich Chancellery complex for context (we are entering from the east at 18):
1. Marble Gallery 2. Entrance to the Reich Chancellery 3. Entrance to the Office of the Reich President 4. Barracks 5. Lift to the Catacombs 6. Garden portal to Hitler’s Office 7. Entranceway to the Fuhrer Bunker 8. Access - Underground Parking and Fuhrer Bunker 9. Entrance - Parking and Fire Brigade 10. Access - Fuhrer Bunker 11. Kempka’s House 12. Greenhouse 13. Courtyard of Honor 14. Ballroom and Conservatory 15. Old Reich Chancellery 16. Dining Hall 17. Ministry of Propaganda 18. Reich Chancellery Extension 19. Wilhelmsplatz Subway Entrance 20. Wertheim Department Store 21. Leipziger Plaza 22. Ministry Garden 23. Great landscape park Tiergarten 24. Hermann Goring Strasse 25. Vosssstrasse 26. Wilhelmstrasse
From Wilhelmstrasse, we enter the Chancellery through the Courtyard of Honor where Hitler would meet distinguished military units:
After entering the Courtyard of Honor on the right hand side we see a door leading to the Old Reich Chancellery (now converted to act as the Fuhrer’s living quarters) via a private connector cortyard (remember the archway?):
Standing in the Courtyard of Honor, right ahead we see the the main entrance flanked by two bronze statues “Armed Forces” and "The Party:
From the Courtyard of Honor we enter the New Reich Chancellery proper:
1 — Courtyard of Honor, 2 — Small Reception Hall, 3 — Mosaic Hall, 4 — Rotunda, 5 — Marble Gallery, 6 — Fuhrer’s office, 7 — Cabinet Meeting Room, 8 — Large Reception Hall, 9 — Dining Hall, 10 — Main Entrance to Presidial Chancellery, a — Ceremonial Entrance, b — Entrance to Reich Chancellery, c — Second Entrance to Presidial Chancellery
The next room is the Small Reception Hall (the door to the left leads to the Courtyard of Honor, the door to the right — to Mosaic Hall):
Continuing our journey, we enter the Mosaic Hall where the light through the ceiling would reflect on the marble floor, giving a striking visual effect. After the war, the marble was be used in a Soviet War Memorial as well as in metro station decoration:
Imagine: even the wall ornaments, from Mosaic Hall, in now demolished Reich Chancellory, have been recreated. In a F2P game. Amazing.
From the Mosaic Hall where we left off, a door to the right will take us to the Dining Hall:
The windows of the dining hall offered a view of the gardens through a gallery of archways. It is said that the second floor above the dining hall was a library:
Going back inside, the last room before the central part of the Chancellery is the Rotunda, which played a decorative function and served as a connector between the Mosaic Hall and the Marble Gallery:
Speaking of Marble Gallery, it is the hall that stretches across the central part of the complex with windows facing Vossstrasse, from the Rotunda to the Large Reception Hall:
Of the five large doors in the Gallery, four are decorative, and only one central door leads to the Fuhrer’s Office with the cartouche above it reading “AH”. The front door to the office was at all times guarded by two SS men from the Leibstandarte “Adolf Hitler”.
Let’s pay the main man himself a visit, shall we?
Hitler’s office is painstaikingly recreated, from the work table with heads of Medusa, Mars and Athena to the big globe, marble centerpiece table, the fireplace and Völkischer Beobachter newspaper:
The windows of Hitler’s office overlooked the portal to the garden, where the iconic columns and bronze horses could be seen, followed by a fountain:
Looking further down the center line of the garden, we see the Greenhouse:
3D model of the Reich Chancellory complex:
Now we continue our tour and the Office is connected to the Cabinet Meeting Room by a familiar corridor:
Cabinet Meeting Room:
In the center of the room there was a large table and chairs with eagles which were brought from the office of the Old Chancellery.
However, the Cabinet never met in this room, since 1937 Hitlеr passed orders to his ministers directly, while they themselves communicated with each other through memorandums.
The next adjacent room is the Large Reception Hall:
Large Reception Hall was built to replace the old one (which became the Ballroom) and could fit about 200 people. Hitler considered it too small and planned to increase the capacity, but these plans were halted by the war.
In Enlisted it has a big hole in its wall leading to the Courtyard:
The former Reception Hall (now Ballroom) was located right behind the Old Chancellory:
The famous Fuhrerbunker entrance and the cone-shaped ventilation structure, near which the bodis of Adolf Hitlеr and Eva Braun were allegedly burned, stand in the immediate vicinity of the Ballroom on one side, and Kempka’s house and garage (Erich Kempka was Hitler’s driver, allegedly one of those responsible for the burning of said bodies):
In the game, if you listen closely you can hear a cracking sound of a recent fire when you stand near the shell hole with leftover fuel canisters:
The cross-shaped garage (which is one of capture points in Invasion) and Kempka’s house nearby are also recreated in the game:
This sums up the tour of the New Reich Chancellory, hopefully now every single building on the map will have historical significance for you and help you get even more immersed.
Now returning back to the Reichstag for our last landmark, on the other side of Konigsplatz of course we see the famous Kroll Opera House, recreated in fine details:
Even down to the Kroll garden located on the south side of the Opera:
It goes without saying that just as it is the case with Stalingrad, the cars, art and adverts found around the city all fit the 1945 Berlin aesthetic as well:
This concludes our tour across Berlin. Honestly, I was surprised myself to find so many details and iconic locations recreated to the brick, which we often run past in the heat of battle.
As far as potential new maps in Berlin go, personally I would love to see the Assault of the Reichstag (with the interior part of the building available and the final objective being the roof top where you either raise the flag as the Soviets or fight to live another day as the Germans), Tempelhof Airport - one of the few grand projects of Berlin’s transformation into Welthauptstadt Germania actually constructed
And the Tiergarten Flak Tower, which is apparently already visible from the plane in Enlisted 
Until next time, cheers!
