An advance of almost six kilometers had been achieved in some areas but the German lines remained intact. Zhukov reported his failure to breech the German lines to Stalin around 1500hrs. It was an unpleasant conversation. Stalin informed Zhukov that Konev's forces, unlike his own, were advancing rapidly and asked him to report back in the evening. That second call was even less reassuring. Stalin correctly accused Zhukov of bad judgement in employing his tank armies so early in the battle. Worse still, Stalin told Zhukov that Konev would be given permission to wheel his tank armies towards Berlin from the south. The battle of the Seelow Heights was proving to be a serious blow to Zhukov's prestige.
On the second day, further advances into the German defensive positions were achieved -- at a heavy cost in casualties. Soviet rear area services were now being combed out to find the replacements needed at the front and doubts about the viability of traditional Soviet tactics of massed attack were quietly expressed by some of the Soviet commanders engaged in the battle. The German front before Zhukov remained unbroken at the end of the day. Heinrici's forces were holding on, but only just.
To the south of Army Group Vistula, the battles were not going nearly as well. 4th Panzer Army, the left flank army of Schorner's Army Group Center, was being battered westward by the forces of Marshal Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front. A gap had already opened by April 17th. Busse's 9th Army, the right flank army of Heinrici's Army Group Vistula, was faced with having to fall back in order to avoid an envelopment from the south. In effect, Konev's successful attacks on Schorner's poor defenses, to the south of the battle of the Seelow Heights, was unhinging Heinrici's brilliant defense.
By the end of the third day, the German defense was beginning to falter. The few remaining Army Group reserves arrived too late to occupy prepared positions, which fell into Soviet hands. The time and resources necessary to establish a new defensive line did not exist. On this day Soviet losses were again substantial but they managed to reach the third German defensive line. There was little available to stop their further progress towards Berlin.
On the fourth day, the Soviets finally effected a breakthrough against the 9th Army. The epic battle of the Seelow Heights was over. After three days of fierce resistance there were no German forces left to offer a defense and the road to Berlin was open to Zhukov. Heinrici's method assured that everything available to stop a Soviet thrust had been used. Nothing but depleted remnants of once powerful German armies stood in Zhukov's way. It would not be a German version of Stalingrad.
