General der Flieger Karl Koller Quotes in Downfall (2004)

Adolf Hitler: Burgdorf, what's going on? Where's the firing coming from?

General der Infanterie Wilhelm Burgdorf: First of all, Happy Birthday, my Führer. My Führer, the city of Berlin is under artillery fire; grenades have hit near the Brandenburg gate, Reichstag, and the Friedrichstrasse station.

Adolf Hitler: Where is the firing coming from?

General der Infanterie Wilhelm Burgdorf: My Führer, we don't know, but I'm talking with Koller.

Adolf Hitler: Koller! Let me speak to Koller.

[takes phone]

Adolf Hitler: Koller. Do you know that Berlin is under artillery fire?

General der Flieger Karl Koller: No.

Adolf Hitler: Can't you hear the shooting?

General der Flieger Karl Koller: No, I'm in Wildpark Werder.

Adolf Hitler: The city is chaotic. The Russians have captured a railway bridge over the Oder.

General der Flieger Karl Koller: The enemy has no railway artillery in the Oder.

[takes paper from soldier]

General der Flieger Karl Koller: It's not long-ranged artillery; the divisional headquarters of the Flak and Zoo-Bunker report that the shells are ten to twelve calibers. The Russians went into position in Marzahn.

Adolf Hitler: That's only twelve miles from the city center. Are the Russians really this close? The Lufwaffe leadership must be hanged immediately!

[hangs up]

Adolf Hitler: This is outrageous. Outrageous! The Russians are twelve miles from the city center, and nobody told me anything. I had to ask.

General der Infanterie Hans Krebs: My Führer, it's probably long-range artillery, after all. You mentioned a railway bridge over the Oder.

Adolf Hitler: Nonsense.