Eighty years ago today, on April 30, 1945 (March 19, 1945 lunar calendar), the Soviet army captured Berlin. The Soviet army captured the Reichstag on April 30, 1945. Under the cover of heavy artillery fire and air raids, Soviet infantry almost surrounded Berlin, with only a 3-mile gap on the west side of the city. A third of the capital was firmly controlled by the Soviet Red Army. And the above-ground part of the Reichstag in the center of Berlin was also controlled by the Soviet army. While a lone army held Frankfurt, two forces led by Marshals Georg Zhukov and Ivan Konev captured four districts of Berlin. Today they occupied four more districts. Among the strategic areas they occupied were the capital's gas works and railway lines. Some of the Nazis were still resisting. They emerged from the smoke-filled rubble, waving white flags and carrying real grenades in their arms. Most of the holdouts were members of the SS, some of them in their teens. The Soviets said that as a result of the German near-frenzied resistance, the Soviets suffered 300,000 casualties throughout the Berlin campaign, and most of the city needed a sweep. If Berlin continued its ineffective defense, the Soviets would advance towards the surrounding towns. But the Soviet bombers had to proceed with caution, and there were scattered American patrols northeast of Dresden. The First American Army was stationed 9 miles northeast of Leipzig. Konev's troops were eager to join them. The Soviets had been preparing for the attack on Berlin for two months. The Soviets had assembled 6,300 tanks and self-propelled artillery near Berlin. A large number of field guns were aimed at Berlin. The Soviets and the Germans engaged in fierce street battles. American and Soviet officers and Red Army female soldiers danced together. "World War II" picture ¡¤ Soviet troops capture Berlin