Ärmelstreifen). Dietrich refused to carry out the order and did not relay the message to the troops. According to Heinz Guderian, most cuff titles had already been removed; he later wrote that the removal of unit cuffs from the Leibstandarte, Totenkopf, Hohenstaufen, and the Das Reich Divisions was accomplished for security reasons. Battle of Berlin Part of the LSSAH ended the war fighting in Berlin. On 23 April 1945, Hitler appointed Brigadeführer Mohnke the commander for the central government district (Zitadelle sector) that included the Reich Chancellery and Führerbunker. Mohnke's command post was under the Reich Chancellery in the bunkers therein. He formed Kampfgruppe Mohnke which was divided into two weak regiments made up of approximately 2,000 men. The core group were the 800 of the Leibstandarte Guard Battalion (assigned to guard the Führer). After Hitler's suicide, they received orders to break out. Prior to the attempt, Mohnke briefed all commanders who could be reached within the Zitadelle sector about Hitler's death and the planned break out. It started at 2300 hours on 1 May. Mohnke led the first of ten small groups. Several very small groups managed to reach the Americans at the Elbe's west bank, but most, including Mohnke's group, could not get through the Soviet lines. Many were taken prisoner and some committed suicide. On 2 May hostilities officially ended by order of Helmuth Weidling, Commandant of the Berlin Defense Area. After Vienna was captured, the LSSAH had fewer than 1,600 men and 16 tanks. Apart from the remains of Berlin Guard Battalion, the LSSAH surrendered to US forces in the Steyr area on 8 May 1945. On 4 July (Independence Day) 1945, the United States flag was raised over Berlin for the first time at the Leibstandarte barracks. Organisation Structure of the division: Headquarters 1st SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion 1st SS Panzer Regiment 1st SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 2nd SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 1st SS Panzer Engineer Battalion 1st SS Panzer Artillery Regiment 1st SS Panzer Assault Gun Regiment 1st SS Panzer Tank Destroyer Battalion 1st SS Panzer Anti-Aircraft Battalion 1st SS Rocket Launcher Battalion (added September 1944) 1st SS Panzer Signal Battalion 1st SS Panzer Divisional Supply Group Commanders Notable members Otto Beisheim − industrialist Otto Günsche Klaus Havenstein − actor Karl Wilhelm Krause Kurt Meyer Rochus Misch Joachim Peiper Franz Schönhuber − politician Bernhard Siebken Michael Wittmann Max Wünsche See also I SS Panzer Corps "Leibstandarte