"Who says they were desperate"? Wikipedia (The Battle of Berlin was particularly devastating to the Volkssturm, since many Volkssturm members fought to the death when facing Red Army troops, mostly out of fear of what awaited any German combatant who fell into Russian hands.) Fanatical - yes, they were brainwashed (and "earned itself a reputation for ferocity and fanaticism"). 

 As of "removing", did anyone by a chance removed your brain - you write "boys in the compulsory Hitler Youth (...) elderly men of the Volkssturm" and then "Who says that they were composed of boys and old men?" - what the heck is wrong with you?