After overcoming fierce German resistance in the Battle of the Seelow Heights, the division approached the city on 23 April. Gerasimenko was relieved of command on the next day for losing control of his troops; he was replaced by Major General Dmitry Stankevsky, the 79th Guards' last wartime commander. The army's final assault began two days later, with the division, backed by the 39th Guards, ordered to surround and capture Tempelhof Airfield, where it was suspected many German aircraft were hiding in underground hangars to fly out the Nazi leadership. After an assault crossing of the Teltow Canal the two divisions took the airfield and prevented out-going flights. Early on 2 May the 79th intercepted a radio transmission in Russian: