in april, the remnants of the division were moved south to the area around goldberg. after the prague offensive, the division attempted to break out to the west, in order to surrender to the western allies. the czech partisans resumed their hostilities on the surrendered estonian troops regardless of their intentions. in what veterans of the estonian division who had laid their weapons down in may 1945 recall as the czech hell, the partisans chased, tortured and humiliated the waffen ss men and murdered more than 500 estonian pows. some of the estonians who had reached the western allies were handed back to the soviets.