AUSTRIAN ARMY

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 113, 16 May 1938, Page 9

AUSTRIAN ARMY

AFTER THE INVASION GERMAN ABSORPTION The German military authorities are carrying out the military reorganisation of Austria with characteristic speed and thoroughness, states the 'Manchester Guardian."' The | expression "Austria" no longer exists in a military sense. The district that was Austria is now the "Ostmark" in miliI tary language. The "Ostmark" is under the command of the "Fifth Army Group" which has its headquarters in Vienna. This group contains a special "staff," known as Ueberleitungsstab, which has the duty of integrating the different units of the former Austrian Army and the departments of the former Austrian Ministry of Defence in the corresponding German units and departments. The chief of this "staff" is Lieutenant-General Muff, the former German Military Attache in Vienna.

For the time being two army corps, the 17th dnd 18th, are being established in Austria. The 17th Army Corps includes the 44th Division and a number of special units. The headquarters of this division are in Vienna (the headquarters of the 45th are at Linz), and the headquarters of the 18th Army Corps are at Salzburg. The 18th Army'.Corps, includes three divisions of mountain infantry with former Bavarian mountain infantry units as a cadre., INVASION LONG PREPARED. All the available evidence shows that the preparations for the German invasion of Austria were begun months before, the invasion was actually carried' out. There was a whole series of trial mobilisations in Bavaria. Spme interesting details of the preparations for the actual invasion are given by Captain -Dahl, of the reserve, in the "Hakenkreuzbanner," which is published at 1 Mannheim. He writes:

I still see fluttering about on my office table the urgent telegram ordering me to report at once at the barracks of my unit in Munich. I do. not think that in the whole of my life I ever packed my officer's kit with such speed as I did then. Some hours afterwards I arrived at the capital of the movement .(that is, Munich, the headquarters of the National Socialist movement). ; Everytmng went like greased lightning. While the Austrian Minister, Seyss-Inquart, was broadcasting to his feverishly excited fellowcountrymen and urging them to remain calm, my superior officer ordered me to a village near. Augsburg, whither ray staff headquarters had been assigned under the mobilisation order. Speed! Speed! In a very short time I had to form a unit of about 28 officers and 700 n.c.o.s and men with full equipment. The magnificent organisation was wonderful, with which all reserves and all the necessary lorries, motor-cars, and ' motor-cycles were assembled within the space of a few hours. Although officers and men had been withdrawn suddenly and roughly from civilian " existence, they were all in uniform and all had their , arms and equipment in the later afternoon of the second day, sworn in by myself in the .name of our beloved Fuhrer and ready to march. Orders to march arrived in the evening and we ad-1 vanced into Austria with ruthless energy'by way of Munich. In other words, German had invaded Austria by the evening of Saturday, the second day of Germany's action in Austria. In the early hours of Saturday morning the Regular German Army had already entered.