ATTEMPT ON HITLER

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 July 1944, Page 5

ATTEMPT ON HITLER

GERMAN COLONEL’S BOMB

GENERAL STAFF INJURED (Rec. 10 a.m.) LONDON, .July 20. An attempt on Hitler’s life “by explosives,” was carried out to-day. Hitler was slightly burnt, bruised, and suffered slight concussion. Members of his staff were seriously injured This announcement was made from Hitler’s headquarters. The German News Agency issued the following statement: “To-day, an attempt was made against the Fuehrer, with high explosives. The following men around. Hitler were seriously injured: Lieutenant-General Schmundt, Lieutenant-Colonel Borgmann, Hitler’s collaborator, Berger, and Colonel Brandt. Hitler was only slightly burned and bruised and had slight concussion. He immediately continued his routine work, and received Mussolini for a lengthy discussion. Goering, shortly after the attempt, joined the Fuehrer. “Those slightly injured included the Chief of Staff, General Jodi, Generals Korten, Buhle, Bodenschatz, Heusinger and Scherff, and Admirals Voss and von Nuttkammer.” Lieutenant-General Schmundt is Chief of the Personnel Department of the German Army, for which reason he is responsible for advising Hitler on promotions and appointments. Schmundt has also been Hitler’s Chief military aide de camp for several years. The Luftwaffe General, Gunther Korten, is Chief of Staff of the Luftwaffe. He succeeded General Jeschonek, who was killed in the R.A.F’s raid against a research station at Peenemunde. Rear-Admiral Von Nuttkamer, since 1939, has been Hitler’s naval aide de camp. The Luftwaffe General, Karl Heinrich, Bodenschatz, is chief of Goering’s personal staff, and Goering’s personal friend and protege. The German home radio network to-night broadcast an announcement of the attempt against Hitler’s life: “The German people will be deeply grateful that the Fuehrer’s life was unharmed by the criminal attempt by the enemy, who thought he could obtain through murder ’what he could never attain through honest fighting. REVOLT SPREADING.

(Rec. 12.25 p.m.) LONDON, July 20

The German radio system, after the second announcement of the attempt against Hitler, dropped the remainder of the day’s programme, and played solemn music instead. This was just as well, says the British United Press, because the next item which the Berlin radio cancelled was a talk on “The Extermination of Rats.”

“There are definite signs that topranking men in the German armed forces are contemplating a revolt against Hitler, or at least, effective opposition of some kind, stated the “Daily Mail’s” Stockholm correspondent, cabling before the announcement of the attempt against Hitler’s life. “The signs do not indicate that such a revolt will come soon or, indeed, at all, but they show that the elements of a first class military crisis exist in Germany. People inside Germany and in close touch with the General Stall state that nearly 50 per cent, of the top generals and admirals, including most of the field commanders, have in the past few weeks expressed opposition to Hitler’s war policies. Many of them are reported to have warned Hitler that a continuance of such policies might result in the. use-., less sacrifice of the greater part ol the Wehrmacht. “Such expressions of opposition and warning are being put out simultaneously by so many German commanders and in such similar terms that they appear to be the result of concerted action. At least two military plots against Hitler—one of which involved assassination —are being talked about among the Wehrmacht.” The “Daily Mail’s” Stockholm correspondent says that immediately after the announcement of the attempt came the news that Hitler has appointed Himmler to take over a newlycreated post giving him control of the appointment and dismissal of high officers in the armed forces. The Berlin radio added the name of Captain Assam to the list of slightly injured persons. Mr. Cordell Hull told a Press conference at Washington that he would gladly have commented on the Hitler plot had the injuries been serious enough. As it was the incident did not offer a substantial basis lor comment. “NEWS SHOOK GERMANY.” (Rec 12.15 p.m.) LONDON, July 20. At the time the attempt was made to assassinate him Hitler was _ obviously surrounded by his own intimate entourage, king-pins of the Nazis’ power, says Reuter s Continental observer. The list of casualties shows that almost the entire personnel and military staff of the Fuehrer was present. Therefore, it is reasonable to presume that when preparing to receive Mussolini Hitler was probably the best-guarded man in Europe; so apart from the question, “Who did it?.” a more pertinent question js: “Who was in a position to do it?” Schroeder Ediro, Chief of the German Overseas News Agency, broadcasting, said that official quarters had cast an impenetrable curtain of secrecy over the details of the attempt on the Fuehrer’s life. The attempt, against Hitler’s life was too much for the German News Agencv, according to the British United Press monitoring service. The Agency’s methodical flow of news over the wireless teleprinter service suddenly stopped in the middle of the stock exchange report. Then, after two attempts to restart, the operator finally Hurriedly sent out a report with the majority of the opening sentences erased and corrected. The German home radio lost no chance of playing up the attempt. ’Suendermann, Deputy-Press Chief. declared: “Germany’s enemies want to murder the Fuehrer, the conqueror of Bolshevism, the symbol of the German people, and the pillar of Germany’s rise. The news shook Germany like a bombshell. A sigh of relief went up from everyone when it was realised that the criminal’s aim was again foiled. The morning papers to-morrow will carry the news in gigantic headlines to express our joy at the failure of the attempt.” HITLER’S OWN STATEMENT ~~RUGBY, July 20. . Hitler said to-day that he was unhurt after to-day’s assassination attempt. He said that a German officer, Colonel Graf von Straussenberg, was the man who planted the bomb. A clique of German officers were behind the plot, which was aimed at eliminating the General Staff. It was the third attempt which had been made on his life, Hitler said. “There exists in Germany a small group similar to that which perpetrated the stab in the back in Italy. This clique must be ruthlessly eliminated. No military or civilian department in Germany must accept orders from these usurpers.” Hitler announced that there would be a purge in Germany. Himmler has been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the German home front. Hitler added that accounts would

be settled in “National Socialist manner.”

LONDON, July 21 Hitler, broadcasting from his headquarters, last night, said he was speaking so the German people could hear his voice. He declared that a very small clique of officers not connected with the German Army, or people,” had planned to kill him. They wanted to prepare for Germany the same fate as in 1918, but they had made a big mistake. All the criminal elements would be ruthlessly exterminated. ARMY EMPLOYEE EXECUTED (Recd. 11.35 a.m.) LONDON. July 20. The Berlin radio stated that Anton Waffler, a civilian employee in an Army office at Munich was executed for spreading defeatist and subveisivc ideas among the female stall under his control. TROOPS FROM NORWAY "LONDON, July 20. The Germans have withdrawn 25,000 troops from Norway to Germany, says the Danish Press Service in Stockholm. Germans passed through Aarhus, on the Danish east coas,. Other German units from Norway passed through other Danish ports. The Germans have requisitioned large quantities of rolling stock for transport. TURKEY AND BALKANS (Recd. 1.10 p.m.) LONDON, July 21. The Turks have begun to talk as if a breach of diplomatic relations with Germany, as well as trade relations, were a matter of days, says the Daily Telegraph’s Istanbul correspondent, who expresses the view that a breach of relations is imminent, and Turkey’s entry into the war is a matter of weeks. The situation has changed since two months ago when the Turks were cold towards Britain. They then argued they had done all that could be expected of them as allies, by denying the Wehrmacht in 1941 a passage through Anatolia to Syria and Iraq. The Wehrmacht has orders to witndraw from the Balkans, says the “Daily Express’s” Istanbul correspondent. Slowly so as not to create panic, but steadily, the whole German occupying forces in Bulgaria, Greece and Hungary are being drained away to the fronts in Italy, France and Poland. The withdrawal at the moment does not affect, the German forces fighting with the Rumanians in Mol-’ davia, nor those co-operating with the Bulgarians against Tito. This information is contained in a report from Bucharest, written by one of several high ranking Rumanian officers, who has worked secretly for the Allies since the German occupation of Rumania.