GERMAN SURRENDER

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 May 1945, Page 5

GERMAN SURRENDER

SIGNING AT BERLIN ZHUKOV PRESENTS DOCUMENT FINAL ACT OF DRAMA

LONDON, May 9. The final German act of surrender to the Allies, which ratifies the surrender agreement signed on Monday at’Supreme Allied Headquarters, was signed yesterday at Berlin. Reporting the Berlin ceremony, the Moscow radio said: “The unconditional surrender of all Germany s land, sea, and air forces to the Russian and Allied High Commands was signed in Berlin on Tuesday by Marshal Keitel and General-Admiral Fnedeburg on behalf of Germany, in the presence of Marshal Zhukov, Air Chief Marshal Tedder, General Spaatz, and General de Tassigny. Military operations cease at 11.1 p.m. Central European time on Tuesday. The act of surrender also stipulates that the Germans must remain in the present positions, hand over intact all arms and military equipment, mcluding ships and aeroplanes, and obey all further orders issued by the Russian and Allied commands. It is also provided that in the event of the German High Command failing to act in accordance with the act of sun endei the Russian and Allied commanders will take such punitive or other actions as they consider necessary. An order to the German armed forces signed by General Jodi on behalf of Grand-Admiral Doenitz, broadcast by the German High Command over the Flensburg radio, said: “With effect from nfidnight on Tuesday all parts of the armed forces m all theatres must cease all hostilities. No destruction of ammunition or equipment is allowed. No ships must be sunk. Acts to the contrary are an offence against the terms accepted by the High Command. All wireless messages must henceforth be in open language without code.’’ The German radio, called to all U-boats: “U-boat warfare is discontinued on the German side. All U-boats are to surface immediately and return to German reception centres.”

MOSCOW GOES MAD

TEMPELHOF SCENES.

“It was a clear, sunny day over the Tempelhof aerodrome (Berlin), which was lined with Russian fighters, when the three Douglas aircraft carrying the delegation from the Supreme Command of the Allied Expeditionary Forces alighted on the field at 1.58 p.m. local time for ratification of the surrender documents,” reports the Moscow radio. “The representatives of the Russian Com-mand-General Sokolovsky and Colonel-General Berzarin, Commandant of Berlin, greeted Air Chief Marshal Tedder, General Spaatz, Admiral Burrough. and othei' Western delegates. Air Chief Marshal Tedder and other senior officers inspected a guard of honour drawn up on the aerodrome, while a band played the British, American and Russian anthems. A fourth Douglas, carrying representatives of the: routed German army, landed shortly! afterwards. The French delegation, headed by General de Tassigny, arrived last. Marshal Zhukov received Air Chief Marshal Tedder, with whom he had a personal talk. The historic signing of the unconditional surrender took place in the former Berlin Military Technical College, the hall of which was decorated with British, American, Russian and French flags. When the clock struck midnight, Marshal Zhukov and Air Chief Marshal Tedder entered, followed by the othei' members of the delegations. “Air Chief Marshal Tedder, Marshal Zhukov, General Spaatz, Mr. Vishinsky, Admiral Burrough and General de Tassigny sat down under the flags. Representatives of Allied countries and the Red Army generals commanding the forces which captured Berlin took up their positions at the central table. Newspaper correspondents were also present. “Marshal Zhukov said: ‘We are gathered here, I as Deputy-Supreme Commander of the Red Army and Air Chief Marshal Tedder as DeputySupreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, and also General Spaatz and General de Tassigny, to accept the terms of unconditional surrender from the command of the German armed forces. I suggest that we should start with the work and summon the representatives of the German Command.’ Marshal Zhukov gave the order to summon the representatives of the German High Command. Field-Marshal Keitel, Admiral Friedeburg and General Stumpf, accompanied by aides, took their seats in absolute silence. “Marshal Zhukov said: Gentlemen, the act of unconditional surrender is about to be signed. I turn to the representatives of the German High Command with questions: Have they got the act at hand? Have they made themselves familiar with it? Do the representatives of the German High Command agree to sign the act?’ “Air Chief Marshal Tedder put the same questions to the Germans. “There was a few seconds’ silence. “ ‘Yes, I agree,’ Field-Marshal Keitel answered in a low voice, handing to Marshal Zhukov the document from the German High Command, signed by Grand-Admiral Doenitz. authorising Field-Marshal Keitel, Admiral Friedeburg and General Stumpf, to sign the act of unconditional surrender. “All the necessary formalities completed. Marshal Zhukov suggested that the German representatives come up to the table to sign the act. One after another the Germans signed, while the cameras clicked. At 45 minutes after midnight the act was signed and Marshal Zhukov announced: ‘The German delegation may retire.’ ” The Moscow radio added that when Air Chief Marshal Tedder visited Marshal Zhukov the Russian commander presented him with a white silk banner embroidered with the emblems of the Allied forces.

EISENHOWER’S THANKS

LONDON, May 8

GERMAN CLAIM

LONDON, May 9.

STALIN’S BROADCAST

(Rec. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, May 9. Mr Stalin, in a broadcast over the Moscow radio, declared: “Comrades and fellow countrymen. Fascist Germany has accepted unconditional surrender, having been nut into that I condition bv the Rod Army and their Allies; The final act of capitu-; lation has been signed by us and the i Allies in Berlin. This is no niece of I paper. It is the real thing. Now we can say, with full, foundation, this is the day of complete victory. All the sufferings and trials of dur people in defence of the Motherland were not in vain. Hitler, three Fears ago stated ‘we shall destroy Russia,’ but that was three years ago. It is Germany that has been completely destroyed. The great patriotic war has ended in a complete victory. Glory to our Red Army which defended the independence of our great Motherland. Glory to our great people. Eternal glory to the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of our Motherland.”

THE POPE’S BROADCAST

RUSSIAN REJOICINGS

LONDON, May 9

Moscow radio announced Germany’s unconditional surrender at 1.10 ~ on Wednesday morning. The radio also broadcast a special order

of the day from Marshal Stalin announcing that to-day (Wednesday) will be victory day in Russia. The news of . victory came to Moscow as a complete surprise at Liu a.m., but a few minutes after Marshal Stalin’s message had been read over the Moscow radio, half the capital’s people seemed to be thronging the streets, report agency correspondents. People cried openly, and some fell on their knees in thanksgiving and embraced one another. For Russia alone among the Great Powers, the war was over. Russia is not committed to fight the Japanese. As the news spread, children dashed- from house to house shouting, “Victory! Victory! Wake up! Thousands of people were in the streets at 2.30 a.m., singing and walking arm in arm, wherever the fancy took them. Excited women hugged soldiers and smothered them with kisses. President Kalinin proclaimed a public holiday. Flags began to appear on buildings, heralding a day of rejoicing. The Patriarch pi Moscow ordered special services throughout Russia. Moscow radio throughout the night was in jubilant mood, repeating hourly the announcement of unconditional surrender, and playing rousing patriotic music. Moscow radio announced that the fourth Russian war loan of twentyfive thousand million roubles was opened for subscription on May 5, and was over-subscribed by May 7. The loan reached a total of 25,10 a millions.

(Rec. 11.50 a.m.) LONDON, May 9. The Russians have really let themselves go, reports the British United Press correspondent at Moscow.. Moscow has never seen a celebration like that at present going on. Crowds last night abandoned all reserve and went mad and mobbed cars carrying British and American officers, hoisted the occupants out and tossed them high in the air. The officers at last were lowered to the ground, where they joined hands and formed huge rings. The Russians danced around singing national songs. The British officers broke out with “Tipperary,” and the crowd enthusiastically roared approval. Great cheering crowds, gathered in front oi the British and Allied Embassies. Rockets lit up the sky as the celebrations intensified to fever pitch—and the real show was yet to come. Newspapers, appearing hours after usual publication times, splashed the news capitulation across the front pages in massive king type never previously used. “Pravda’s” headline was “Hitlerite Germany is Smashed.” Moscow to-night is firing a colossal salute of 30 salvoes from .1000 guns for victory. A high Russian General told Reuter’s correspondent that Russia lost between 12,000.000 and 15,000,000 dead in the struggle . which ended with Germany's, capitulation. Half these were civilians. “There were occasions,” said the General, “when we had to lose about half a million men at a time to save the army itself.”

In a victory order of the day to the men and women of the Allied Expeditionary Force, General Eisennow er says: — “The crusade on which we embarked early in the summer of 1944 has reached a glorious conclusion. It is my special privilege to commend all of you for a valiant performance of duty. Though these words are feeble, they come from the bottom of a heart overflowing with pride in your loyal service and admiration for you are warriors. Your accomplishments at sea, in the air, on the ground, and in the field of supply have astonished the world. Even before the final week of the war in Europe you had put 5,000,000 of the enemy out of the war. You have taken in your stride military tasks so difficult as to be classed by many doubters as impossible. You have confused, defeated, and destroyed your savagely-fighting foe. “On the road to victory you have endured every discomfort and privation, and surmounted every obstacle ingenuity and desperation could throw in your path. You did not pause until our front was firmly joined up with the great Red Army coming from the east and other Allied forces coming from the south. Full victory in Europe has been attained. Working and fighting together in a single, indestructible partnership, you have achieved a perfection in the unification of air, ground, and naval power that will stand as a model in our time.”

General Eisenhower went on to refer to those who had sacrificed all in the struggle for freedom. He said no monument would so well express the respect and veneration of their memory as would the perpetuation of the spirit of comradeship in which they died. Marshal Montgomery, in a personal message to all ranks of the 21st Army Group, said: — “We who remain of all our comrades to see this thing through, to the end feel a great joy and thankfulness that we are preserved to see this day. Let us never forget what we owe to our Russian and American Allies. This great Allied team has achieved much in the war. May it achieve even more in peace, for the world will not recover quickly from the upheaval that has occurred. It has been my privilege and honour to command the great British Empire team in western Europe. I thank each one of you from the bottom of my heart. Let us embark on what lies ahead full of joy and optimism.”

The last German communioue broadcast over the Flensburg radio to-night, stated: “On the order of Admiral Doenitz, all weapons are silent. We have achieved great victories, but also suffered heavy defeats. We succumbed with honour.” The anouncer—his voice almost breaking down —read the communique “from the headquarters of Admiral Doenitz.”

LONDON, May 9.

Pope Pius XII. broadcasting from his private library said: “At last the war has -ended, after nearly six years of suffering. A grateful cry goes from our hearts to God. Together with it there goes a prayer for the end, according to justice, of the war in the Far East. We feel that the fallen are a warning to the survivors—expressing the hope that justice and equality among all States, big and small, strong and powerless, may be brought about after this. Reconstruction must now start. We hope that, soon as possible, the prisoners and the internees may return to then* families. To all of them we say: ‘Don’t falter; Go back to work! Participate in the necessary work of reconstruction!’ The task ahead is a big one. Misery, hunger, indiscipline and disorders must be brought under control. Death must

FEEDING THE GERMANS

BLITZ CITIES AVENGED

SCHACHT ON HITLER

LONDON, May 9

HITLER’S TREASURE HOUSE

LONDON, May 9

be chased from the sky, the earth and the seas. All men can concentrate on building up peace. Europe is entangled in gigantic problems. Truth and charity must reign in the world from now on. The aggressiveness ana rancour bred throughout the war must disappear.” HAVOC IN BERLIN “CITY OF THE DEAD” ~RUGBY, May 9. A correspondent who was in Berlin at the signing of the German surrender document says: “It is a city of the dead. As a metropolis it has simply ceased to exist. Every house within miles of the centre seems to have had its own bomb. I toured, the capital from east to the centre and back to the south this morning, in company with Air Chief Marshal Tedder and the Russian military, commander in Berlin, General Bersaun. The scene beggars description. I have seen Stalingrad and I lived through the entire London blitz. I have seen dozens of badly damaged major Russian towns, but the scene of utter destruction, desolation, and death, as far as the eye can see in Berlin is something that almost baffled description. The blitz on London was a bank holiday compared with this one. Dozens of well-known thoroughfares, including the Unter den Linden from one end to the other are utterly wrecked. The town is literally unrecognisable. Alexander Platz in the east end, where the Gestapo Hardquarters was, is a weird desert of rubble and gaping smoke-blackened wall. From the Brandenburg . Gate, everything within a radius of two to five miles is destroyed. There does not appear to be one house in a hundred which is even useful as a shelter. Among the hundreds of well-known landmarks which disappeared, or have been irreparably damaged, are the former Kaiser’s Palace, Opera House, French, British, American and Japanese Embassies, Goering’s Air Ministry, Goebbel’s Propaganda Ministry, the Bristol and Adlon Hotels. Hitler’s Chan.cellery in the Wilhelmstrasse is like some vast abandoned ancient tomb ol the dead. It has had several direct hits. ‘What war means has come to Berlin,; was Air Marshal Tedder's comment.

The Russian military command is already feeding hundreds of thousands of Berliners. The Red Army seized what food stocks the city had and added thereto from its own supplies. Berliners get daily a little meat, sugar, coffee, few potatoes and more bread than many got in Moscow during the Winter of 1942. The Russians are obviously not taking any vengeance against the population. The Russian troops are cheerful, enduring and good-natured. The correspondent says he asked a well-known Russian writer, who was attending the surrender ceremony, why the Russians bothered about the population. He seemed surprised at the question and replied: “Wc must look after the people. We cannot let 2,000,000 people die.” The German executives of public utility undertakings voluntarily placed themselves at the disposal of the Russian command. and Berlin workers reported to the Russian command posts, sayin«: “Wc are your soldiers—we work for you.” Many wounded German soldiers from underground hospitals were sent to hospitals organised by tho Russian:;, where German doctors and nurses attend them. The Russians hope to have part of the underground railway system working by the middle of the month. Meantime. hundreds of burned out tramcars stand on the street tracks. Dead horses still lie in some streets and manv parts of the city are dangerous because of the risk of thousands of walls collapsing.

(Recd. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, May 9. Reuter’s correspondent says: The only people in the streets who look like human beings are Russian soldiers. The Russian authorities said there were two million inhabitants in the city but they were mostly in remote suburbs. In the centre of the city you see only a few ghost-like figures of women and children —very few men—queueing up to pump watei If Stalingrad, London, Guernies, Rotterdam and Coventry wanted avenging, they had it and no mistake. All observers today agree it would probably be impossible to rebuild the centre of Berlin lor many yeais, it ■-ver Fires are still burning here and there, and the dull sound of an exploding mine or dynamite being sprung can be heard every lew min utes. Several red flags fly on the top of the Reichstag which is a burned hollow. The Tiergarten, opposite the Reichstag looks like a forest after a big Hie. There has been heavy street fighting here. The correspondent says he motored from the Templehof airport in a car driven by a Russian who had come all the way from Stalingrad and during thirty minutes’ driving, he saw only six houses which he was unable to see straight through, and where there were signs of habitation, lhe population and Red Army troops are trying to clear some streets, but it is like trying to shovel sand from the Pyramids of Egypt. The Russian Command has already erected hu B e sketch maps at the main squares and crossings, without which it would be impossible to find one’s way in this now unrecognisable city. Except loi the noise of occasional Russian Army, cars, or the gentle trot of small horsedrawn carts, there is complete silence over the city, and the air is permanently filled with rubble and dust. However, one sign of life is the interminable columns of dismayed people of all European nationalities, who appear animated more by the homing spirit than by any clear idea, whither they are going. These columns sometimes a mile long, of people two and three abreast, are drawing tiny carts or waggons.

Dr. Schacht, the former German Finance Minister and president of the Reichsbank, said he believed Hitler was still alive. Dr. Schacht was captured yesterday on the northern Italian border. . Dr. Schacht told a British United Press correspondent that he had never been a Nazi. He added: “Hitler never took my advice. He never understood money or the power of money. He was sane in some things, but not others. He is a genius, but an evil and diabolical genius.”

Hitler’s mountain home still contains priceless art and literary treasures looted from European nations says a “Times” correspondent at Berchtesgaden. Innumerable rooms ol the great underground labyrinth, cut into rock, hold thousands of tons of food and a vast stock of the best wines from all parts of Europe. The whole place was captured without a fight. One huge air raid shelter fortress looked capable of resisting a siege for years. An interesting feature of Hitler’s library was a collection of gramophone records containing records of all Hitler’s speeches. In addition there are the finest musical works by the world’s greatest orchestras. There is rubble underfoot which makes it unlikely that much of the collection is intact. Amid dust and mud there lie thousands of yards of cinema films, showing Hitler in con-ifere-nce or in execution of his opponents. There are hundreds of passages underground, with kitchens, pantries, storerooms, bedrooms and livingrooms

GERMAN TALKATIVENESS

NOTABLE CAPTIVES

GOERING AND KESSELRING

KING LEOPOLD. 'LONDON, May 9

FRENCH EX-PREMIERS

CAPTURE OF KIEL.

DISTRICT SURRENDERS

GERMAN RELIEF.

stretching for miles. The whole is airconditioned, electrically lit, and interconnected by telephone. The American 3rd Infantry Division has handed it over to the French Second Armoured Division. There are enough food, blankets, clothes and medical supplies to solve the feeding problem for thousands of slave labourers. The viewroom, with a great window looking towards the Austrian Alps, across a valley was demolished by bombing. TERRITORIAL SAN FRANCISCd, May 8. As a result of the German surrender, some of the European delegations to UNCIO have announced territorial claims against the Reich, although this matter is not one for the UNCIO, says an Associated Press correspondent. The Netherlands is claiming the Frisian province. The Belgians claim a small strip along the Belgian-German border. The French delegation to the UNCIO has announced there is now a ioint Four Power occupation of Berlin It awaits only the delivery by the Russians of travel orders and instructions to British, American, and French forces At present the plans are renorted to provide for Russia to administer the central and eastern sections France the, northern section, qnd the British and Americans the south-eastern and western sections.

LONDON, May 9. The nr esent Warsaw Government wants "East Prussia. They have raised the question of extending Poland s western frontier to the Oder River, including Stettin. France demands all of Germany west of the Rhine. It is believed that Southern Schleswig and Northern Frisia may be awarded to Denmark as a move to internationalise the Kiel Canal. Many Allied sources believe Geimany will lose Heligoland, and Memelland doubtless will be returned to Lithuania. . , South Africa has served notice that she desires the South-west Africa mandate terminated, and the area to be in corporated in the Union.

WASHINGTON, May 8. A United States War Department spokesman disclosed that one of the Allies’ most valuable weapons in Europe was the German soldier s inability to keep his mouth shut. American commanders were amazed, trom the African invasion onwards, at the German soldier’s willingness to talk about his unit and divulge otner information. Americans believe that this was apparently due to the tact that Germans were not permitted to speak freely on any subject in Germany.

(Reed. 11 a.m.) LONDON, May 9. Goering and Kesselring have been captured by the Americans of the Seventh Army in Bavaria. Goering said he had been m the area in which he was captured since March, when Hitler had sentenced him to death. He escaped after Hitler had condemned him to death because he suggested he should take over the leadership from Hitler. S.S. troops arrested him but members ol the ButtwafTe later rescued him. Goering to d his captors he was arrested on Hiller’s instructions and taken to Berchtesgaden, where he was told he had been sentenced to death because he told Hitler that further resistance was useless and peace should sough Goering said he believed that Hitlei died in Berlin on April 28. Goering’s wife and child are also in the custody of the Seventh Army. Frau Goering wept continually after apprehension, but Goering did not give the impression of a man under the influence of drugs as was recently 16 Goering did not use the Nazi salute, when he surrendered to the Assistant Divisional Commander,, BrigadierGeneral Stack. He exenanged the military salute and shook hands, says the British United Press correspondent. Goering told Stack about hrs fall ing out with Hitler: “I was in Berchtesgaden, and spoke to Hitler by telephone. I reminded him of his statement to me that if anything nappened I was to assume command. I explained my view that it looked like the end. Hitler flew into one of his characteristic rages and screamed. ‘You have signed your own death warrant, but if you renounce all your titles and honours you will be forgiven.’ I complied, but Hitler nevertheless ordered my execution, and had me olaced under arrest.” After S.S. troops arrested Goering, Luftwaffe followers shot their way through S.S. men and carried Goering to his mountain hideout of which the S.S. troops were unaware. Goering seemed in excellent health and high spirits. He is apparently unaware that after escaping one death sentence, he is likely to face another as a war criminal.

The Regent of Belgium, Prince Charles, and several of his Ministers, have left. Belgium for Southern Germany to meet King Leopold, who has been released by the United States 7th Army.

LONDON, May 9. The Paris radio announced that M Reynaud and M. Blum arrived by air

(Rec. noon) LONDON, May 9. The Roval Navy’s White Ensign was hoisted at noon on Tuesday oyer Germany’s great naval base at Kiel, says Reuter’s correspondent at Supreme Headquarters. Thus this symbol of the destruction of German sea power, which had boasted it would starve Britain into submission, was hoisted even before Admiral Freideburg had reached Berlin for the signing of unconditional surrender.

LONDON, May 8. It is officially announced in Cairo that the Germans in the Dodecanese Islands have surrendered. The Germans who were holding out in the La Rochelle pocket, on the Atlantic coast of France, have also surrendered.

NEW YORK, May 9. German prisoners of war on landing at New York to-day said: “Gott sie dank” (thank God) when they were told that harbour whistled and sirens signified V.E. Day. Asked by interpreters as they left the ship whether there were any Nazis among them, they answered “No.” The interpreters said that two months ago German prisoners were proud to admit membership of the Nazi Party. To-day’s batph of prisoners ranged from a youthful 15-year-old to a 59-year-old shoemaker, who had been in the army for only one month before he was captured.