ARMED GERMANS

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 December 1945, Page 6

ARMED GERMANS

ZHUKOV’S ALLEGATIONS ’DENIED BY MONTGOMERY " (Rec. 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 9. Marshal Montgomery replying to Marshal Zhukov’s completely rebutted the Russian charges says the “Daily Telegraph’s” Berlin correspondent. Zhukov alleged, firstly, that nearly 1,000,000 German soldiers in Schleswig-Holstein were not treated as prisoners, but were receiving , military training. Secondly, an army group “north” of the Wehrmacht British zone, possessed a staff divided into six sections, including an operational section. Thirdly, that it included ; Stockhausen and Witthof Corps, each with effective strength of 100,000 men. Fourthly, the Fifth Army Corps headquarters were established in various cities including Hamburg. Fifthly, the German forces were equipped with fighter-bomber squadrons, reconnaissance formations and tanks. Sixthly, 12,000 Hungarian soldiers were retained in the British zone. This was the first time a zone com- . mander openly criticised another’s ad- , ministration, said Marshal Montgom- | ery in reply to the memorandum., This constituted a precedent. He wondered how far the precedent was to be followed in future, when informa- j tion was desired about another zone, i Montgomery declared the Russians ignored two letters that General Rob- , ertson. wrote explaining the points j raised by the Russian commander. | Montgomery explained that the Stockhausen Crops comprised 99,000 ; unarmed men. There was no organ- 1 isation associated with the name of Witthof. Ex-Wehrmacht personnel in Schleswig Holstein totalled 1000, ex- | eluding the Stockhausen Corps. There was no army group staff existing, nor , had the so-called army group in the , north any operations section, fighter- ] bomber squadrons, or reconnaissance i formations. I

Marshal Montgomery added _ that he was most anxious to get rid of enemy military personnel, including Hungarians, of whom there were actually 27,000. However, the Russian authorities in Austria • refused all facilities for transporting them to Hungary. If Zukhov’s memorandum was based on Press reports, this was hardly a reliable source. On the other hand, if the information was supplied by Russian liaison officers, who were the British zone guests, they were guilty of abuse of the facilities offered for quite different purposes. Certain of their reports on other matters had been most tendentious. There was no reciprocity in the matter. Liaison officers, while in the British zone, were open to Press inspection. This was not the case in the Soviet zone. GENERAL PATTON INJURED. (Rec. 10,30 a.m.) LONDON, December 9. General Patton was seriously injured when his sedan collided with a big Army lorry outside Mannheim, says the Associated Press correspondent at Frankfurt. When picked up Patton’s face was covered with blood and he complained that his neck was hurt. He was admitted to the Heidelberg Hospital. The authorities have not yet revealed the full extent of the General’s injuries. LATER. General Patton is suffering from a serious spinal injury. A diagnosis of the full extent of the injuries is not yet complete. RUSSIAN SOLDIER SHOT. (Rec, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, December 9. A Red Army soldier, who is understood to have been the driver for a member of the Soviet staff at the War Crimes Tribunal, staggered wounded into the foyer of the Grand Hotel, Nuremberg, while the orchestra was playing the last dance, and collapsed. He died later in hospital. American security police are investigating the shooting, which occurred near the car park opposite the hotel. Before he died the Russian stated that he had been shot by an American, but the bullet is reported to be a different type from that used by the American Army. One theory is that he was shot by a German whom he caught looting the car. APOLOGY BY RUSSIANS LONDON, December 8. “The Russians have apologised for an incident on November 24, when Russian military police searching for deserters entered a hotel in the British sector of Germany, where a correspondent was accommodated, and questioned the hotel staff,” says the Berlin corrrespondent of the Associated Press. “The Russian commander (General Smirnov) explained that the action by the military police was caused by a misunderstanding.” BREMEN CONTROL. (Rec. 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, December 9. Responsibility for the administration of the Military Government of the Bremen enclave will be transferred to-morrow from. American to British authorities. The Americans are retaining Military Government teams in Bremen, Bremerhaven and Wesermunde, but in future, following the British Military Government policy, the United States forces remaining in the enclave will continue to be responsible for the areas of security operational control. GERMANS IN SWEDEN. (Rec. Noon). STOCKHOLM,, December 9. The Russian Government has informed Sweden it is prepared to send a hospital ship to transport 700 Germans and 176 Baltic military refugees now in Swedish hospitals, following the hunger strikes last month.