PRE-ARRANGED PLAN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 25 May 1945, Page 5

PRE-ARRANGED PLAN

ARREST OF NAZI OFFICIALS HOW CARRIED OUT London, May 23. Describing lh% arrest of the Nazi officials at Murwin, a correspondent says that in accordance with a prearranged plan. Admiral Doenitz, General Jodi, and Admiral-General von Friedeburg boarded the SHAEF mission ship Patria, a former Hamburg-Amerika liner, which is moored off the High Command buildings. The American General Lowell Rooks, accompanied by a British brigadier and a Russian major-general, met the party in the ship’s bar and told Doenitz curtly, that his Government had come to an end and.that the High Command were under arrest. They asked him if he had anything to say.

Doenitz replied stiffly, “Any words would be superfluous.” Genera] RoAks informed them that they would be taken under guard to pack and have lunch before leaving by air for the place of imprisonment.

Meanwhile, on receipt of a code word, battalions of the Cheshire, Herefordshire, and Hussar Regiments, prepared for all emergencies, moved into the German-controlled area with tanks and Bren gun carriers. The British soldiers entered the German High Command’s brick building, where officers, secretaries, and civilians stood facing the walls with their hands over their heads, guarded by bayonets. Squads of expert searchers removed wireless sets, secret documents, and personal belongings into vans, while special men accompanied Jodi to his office to collect wanted folders. IN THEIR UNDERCLOTHES The Germans had apparently slept late, as a number of high-ranking officers were still in their underclothes. They were not allowed to dress before being marched outside to await identification. Jodi, having handed over the required documents, stepped haughtily down eigfct stairs to the courtyard in full general’s dress. He looked scornfully at a barrage of cameras and correspondents, and saluted his hatless and dishevelled staff, lined up outside, before entering a waiting car. British military police rounded up Speer in the fifteenth-century moated castle which was the home of the Doenitz Government.

his last salute when a party of arrested marines marching down the road still singing “We March Against England” saw him in a car cutside the headquarters. They stop ped and gave a military salute, which Friedeburg punctiliously returned. Fifteen minutes later he asked permission to visit the lavatory. The guards consented, but on hearing the door being locked, broke it down with their rifle butts, only to find Friedeburg unconscious with a tin of poison by his side. He died within a minute. After Friedeburg’s suicide, Doenitz, Jodi, and Speer were taken to the British headquarters in the centre of the town. They arrived unheralded and unwatched except by a crowd of ragged urchins trailing bunches of firewood. Sentries stood at attention as the captives entered. Doenitz, wearing an admiral’s full-dress uniform, carried his baton. PRESS INTERVIEW An hour later correspondents were interviewing Doenitz, Jodi, and Speer. They asked: “Can you tell us where Himmler is?” Doenitz retorted: ‘I won’t say a single word.” The correspondents then asked Jodi, who drew himself up to his full height, and said: “I am a prisoner and I am obliged to give nothing except my name and rank.” “And what is it?” was the last question. “I am Oberst-Colonel Alfred Jodi, Chief of. Staff of the Wehrmacht,” came the uncompromising reply. The Germans refused to reply to further questions. The prisoners taken in to-day’s roundup totalled several thousands, including generals, admirals, and civilians forming Doenitz’s so-called Government. General Ritter von Epp, former governor of Bavaria, who is wanted for a long list of atrocities, is among the latest batch of captured Germans, states

the "Daily Express” correspondent a’ Berchtesgaden. Henrich Hoffman, Hitler’s personal photographer, was caughl in bed near Rosenheim. DRAMATIC SCENE It look only four minutes to end the sham German Government, says the correspondent of the Associated Press cf Great Britain describing the scene in the Palria's bar. General Rooks nodded his head curtly towards the table where the members of the German High Command, who had been lounging in chairs, were to sit. Sourfaced Doenitz, livid Jodi, and flabby Friedeburg faced the British, American and Russian officers across the table. General Rooks, in a hard clear voice, spoke the words which told the Germans of their fate, pausing only while the interpreter translated.

Doenitz and Friedeburg as General Rooks spoke slumped in their seats, their shoulders and chins sagging. Jodi held himseif upright, his mouth harshly set. He did not cease clasping and unclasping his hands and his face •gradually broke into blotches.

General Rooks, ending the interview, said:' “Well gentlemen, I bid you goodbye,” and the three expressionless defeated men shuffled from the room.

HEAVY GERMAN LOSSES During investigations following the arrest of the German High Command at Flensburg the Allied Control Commission found High Command records showing an incomplete total of 5,000,000 Germans kliled, in hospital or missing during 1944 alone, stated Reuter’s correspondent at Flensburg. INVASION OF RUSSIA Jodi, in conversation with Allied authorities, according to the British United Press correspondent, said Hitler at the end of 1941 told him he would never have undertaken the invasion of Russia if he had known the real strength of the Red Army. Jodi added that he himslef knew at the end of 1942 that Germany could not win the war militarily. Both Jodi and Doenitz said they did not know the whereabouts of Himmler. Jodi said he saw him at Flensburg on 4th or sth May when Himmler asked advice Ebout what to do. Jodi said he told him to fly to southern Germany as he could not stay in northern Germany or have any dealings wtih the Doenitz Government as it might compromise it. He did not know what happened to Himmler after that. Doenitz said he saw Himmler last at Flensburg on 6th May and advised him to leave as soon as posible. HITLER’S FATE The Allied authorities discovered that Doenitz received three telegrams from Berlin during the last days, which were the only documents on which were based the claim that he was appointed to succeed Hitler. The first, from Bormann, said merely that Doenitz had been appointed to succeed Hitler. This was dated 28th April. A second from Bormann, dated 30th April, said Hitler had made his last will in which he appointed Doenitz as Fuhrer, Goebbels as Prime Minister and SeyssInquart as Foreign Minister. The third and last telegram came from Goebbels on Ist May and said: “The Fuhrer died at 3.30 p.m. to-day. Take whatever measures you think necessary.”

Doenitz told the Allied authorities that Bormann sent him a written copy of Hitler’s will, but that this apparently never arrived.