DRAMATIC ARREST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25853, 25 May 1945, Page 5

DRAMATIC ARREST

ADMIRAL DOENITZ FLENSBURG GOVERNMENT PASSES INTO HISTORY (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, May 23. Admiral Doenitz and more than 30 members of the German “ sham ” Government were dramatically arrested at Murwin (a Baltic coast village outside Flensburg) this morning, says Reuter’s Flensburg correspondent. With Doenitz were Dr Speer, head of the Todt organisation and chief . of Germany’s slave labour organisation, and Jodi, who was a signatory to the final surrender at Reims. But Himmler was not caught, and his whereabouts is unknown. Thus the Flensburg Government, which was the instrument through which the remaining generals and politicians of the Third Reich sought to divide the Allies, has passed unceremoniously into the pages of history. This Government controlled the last six square miles of German territory. Von Friedeburg committed suicide 45 minutes after the entry of the British Eleventh Armoured Division into the German barracks. Those arrested included 300 officers and a number of other ranks and civilians. The arrested men include officers and officials, such as Fieldmarshal Busch and Count Schwerin Krosigk, who were permitted to retain limited temporary authority for purposes connected with completing the surrender of the German armed forces in the north-west. Friedeburg Takes Poison Admiral-general Hans von Friedeburg committed suicide at his own home by taking poison, states Reuter’s correspondent at Flensburg. Von Friedeburg committed suicide rather than go into captivity as a prisbner of war. He succeeded Admiral Doenitz as commander-in-chief of the German Navy, and was one of the signatories to the German capitulation. In accordance with a prearranged plan, Doenitz, Jodi, and Friedeburg boarded the Supreme Headquarters mission ship, Patria, which was a former Hamburg - Amerika liner, moored off the High Command buildings. An 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 German High Command was under arrest. They asked him if he had anything to say. Doenitz replied stiffly: “Any words would be superfluous.” General Rooks informed them that they would be taken under guard and have lunch before leaving by air for their place of imprisonment. In the meantime, on receipt of a code word, battalions of'the Cheshires, the Hertfordshire?, and the Hussars prepared for all emergencies, and moved into the German-controlled area with tanks and Bren-gun carriers. 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 and guarded by British soldiers with fixed 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. < The Germans apparently had slept late, as a number of high-ranking officers were still in their underclothes. They were not allowed to dress before they were marched outside to await identification. Jodi Still Arrogant Jodi, having handed over the required, documents, stepped down haughtily eight stairs to the courtyard in full general’s dress. He looked scornfully at the barrage of cameras and correspondents, and saluted the hatless, dishevelled staff lined up out* side 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. Friedeburg, who participated in the talks which led to the . German surrender and was a signatory when the instrument of surrender was signed in Berlin, took his last salute when a party of arrested marines marching down the road still singing “ We March Against England,” saw him in a car outside headquarters. They stopped 'and gave a military salute, which Friedeburg punctiliously returned. Fifteen minutes later he asked for permission to visit a lavatory. The guards consented, but, hearing the door being locked, broke it down with their rifle butts, only to find Friedeburg uncon■scious 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 arriyed unheralded and unwatched except by a crowd of ragged urchins trailing bunches of firewood. The sentries stood at attention as the captives entered. Doenitz, who was wearing an admiral’s fulldress uniform, carried a baton. An hour later, correspondents interviewing Doenitz, Jodi and Speer asked, “ Can you tell us where Himmler is? ” Doenitz retorted, “ I will not 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 Oberstcolonel 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 the Doenitz’so-called Government. Huge 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 killed, taken to hospital or missing during 1944 alone, Stated - Reuter’s correspondent at Flensburg. Jodi, in conversation with the 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 himself 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 May 4 or 5, when Himmler asked advice what tq do. Jodi said he told him to fly to southern Germany as he could not stay in northern Germany or have any dealings with the Doenitz Government, as he might compromise it. He did not know what happened to Himmler after that Doenitz,said he saw Himmler last at Flensburg on May 6, and advised him to leave as soon as possible. The Allied authorities discovered that Doenitz received three telegrams from Berlin during the last days, which were the only documents on which' he based his 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 April 28. The second, also from Bormann and dated April 30, said Hitler made his last will, in which he appointed Doenitz Fuhrer, Goebbels Prime Minister, and Dr Seyss Inquart Foreign Minister. The third and last telegram came from Goebbels on May 1. It 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.