6000 GERMANS SURRENDER

Southland Times, Issue 25666, 8 May 1945, Page 3

6000 GERMANS SURRENDER

Acceptance Of N.Z. Terms In Italy (Official War Correspondent, 2nd N.Z.E.F.) (Rec. 8 p.m.) LIGNANO, May 6. One of the most spectacular of the New Zealand Division’s episodes at Trieste was the surrender of 6000 Germans to the 21st Battalion near Lignano, an. attractive seaside resort about 50 miles below Trieste. While the Division was forging ahead at top speed along the main highway, a dramatic conference was being held between New Zealand and German officers to decide whether the Germans would surrender or fight. After much discussion they decided to surrender, and this, in addition to the battalion “bag,” brought the grand total for the campaign to about 11,000 prisoners of war, all taken before the official surrender and believed to be the largest number of prisoners taken by any one unit of the Bth Army. The 21st Battalion’s job was mopping up behind and on the flanks of the Division’s advance. Leaving one eon 1" pany at San Donata di Piave to deal with 2000 prisoners, the battalion moved up to San Giorgio when told by Partisans that a large enemy force was gathered at Lignano. The battalion raced to this area in trucks supported by tanks. WELL-ARMED FORCE

The area is a huge sand spit running out into a great lagoon, and at the southern end, the Tagliamento River runs into the sea. A small fleet of about 13 craft, including one heavy patrol boat, two other patrol boats, two minelayers, one minesweeper and several landing craft crowded with men had left Trieste when that place was obviously lost, and had run to the mouth of the Tagliamento, joining forces with troops in that area finding their way over land into Germany. The force comprised sailors, marines and soldiers, and was well-armed. With the battalion’s three companies and tanks deployed in the area, Captain W. T. Swanston, of Waikato, drove forward in a carrier right-into the German Headquarters, met the German commander and arranged for a 50 minutes’ truce to enable the New Zealand commanding officer to interview the German commander. Scfon after, Lieuten-ant-Colonel A. McPhail, of Dunedin, the commanding officer of the 21st Battalion, Captain Swanston, and 2nd Lieutenant A. Craig, of Auckland, who is the battalion intelligence officer, faced the German naval, marine and army commanders in front of a house used as the German Headquarters. Lieutenant-Colonel McPhail explained the hopelessness of the Germans’ position and called for their surrender. The Germans retired into the house to vote on the question and returned, saying that they were not agreeable to surrender. Lieutenant-Colonel McPhail told them that if they did not choose an honourable surrender he would not be responsible for their lives or property, and set 3.30 p.m. as the time for their answer. The Germans again retired, and this time returned and made a surrender. PERIOD OF TENSION For the small waiting New Zealand force it was a most dramatic period of tension. At the beginning, many Germans started walking towards the New Zealanders’ lines. Then their officers went out and called them back, at which stage it looked as if there would be a battle. The watchers could see fcix figures in serious discussion in front of the house. The German guards had cleared a wide space around the small group, and on the fringes many Germans waited anxiously. Finally, the New Zealanders were seen leaving, and then the Germans were seen being formed up and addressed by their officers. Then, in an orderly procession of threes, the Germans began marching. They threw their arms into heaps before coming in, and, in good order, marched past the New Zealanders posted about every 100 yards along the road.

Two big prisoner of war camps were hurriedly set up, and the battalion spent the next two days struggling with the great task of feeding 6000 prisoners and arranging for their transfer to the prisoner cages in the rear. It had been agreed that the Germans would be unmolested, and they marched in carrying many personal belongings. Some even brought pet dogs. Last night, 150 trucks carried most of them away, and the remainder went today.

Included in the catch was a war correspondent and a war artist, and the former told me: “You New Zealanders are gentlemen. Your treatment of us is very fine. I hope I may come to your country after the war.” Asked how Germany would go about reconstruction, he made a gesture of despair. “I do not know,” he said helplessly.