WAR AGAINST GERMANY THE MARCH TO VICTORY

Southland Times, Issue 25666, 8 May 1945, Page 9

WAR AGAINST GERMANY THE MARCH TO VICTORY

A LONG SHADOW OVER EUROPE

The Story Of Events That Have Changed The World

ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1939, the German Army invaded Poland. Britain and France at once delivered an ultimatum to Germany, calling upon her to cease aggression, and stating that Unless this was done they would fulfil their pledges to go to Poland’s aid. The ultimatum expired at 11 o’clock on Sunday morning, September 3, and shortly afterwards the British Prime Minister, Mr Neville Chamberlain, broadcast a statement from No. 10 Downing Street. “You can imagine what a bitter blow this is to me,” he said. “My long struggle for peace has failed. . . Herr Hitler’s action shows convincingly that there is no chance of ever expecting this man to give up force to gain his will. He can only be stopped by force. We have a clear conscience. We have done all any country could do to establish peace. A situation such as is developing in Europe, in which no country would be safe, would be intolerable. Now that we are resolved to stop it, I know that you will do your part . . . May God bless you all, and may He defend the right. We are fighting against injustice, brute force, bad faith, oppression and persecution. lam certain that right will prevail.” That was the beginning of the struggle which has just ended in victory for the Allies. The stages of its development, and its outstanding events, are recorded below in a chronological summary.

1939 The Storm Breaks

September 3.—Britain and France declared war on Germany. New Zealand and Australia also declared war. September 6.—General Smuts .formed new Government in South Africa and that country entered the war. September 11.—British Expeditionary Force landed in France. September 24.—New Zealand offered Division for service overseas. December 13.—Battle of River Plate. Though they were outgunned British cruisers Exeter and Ajax and New Zealand cruiser, Achilles extensively damaged German pocket battleship Graf Spec and forced her to seek shelter in Montevideo harbour. She was ordered to leave within 72 hours. December 17.—Graf Spee put out from Montevideo, but in outer harbour she was scuttled, going down in flames. December 18.—First Canadian division landed in Britain.

1940 Blitzkrieg In The West

February 11.—First division of New Zealand and Australian troops landed in Egypt. Hitler described the troops as “poor country lads who did not know what they were fighting about.” . March 20.—Daladier, French Prime Minister resigned and was succeeded by Reynaud. April 9.—Denmark and Norway m- & vaded by Germans. Denmark submitted almost immediately but Norway declared her intention of fighting and appealed to Britain

for help. April 10.—Germany set up puppet Government in Oslo under Quis-

ApriTli.— Naval battles in Skagerrak and Kattegat, many German transports being sunk. However, Germans made extensive use of Junkers transport planes to land troops

and supplies in Norway. April 17.—Official announcement of landing of British troops in Norway. British flotilla headed by Warspite sunk several German cruisers and destroyers at Narvik. May 2.—British troops withdrawn from southern Norway. May 10.—Germans invaded Luxembourg, Holland and Belgium. British and French troops entered Belgium to help to stem the Nazi onrush. Mr Chamberlain resigned’ from office of Prime Minister and was succeeded by Mr Churchill. May 11.—National Government formed in Britain under Mr Churchill. May 12.—Heavy fighting in Belgium and Holland as defending forces were driven back under the weight of the German attack. May 14.—Holland capitulated and Germans launched big attack against French at Sedan, beyond the limits of the Maginot Line. May 16.—Germans pierced Allied line at Sedan. May 17.—British forces in Belgium in retreat. May 19*—British retreat continued. Mr Churchill in broadcast to Empire issued a warning that “we are in a tight comer.” May 21.—Germans reached Channel ports. May 23.—Boulogne entered by Germans. B.E.F. cut off completely from French Army. May 28.—King Leopold, leader of Belgian Army capitulated, leaving British to fight alone in Belgium. Narvik taken by British. June 3.—Calais fell to Germans. June 4.—Mr Churchill announced that the B.E.F. had been evacuated from Dunkirk in face of tremendous odds. More than 335,000 officers and men were taken off and brought back to Britain. June s.—New German drive against French begun. June 9.—Norwegian forces in Norway ceased 'hostilities. June 10.—British forces withdrawn from Narvik and whole of Norway. Italy declared war on Britain and France. Germans crossed Seine and French Government left Paris for Bordeaux. June 14.—Paris fell to Germans after being declared an open city. June 16.—Reynaud resigned French Premiership and was succeeded by Petain. Mr Churchill offered France full union with Britain. June 17.—Petain asked for armistice. June 20.—New Zealand Second Echelon landed in Britain. June 23.—French Government accepted armistice terms but General de Gaulle called on Frenchmen everywhere to repudiate the armistice.

June 30.— Channel Islands occupied by Nazis, first British territory to fall to the enemy.

July 3.—British Government demanded surrender of French fleet. French warships at Oran attacked after refusal to surrender. July 22. —Conscription became effective in New Zealand. August 11.—Battle of Britain began with heavy and widespread raids by Luftwaffe. August 15.—N0 fewer than 170 German planes shot down in raids on Britain August 19.—Another 140 German planes brought down over Britain. British withdrew from Somaliland. August 25.—London, bombed for the first time.

September 3.—Britain leased naval and air bases in Western Hemisphere to United States in exchange for 50 over-age American destroyers. September 15.—One hundred and eighty-five German planes shot down over Britain. In this great air victory the R.A.F. lost only 30 planes and 15 pilots. September 17.—Italians advanced into Egypt, but halted at Sidi Barrani. October 28.—Italy attacked Greece. November 3.—British forces landed on Crete. November 11.—Units of Fleet Air Arm carry out devastating raid on Italian naval base at Taranto. November 12.—Gallant and epic fight of armed auxiliary, Jervis Bay, when British convoy of 38 vessels was attacked by German raider in Atlantic. November 15.—Devastating air raid on Coventry. November 17.—Greece cleared of Italian invaders. December 9.—British forces launch attack south of Sidi Barrani. Picked New Zealand and Australian troops took part in the engagement. December 11.—Sidi Barrani fell to British troops. December 12.—British troops continued to push on beyond Sidi Barrani while Italians also suffered sharp reverses in Albania. ' December 17.—Mr Roosevelt proposed Lend-Lease plan to aid Britain. December 30;—Heavy incendiary bomb raid on London with the destruction of many famous buildings.

1941 Ebb And Flow On All Fronts

January s.—Bardia fell to British forces made up mainly of Australian troops. January 15.—Haile Selassie returned to Abyssinia. January 20.—British forces recaptured Kassala in the Sudan and cleared Sudan of Italians. Enemy assault on Malta began. January 20.—Italian Army placed under German command. British launched attack on Tobruk. January 22.—Tobruk captured. January 24.—British forces advanced into Eritrea and Italian Somaliland. January 30.—British forces captured Derna in Libya and advanced towards Benghazi. February 6.—Benghazi surrendered to General Wavell’s forces after a re-

markably swift'advance. February 10.—Britain severed diplomatic relations with Rumania. February' 26.—British troops occupied capital of Italian Somaliland. March 9.—Lease-Lend Bill passed. March 14.—British and Abyssinian

patriot forces continued drive into Abyssinia. March 24.—Liberation of British Somaliland completed. March 27.—Yugoslav Army staged coup d’etat, overthrowing government which signed Tripartite Pact. New Government denounced pact. British took heavily fortified town of

Keren in Eritrea. March 28.—Three large Italian cruisers and two destroyers sunk in major naval engagement in Mediterranean. British ships did not sustain a scratch.

April I.—Asmara, capital of Eritrea, surrendered to Imperial Forces. April 3.—ln face of determined enemy advance British forces evacuated Benghazi. April 6.—German and Italian forces attacked Yugoslavia and Germans attacked Greece. Officially reported that New Zealand and Australian troops had landed in Greece. British forces captured Addis Ababa, capital of Abyssinia. April 9.—Greeks and Yugoslavs fell back on all fronts. Belgrade severely bombed and great part of city laid in ruins. April 13.—Germans occupied Bardia and Tobruk isolated. Germans entered Belgrade. April 14. —German forces reached Egyptian frontier. April 16.—Unified Yugoslav resistance broken. April 23.—Allied forces withdrawn to line 100 miles from Athens. Greek Epirus army surrendered and King of Greece left Athens for Crete. April 28.—Athens in German hands and evacuation of British forces from Greece begun. Imperial forces took Dessie, last important Italian stronghold in Abyssinia. Enemy captured Solium within Egyptian frontier. May 2.—Raschid Ali ordered his troops ’to attack British forces in Iraq. Heavy fighting at Basra, the capital. May 4.—British occupied Basra. May 10.— Rudolph Hess, Hitler’s deputy landed in Scotland after solo flight from Germany. May 20.—Battle of Crete ’began with landing of German airborne troops. In Abyssinia Duke of Aosta and army of 20,000 men surrendered to Imperial forces. May 22.—Severe fighting in Crete. Naval forces destroyed convoy attempting to land German troops from sea. May 24.—H.M.5. Hood, Britain’s largest battle cruiser, sunk in engagement off Greenland with Germany’s crack battleship, Bismarck. May 27.—Bismarck sunk. Heavy fighting in Crete. May 30.—Raschid Ali fled from Iraq and revolt collapsed. May 31,. —Evacuation from Crete announced. June B.—Allied forces including Free French marched into Syria. June 22.—Germany, Hungary and Rumania launched attack on Russia. July 7.—American naval forces occupied Iceland. July 11.—Armistice between Allied and j Vichy forces in Syria. | August 14.—Official announcement of Atlantic Charter and of meeting | between Mr Churchill and Mr j Roosevelt on warship in Atlantic. I August 24.—British and Russian forces I entered Iran. August 28.—Iranian Cabinet resigned and opposition to British and Russian forces ceased. Dnieper Dam blown up. September 21.—Capture of Kiev by Germans.

October s.—Germans launched big offensive in an attempt to drive through to Moscow. October 29.—Capture of Kharkov by Germans announced. Germans advanced nearer Moscow and Rostov. November 9. —Germans reported to have been held on all sectors of Eastern Front and to have been forced on to defensive on Moscow and Leningrad sectors. November 14.—British aircraft-carrier, Ark Royal sunk by U-Boats in Mediterranean. , . November 18.—British, New Zealand, South African and Indian troops began new drive into Libya. November 23.—Rostov taken by Germans. November 27.—Siege of Tobruk raised. Russians announced big victories in Ukraine. November 30.—Russians recaptured Rostov. December 6.—Britain, declared war on Finland, Hungary and Rumania. December 7.—Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. Japan declared war on the United States and Great Britain. December 10.— German troops began retreat from Moscow.

December 11.—United States declared war on Germany and Italy. Australia and New Zealand went over to complete war footing. December 24.—Imperial forces entered Benghazi.

1942 The Tide Begins To Turn

January 2.—South Africans captured Bardia in Libya. January 17.—Halfaya garrison in Libya

surrendered. i January 29.—Rommel’s forces recaptured Benghazi. February 12.— German warships Schanihorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen attacked by British air and naval forces in dash through Straits of Dover from Brest. February 15. —Big Soviet drive launched in Ukraine. March 28.—British sea, land and air forces raided St. Nazaire and destroyed dock facilities. April 4.—New Zealand troops moved from Libya to Syria. April 15.—Malta awarded George Cross for heroism under fire. May s.—British’ forces ■ landed on Madagascar. May 23.—Russians evacuated Kerch Peninsula. May 27.—Fighting flared up in Libya with attack by Rommel. May 31.—1000-bomber raid on Cologne. June 12.—Germans launched summer offensive on eastern front. Britain and Russia signed 20-year pact. June 20.—After steady withdrawal from Libya British forces back on Egyptian border. June 21.—Surrender of Tobruk to Ger-

man forces. June 25.—British forces withdrew from frontier to a line running south from Mersa Matruh, 100 miles inside Egyptian border. June 27.—New Zealanders returned from Syria to Egypt. June 29.—British forces evacuated Mersa Matruh in face of Rommel’s advance. June 30.—British forces withdrew to within 90 miles of Alexandria. July 3.—Fall of Sebastopol after epic resistance. j u ly 22.—Eighth Army launched attack against Rommel’s forces at El Alamein. July 26.—German forces crossed the Don. July 27.—Fa1l of Rostov announced. August 11.—Great battles round Stalingrad announced. August 19.—Big commando raid on Dieppe. August 22.—Brazil declared war on Germany and Italy. October 17.—Massed German attacks on Stalingrad. October 23.—Eighth Anny under Montgomery launched full scale attack on Rommel’s forces in Egypt.

October 30.—70th day of Russians’ defence of Stalingrad. November 4.—Big Bth Army victory Announced. Rommel’s forces in full retreat. November 6.—Fighting ceased in Madagascar. November 7.—American forces landed in North Africa. November 9.—Algiers, capital of Algeria, capitulated. November 10.—Oran surrendered to American forces. November 11.—Armistice signed in French North Africa. November 13.—Tobruk taken by Bth Army. November 16.—Allied forces entered Tunisia. November 20.—Russian successes in Caucasus stopped Nazi drive on oilfields. November 22.—Russians launched big offensive north and south of Stalingrad. November 27.—French fleet scuttled at Toulon. November 28.—Russians launched new ■ offensive in central sector. Large German forces encircled at Stalingrad. December 27.—Russian forces broke through Hitler’s eastern wall and again entered the Ukraine,

1943 The Allies Move To The Attack

January 19.—German ring round Leningrad forced back after 500 days of siege. January 23.—Tripoli occupied by Bth Army. January 26.—News received of Casablanca conference between Mr Churchill and Mr Roosevelt. January 31.—Russian victory at Stalingrad completed with final liquidation of 330,000 trapped Germans. February 14.—Rostov recaptured by Russians. March 21.—Eighth Army launched attack against Mareth Line. May 7.—Tunis and Bizerta captured. May 12.—A1l organized Axis resistance in North Africa ceased. Over 150,000 prisoners taken. July 10.—Allied forces began invasion of Sicily. July 25.—Mussolini resigned dictatorship of Italy. July 28;—Fascist regime in Italy officially ended. August 4.—Orel captured by Russians. August 17.—Sicilian campaign ended with fall of Messina. August 23.—Kharkov captured by Rus- . sians. August 24.—First mass air attack on Berlin. September 3.—Eighth Army crossed Straits of Messina and landed on Italian mainland. September B.—Capitulation of Italy. September 11.—Italian Fleet taken over by Allies, 25 vessels, including four battleships, surrendering at Malta. September 25.—Russians recaptured Smolensk. October I.—Fifth Army occupied Naples.

October 13.—Italy declared war on Germany. November 6.—Russians recaptured Kiev. November 23.—Announced that New Zealand Division had' rejoined Bth Army in Italy. November 28.—Eighth Army launched full-scale attack against German line on Sangro river. December 4.—Official statement released about meeting of Mr Roosevelt, Mr Churchill and M. Stalin at Teheran. December 26.—Scharnhorst sunk by units of Home Fleet.

1944 The Great Battles

January 4.—Advanced Russian forces crossed 1939 Polish border. January 22.—Anzio beach-head established by new landing of Allied forces in Italy. January 27.—Complete liberation of Leningrad celebrated. March 3.—Third German assault against Anzio beach-head positions frustrated, ending in a major victory for tire Allies. March 15.—Allies launched terrific air attack on Cassino, Italy, and the town was reduced to rubble. March 19.—Russians crossed the Dniester river and took some 40 places in Bessarabia. German forces occupied Hungary. March 24.—Situation at Cassino described as “not very good.” Germans strongly entrenched. March 28.—Russians took Black Sea port and naval base of Nikolaev. April 2.—Red Army forces entered Rumania on a wide front. April 10.—Russians captured Odessa and regained control of the Black Sea. April 11.—Russians, took Kerch and Zhankoi in the Crimea. More heavy raids on Germany. April 12.—Germans experienced worst rout of the war as the Russians swept through the Crimea. Air as- • sault on Europe reached its peak. May 9.—Russians retook Sebastapol and Moscow announced that the liberation of the Crimea was complete. May 11.—Offensive launched in Italy on line from the Adriatic Sea to the Tyrrhenian Sea. Eighth and sth Armies combined to assail the strongly-defended Gustav Line. May 15.—Allied forces reported to have bypassed Cassino. Germans fell back on secondary Adolf Hitler Line. May 18.—Cassino and Monastery fell to Bth Army. Rundstedt announced as Commander-in-Chief of German armies to oppose invasion forces; Rommel second in command. May 24.—Canadian troops on the Bth Army front broke through the Hitler Line and made five-mile penetration. June 4.—Fall of Rome. Fifth Army entered the city in force. Germans 1 withdrew hastily. June 6.—Allied forces of liberation landed on the coast of Normandy, France. The long-expected invasion of Hitler’s Europe had begun. Beach-heads were established and the forces moved inland. June 7.—lnvasion going ahead according to plan. The town of Bayeux, , about five miles inland, was taken. June 10.—Field-Marshal Montgomery established his headquarters in Normandy. British armoured forces reached Tilly; Isigny liberated by’ American troops., June 13.—Southern England attacked by flying-bombs. June 16.—The King visited Normandy. June 23.—New offensive opened in White Russia. June 26.—Capture of Cherbourg completed; commander of garrison taken prisoner. Russian troops took Vitebsk and Zhlobin. j u ly 7.—ln Normandy new attack south-east of Carentan launched; bridge-head established over river Vire. July 9.—Caen liberated by British and Canadian troops. July 17.—1 n Italy-Bth Arm/ crossed Amo river.

July 18.—British and Canadian troops supported by strong R.A.F. formations penetrated enemy defences east of the river Orne and southeast of Caen. July 20.—Attempted assassination of Hitler; Himmler appointed to command home army. July 24.—Russian troops liberated Lublin. July 28.—Russians liberated BrestLitovsk, Yarosal and Przemysl. July 30.—British 2nd Army opened offensive around Caumont. August 4.—Eighth Army reached outskirts of Florence. August 6.—American troops pushed forward towards Le Mans; units of armoured forces entered Brest. August 9.—American forces reached St. Malo; armoured columns took Le Mans; General Eisenhower set up headquarters in France. August 12. —Germans began general retreat from Normandy; Mr Churchill in Italy conferred with Marshal Tito. August 15.—Allies landed forces on coast of southern France between Toulon and Nice, with strong naval and air support. August 19.—Falaise gap closed; Allied aircraft bombed retreating German tanks and motor vehicles. August 21.—Allied troops crossed river Seine on both sides of Paris and established strong bridgehead near Mantes. August 23.—French troops liberated Marseilles; Rumania accepted Russian armistice terms. August 25.—General le Clerc’s armoured division reached Paris and organized enemy resistance. was crushed; General de Gaulle arrived in Paris; Canadian and British troops linked up with Americans on river Seine south of Rouen. August 26—Bulgarian Government announced Bulgaria’s capitulation to the Allies. August 30.—Russians took Ploesti arid occupied all oil region in Rumania. September I.—Arras entered by British troops and new bridgeheads established over the Somme. In Italy Terrara occupied by Bth Army troops. Fifth Army broke through Gothic Line in Adriatic sector. September 3.—British troops liberated Brussels and Tournai; Americans liberated Mons. September 4.—British troops took Antwerp; progress by Russians in Rumania. September B.—Canadian troops occu- ' pied Nieuport and Ostend. Americans captured Liege and reached a point 20 miles from Germany. August 10.—Luxembourg city freed by Americans; Canadians entered Zeebrugge. Finnish-Russian armistice signed. Mr Churchill arrived in Quebec to confer with President Roosevelt. September 11.—American troops crossed the German frontier north-west of Trier. . , September 13.—United Nations and Rumania signed armistice. I September 15.—American Ist Army broke through Siegfried Line east of Aachen. September 17.—First Allied Airborne Army landed in Holland. Russians launched new offensive in Estonia. September 23.—“ Ducks” crossed Rhine at Arnhem taking supplies from British 2nd Army to airborne troops. Hungarian frontier crossed by Russian and Rumanian troops. September 26.—Eighth Army troops crossed the river Rubicon in the Adriatic sector. September 28 —Airborne forces withdrawn from Arnhem after fighting against heavy odds. September 29.—Canadians captured Cape Gris Nez. September 30.—Calais in Allied hands October I.—Russians crossed the Danube into Yugoslavia and joined up with Yugoslav units. October 3.—Wedge driven into Siegfried Line defences north of Aachen by the Ist American Army. October s—Allied forces landed on the Greek mainland to harass the German withdrawal from Greece. ’ October B.—Great gap torn in Siegfried Line: sudden collapse of German defence. October 10.—Russians reached Baltic coast 20 miles south of Memel, virtually isolating huge German forces. October ■ 12.—American attack on Aachen; many German troops surrendered. October 15.—Russians captured Riga, capital of Latvia.

October 19.—Soviet troops swept into! Czechoslovakia on a broad front. October 21 —Belgrade captured. Americans took Aachen. October 23.—Russian forces in Finland captured the Petsamo nickel mines and reached the Norwegian border. November 3.—Whole of Belgium liberated; seaway into port of Antwerp practically cleared Russians driving on Budapest November 8. —Western Holland cleared of Germans. Russians at gates of Budapest. November 14.—German Navy’s last battleship, Tirpitz, sunk by air attack in Tromso Fiord. November 17.—Six Allied armies went on the offensive in the greatest concerted attack yet on the Western Front. si November 20.—French troops made a dramatic dash through the Belfort Gap towards the Rhine from southern France and crossed the German frontier in many places. Bitter fighting in Hungary. December > 4.—British troops began a new offensive in north-eastern Holland, attacking the heavily-de-fended town of Venlo. Greek political situation took grave turn; action taken by British troops. December 13.—Swift advance by Allies towards Rhine. Red Army tanks and artillery blasting a way into Budapest December 18.—Full-scale German counter-offensive in the Ardennes. The Germans threw in everything, including tanks, planes and paratroops. Vicious air battles were fought over Germany. December 19.—Fierc<j fighting along the Belgian and Luxembourg frontiers, where the German counter-offen-sive was at full blast. December 21—New Zealanders advanced, three miles past Faenza to the Senio River, after capturing three villages. December 25—Pressure applied to German flanks in the Ardennes salient. Heavy German losses.

1945 The Shadow Lifts

January I.—“ Europe may be free in 1945.”—Mr Churchill’s New Year message. Budapest in flames. January 7.—Fighting. in Athens ended. German attack in the Ardennes halted. January 11.—Germans retreating in Belgium. January 12.—Truce signed in Athens. January 14.—American 3rd Army launched big new attack against the Germans’ Ardennes salient. Powerful Russian offensive in Poland. January 18.—Warsaw liberated by Russians. German bulge in Belgium gone. January 22.— Russians swept on into Silesia; reported less than 60 miles from Posen. Hard fighting on western front. January 23.—Enemy retreating from Ardennes; convoys hammered by Allied aircraft. Russians approaching Oder river. January 24.—Russians reached Oder in force. American Ist Army captured St Vith. January 29.—Russians 90 miles from Berlin. Western front “tidied up.” January 30.—American troops re-en-tered Germany. January 31.—Konigsberg, capital of East Prussia, encircled by Russians. February 2.—Americans penetrated first defensive belt of the Siegfried • Line. Russians near Kustrin.

February 4.—Americans racing across an open five-mile stretch towards the second and final defences of the

Siegfried Line. Violent fighting in East Prussia. February 7.—Russian forces crossed the Oder south-east of Breslau. February 11.—Canadians entered German town of Kleve. Russian tanks reached Baltic coast near Konigsberg; February 13.—“ Big Three” reached agreement at Yalta conference. February 14.—Budapest captured by Russians after six weeks’ siege. February 19.—Red Army pushed on in Saxony. Scottish troops reached Goch, an important Siegfried defence centre. February 23—Greatest air assault in history on Germany. Americans across the Saar. February 25.—Offensive launched by American Ist and 9th Armies across the Rocr river. Russians inside Breslau. Advance by Americans in Italy. February 26.—Biggest air raid on Berlin. March 2.—Germans pulling back over Rhine, which was reached by American 9th Army. March 6.—Americans in Cologne. Advances by Russians in Pomerania. March 9.—Troops of the American Ist Army across the Rhine at Remagen; counter-attacks repulsed. Russians closing in on Stettin. Fifth Army in Italy captured dominating heights before Po plain. March 11.—Russians in suburbs of Danzig. In Italy sth Army cap-

tured Carviano. March 13.—Remagen bridgehead extended. Russians captured Kustrin. March 21.—German front collapsing in the west; Mainz, Worms and Kaiserlautern captured.

March 23.—Von Rundstedt replaced by Kesselring as German commander • on the western front. „ March 25.—Field-Marshal Montgomery launched great offensive on lower Rhine; several bridgeheads established across river. Russians began push in Czechoslovakia. March 27.—American 7th Army across the Rhine; Americans in Frankfurt; swift advance by Ist Army. Russians 80 miles from Vienna March 30.—Allies deep into Germany; tanks racing east; Germans bewildered. Russians on Austrian border. April 2.—British tanks raced into Germany; only sporadic defence. Russians closed on Vienna. April s.—Weser river crossed by British tanks. Russians in suburb of Vienna. April 10.—Russians in centre of Vienna; capture of Konigsberg announced. Eighth Army went over to offensive in Adriatic sector. April 12.—American spearhead reached Elbe river. New Zealanders took prominent part in the crossing of the Senio river. Battle for Vienna almost over. Death of President Roosevelt. April 13.—American 9th Army across the Elbe. Essen reduced to ruins. Vienna captured. April 14.—Red Army poised for blow in east. Stiffer resistance in west. Advance by Bth Army in Italy. April 16—Offensive launched by sth Army in Italy.

April 17.—German reports of a big Russian drive on the Berlin front. Two armies advancing in Italy. April 18.—Argenta bypassed by Bth Army. Hamburg threatened by British forces. April 19.—British 2nd Army reached the Elbe. Mass surrender by Germans in the Ruhr. April 20.—Mcscow announced that the Red Army had established and and widened a bridgehead across the Oder east of Berlin. Germans reported Russians little more than 20 miles from Berlin. British four miles from Hamburg. April 22.—Russians in suburbs of Berlin and reported only three miles from centre of city. Bittei' house-to-house fighting. American and Russian patrols reported only about 25 miles apart. Bologna (Italy) captured by sth and Bth Armies. April 25.—P0 River crossed by sth Army. British forces inside Bremen. United Nations conference opened at San Francisco. April 26.—Russians in centre of Berlin. Units of sth Army in Italy reached Mantua. April 27.—Italian patriots seized power in Milan and Genoa. Bremen fell to British. Marshal Petain arrested. April 28.—Historic link up of American and Russian forces at Torgau, on the river Elbe. April 29.—Rumour that Germany had surrendered denied by President Truman. Mussolini reported shot. April 30.—Further peace moves reported. Himmler said to be negotiating with Count Bernadotte, vice-president of the Swedish Red Cross. Venice captured by sth Army. May I.—German peace overtures reported. Meeting in Denmark between Count • Bernadotte, vicepresident of the Swedish Red Cross, and Himmler. Red flag flown from Reichstag. Resistance broken in Italy. May 2.—Death of Hitler announced by German radio. Grand Admiral Doenitz became Fuhrer. British forces near Lubeck. May 3.—Great Allied victory in Italy—. Germans surrendered, about. 1,000,000 men being involved. Berlin captured by Russians. British 2nd Army linked up with Russians on the Baltic coast. May 4.—German defeat in northern sector described as one of the greatest defeats in military history. Hamburg fell. New Zealanders negotiated truce between Yugoslav Chetniks and Marshal Tito’s men. May s.—Huge German forces surrendered in Holland, Denmark and north-west Germany and on the southern front. May 6.—End of war expected in a day or two. May 7.—Germans announced the unconditional surrender of all their armed forces to Britain, the United States and Russia. End of the war in Europe.