Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-26

DUH fti TO- NNNtN lflAiA III ilbiil ms
tendil and GaFibrod toward Ms
and Skoplie.
FAN OUT SOUTHWARK
Skoplje was occupied the first
day. Then the Germans famed
out southwark to KriVolak,
Philep and Bitoli (Monastir) in an
attempt TO JOIN the Italian forces
in Albania-but primarily north
ward in the direction of the Ka-
Ichanik Pass.
At the pass General Nadic has
tily organized his defense and
threw the third territorial army
into an attack on Albania.
But the German assault caught
the government and the army flat
footed. Simovic and the general
staff left Belgrade at 2 a. m. es-
tablishing their first headquarters
AT Loznica while a portion of the
government went to Uzice to the
south.
The foreign office was supposed
to go to Vernackabanja. The dip
lomatic corps was dispatched there,
hut your correspondent upon ar
irving with United States legation
secretary Robert Macatee. found
only the Yugoslav foreign office
secretary. Smilianic Gavrilovic.
After a delay of two days we
were allowed to proceed to Utica.
SEE THREE BOMBINGs
Before leaving Belgrade I wit
messed the first three bombings
of the capital. l saw the great
Terrazia Square and the main
street. Kralia Milana, Uttered with
dead bodies.
The bombing of Belgrade. during
which the Germans dropped 10000
bombs. constituted a primary fac
tor in breaking down the morale
of the army and population.
Generals and soldiers were
shaken by the fate of their fami-
lies living there and the initial
complete disruption of communi-
cations never was remedied.
The Germans methodically de-
stroyed radio stations and tele-
graph offices as we'll as field radio
apparatus. The high command was
forced TO dispatch adiutants by
automobile TO learn the fate of
the various YHgoslav armies.
Uzice on April 10 provided a
typical example of the panic that
spread through the nation. When
an alarm was spread that German
troops were at Cacak, 30 miles
east. there was a mass exodus of
troops.
CAPTURED BY 8 MEN
But subsequently l learned that
only three German parachutists
landed at Cacak. These three men
took the railway station and then
used the radio TO spread the alarm.
Amid a terrific snowstorm l
proceeded TO Serajevo. On this
Journey, held by one of the inter-
minable traffic jams that accom-
panied the retreat of the army. l
talked with Colonel Schwartz,
commander of the Yugoslav avia-
ton srIadronS that attempted to
defend Kachanik Pass.
General Nadic," said the colo
mel. "held his position all day
Tuesday, April 8. using virtually
all Yugosiavia's 80 tanks.
But the next morning 80 Ger
man Stukas appeared, each pick
ing one tank. That was the
end.
OVERWEIGHT BOMBERS
"Yugoslav planes. In an at
tempt to stem the tide, made
three bombing raids. using 20
planes each time. Every plane
carried 1000 Kilograms of ex-
ploSiVes. but they failed and
suffered terrific losses because
there were no fighters TO protect
the bombers.
General Nadic then threy his
three divisions into the battle.
But with machine guns and
bombs and under the blows Of
the German panzers there was
terrific carnage and the three
divisions were practically wiped
out.
THE war now was over.
"Our aviation fighter forma-
tions, most Of which were elm
mated In the first days fighting
over Belgrade. lost great quanti-
ties Of gasoline which had been
cached at Kachanlk Pass. Here
after these formations were
unable to operate from Yugo-
siavian soil.
Our salvation would have