Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-05

ClJlc Oh CucllTcT. vOI1 CTlCuCUCIk
rank also carries the title of general
of the army, thus, he was able to ne
gotiate for the ground forces as well
with Won Friedeberg was Gen
Kinsel, the next-ranking officer, who
is chief of staff to Field Marshal
Busch, who is commander of the
Northern German armies. Field
Marshal Busch. incidentally, still is
missing from our prisoners list, but
we should catch up with him soon
Next came Rear Admiral Wagner, a
staff officer to Won Friedeberg, and
lastly Maj. Friede, staff officer to
Gen. Kinsel.
Gave Military Salute.
This was the party who hoped to
negotiate with Field Marshal Mont
gomery. They were taken to Monty s
field headquarters on the Luneberg
heath. He stepped out, returned
their military, not Nazi, salute and
asked, as If they were vacuum
cleaner statesmen, What do you
want?'
THE Germans replied: We come
from Field Marshal Busch to ask
you to accept the surrender Of three
German armies which now are with
drawing in front of the Russians In
the Mecklenberg area These three
armies. it was later revealed, were
the Sd Panzer Army, the German
18th Army and the 21st Army.
The Nazi officers continued: we
are very anxious about the condition
of German civilians who are fleeing
as the German armies retreat In
the path of the Russian advance
We want you to accept the sur
render Of these three armies
ITO his everlasting credit, Field
Marshal Montgomery turned down
three German armies willing to sur
render to him. No. he said, Ger
tainly not. Those German armies
are fighting the Russians. There
fore. if they surrender to any one, 1t
must be to the forces Of the Soviet
Union. They have nothing to dc
with me. 1 have nothing to do with
the happenings on my eastern front
You go surrender to the Soviet COM
mander. The subject is closed
Then Field Marshal Montgomery
asked: Are you prepared to sur
render the German forces on my
northern and western TANKS? Those
forces between Lubbock and Holland
and the forces in support Of them
such as those in Denmark
Anxious About Civilians.
The Germans said no, but they
added that again they were anxious
about the conditions Of the German
civilians on the northern flank. we
would like to come to some agree.
ment with you by which the civilians
would be saved from battle slaugh.
ter Then the German commander
proposed a complicated and difficult
military program covering the next
few weeks, in which the British &c
Army would advance slowly, while
at the same time the German troops
by agreement, would retreat slowly
1T would work we'll for the Ger
mans. Again Monty said: No,
will not discuss what 1 propose te
do in the future-nothing'
Then the British field marshal
took the offensive. I wonder, he
said, whether you know the battle
situation on the western 'front.' He
produced his operational map; the
war was too close to being won for
it to have any security Importance
This map, and what he said, was the
final straw, the one factor which
precipitated the surrender of a mil
lion Germans. The German COM
manders were shocked, astounded by
the progress of the Allies in the east
and the west.
1T was lunch time and they went
off to lunch alone. Gen. Admiral Won
Friedeberg burst into tears when he
got out of sight of Montgomery, and
he wept throughout lunch. After
lunch, Field Marshal Montgomery
called the Germans back for further
consultations, and there he delivered
his ultimatum, an ultimatum that