The Wilmington morning star., 1945-05-03
10000 Naziis
Are Reported
In Surrender
Russians Reported Seeking
Bodies OF Hitler And
Coebbels

LONDON, Thursday, May 3.LP
Berlin, greatest city Of the Euro
pean continent, fell yesterday
afternoon to the Russians, who
quoted high prisoner as declar-
ing that Adolf Hitler had commit
ted suicide along with Propagan-
da Minister Goebbels as the CAPT.
tai of the d-drenched Nazi en-
pire tunbled around them.
Also reported dead by his own
hand was Hitlers new general
staff chief an infantry general
named Krebs, as 10000 German
troops laid down their arms in
the surrender which Hitler had
said never would come.
The Soviet triumph after IL
days of history's deadliest street
fighting, was announced last night
by Premier Stain in an order Of
the day and in the Soviet COM
munique broadcast from Moscow
this morning.
Stalin's order made no mention
of Hitler, who the Nazis had said
died in his shattered Reichschan-
celery in the heart Of Berlin on
May 1.
The Soviet communique. how.
ever, states that among the cap
tives taken was DR.. Hans Fritsche,
Goebbels chief deputy in the Nazl
ministry of press and propaganda,
and that Fritsche told his Rus.
sian interrogators that Hitler,
Goebbels and General Krebs all
had committed suicide.
Not a single additional detail was
supplied by the communique,
which carried the startling an
nouncement deep in the body of its
text.
Only Wednesday the Moscow
radio had ridiculed the German
account of Hitler ''heros DEATH
in Berlin, saying it was "a Fascist
trick to give him chance to
escape underground.
Today. Moscow officially carried
the suicide report, indicating that
it was at least given some
credence.
| There was no word Of search
for the bodies, but it was a GER
tainty that the Russians literally
would leave no stone unturned in
all the junk-heap that is the Ger
man capital in an effort to verify
that Hitler actually was dead and,
if so, how he died.
For or against Fritsches eredi-
bility as witness, there was the
fact that on the very day the Rus
SLAMS broke into Berlin-April II
he had broadcast the first re-
port that Hitler and Goebbels
were there and that Hitler per-
sonally was directing the defense.
| An old-time NaZi and longtime
chief of the propaganda minis
try's radio section, Fritsche might
be considered as one Of the last
men on earth to say that Hitler
died an ignominious suicide rather
than the heroic Siegfried Of the
Hamburg radio announcements.
Moscow built up to the Hitler
suicide report in dramatic series
Of victory announcements.
First Stain issued an order OF
the day announcing destruction Of
the German Ninth army trapped
southeast Of Berlin, with capture of
100, 900 of its men and slaughter Of
at least 10000
| A second Stain order announc-
ed capture of Germany's last big
Baltic ports, Rostock and Warne-
munde. in a Annie drive by the
Second White Russian army.
| Then Stain proclaimed the fall
of Berlin. 1t capitulated at pm,
Moscow time, and by 9 pm, To-
900 of its staggering defenders had
been rounded up and counted -
the Russians.
Then, this morning, came the
communicate and the report Of Hit.
ler's suicide.
For the conquest Of Berlin his
proclamation called for the top
Moscow victory salute Of "a salvos
from 324 cannon in tribute to the
armies that took Berlin. The First
White Russian and First Ukrain-
ian. ia
Those armies, commanded by
Marshals G. X. Zhukov and Ivan S.
Konev, had jumped across the.
Oder Is days previously, and on
April q fought into Berlin. They.
encircled the spraWling city, which
already had been wrecked by Am.
erican and British bombers, and
tore the remains to bits In soma
,Cout;puod nm Do m Tkrao. roY ~