Evening star., 1945-05-02
Document Is Signed in Palace;
Doenitz Moves Swiftly in Crisis
EnemyGivesU Up
Completely and
UnconditionuIIy
BIZ the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ROME, May ALI German
land, sea and air forces in Italy
and Southern and Western
Austria - estimated at nearly
100000 troops-were surren-
dered unconditionally to the
Allies today by their commander
with hostilitieS ordered to cease
at noon e am. Eastern war
time).
The capitulation, signed in the
presence of Allied officers, including
Russians, ended more than one and
one-half years of the bloody Italian
campaign and permits the Allies to
advance unopposed to within 10 miles
OF Adolf Hltlers retreat at Berchest-
gaden in Austria.
The surrender document was
signed Sunday afternoon at Caserta
by representatives of Col. Gen.
Heinrich Won Vietinghof- -Scheel,
German commander in chief in the
southwest, and of Obergruppen-
fuehrer Karl Wolff, supreme COM
mander of the SIS and police in
Italy.
About "a Divisions Freed.
Field Marshal Sir Harold L. Alex
ander, supreme Allied commander
in the Mediterranean, announced
the mass surrender, and in an order
OF the day to his troops declared
you have won victory which has
ended in the complete and utter
rout of the German armed forces in
the Mediterranean" and freed Italy.
The surrender exposed the flank
of Col. Gen. Won Lehr, German
commander in the Trieste area,
British and Yugoslav troops already
have linked at the head of the
Adriatic northwest of Trieste. At
least "a Allied divisions in Italy are
freed for other duties.
British 1t. Gen. w. D. Morgan.
who negotiated in behalf of Field
Marshal Alexander, said the terms
in effect are complete and uncondi-
tional surrender"
To-day the remnants of a once
proud army had laid down their
arms to you-close on million men
with all their arms, equipment and
impedimenta," Marshal Alexander
said in his announcement to Allied
armies.
You may well be proud of this
great and victorious campaign which
will long live in history as one of the
greatest and most successful ever
Waged.
High Praise for All.
mo praise is high enough for you
sailors, soldiers, airmen and workers
of the united forces in Italy for your
magnificent triumph.
MY gratitude and my admiration
is unbounded and only equaled by
the pride which is mine in being
your commander in chief"
Marshal Alexander's statement
said the surrendered forces include
remnants of % German and 6
Italian Fascist divisions.
The following terms were imposed
in the surrender:
1-Unconditiona1 surrender by
Gen. Won Vietinghoff- -Scheels COM
mand of all land, sea and air forces
to Marshal Alexander.
2-Cessation of all hostilities on
land, sea and in the air by enemy
forces at II noon, GMT.
Immediate Immobilization.
3-1mmediate lmmobilization and
disarmament of enemy forces.
4-Obligation on the part of the
German o m m n r-in-chief to
carry out any further orders issued
by Marshal Alexander.
5. Disobedience of the orders or
failure to comply with them to be
dealt with in accordance with ac-
cepted laws and usages of war.
The instrument of surrender
stipulates that it is independent of,
without prejudice to, and will be
superseded by any general instru-
ment of surrender imposed by or on
behalf of the United Nations and
applicable to German and the Ger
man armed forces as a whole" Al
lied headquarters announced.
Earlier, American 5th Army head
quarters had announced the sur
render of German Gen. jain, COM
mander of the Lombardy Corps of
the Ligurian Army, with 1000 Ger
mans and many italian Fascist
troops.
Prior to announcement of the sur
render, the Allied drive toward Aus
tria rolled on and mopping up of
last northern Italian resistance con-
tinued.
The American 34th Division, stab
bing west from the Milan area,
crossed the Ticino River and cap
tured Novara, q miles from Milan,
(See ITALY, Page A-16.)
Raj Blasts Germans