Evening star., 1945-05-06
By Hoyard p. BAILEY

BY HoWard p. Bailey
Germany fell apart last week in a
seven-day period during which the most
dramatic events of the war occurred with
breath-taking speed that leaves the cl-
max, complete occupation of Germany,
a matter of course and We day some
what overshadowed by what has gone so
Immediately before.
Chronologically. this is the story:
Sunday: Death OF Mussolini re-
ported
Monday: New peace offer from
Himmler rumored.
Tuesday: Hamburg radio an
nounces death of Hitler
Wednesday: Berlin falls. Nazis
totaling nearly 100000 surrender in
Northern Italy and Western Austria.
Thursday: British-Russian juno
ture cuts off Denmark and Norway
from rest of Naz forces.
Friday: German armies In Holland,
Denmark and Northwestern Germany
surrender.
sistance ends except for Nad 7th
Army facing Patton's American Sd
in Czechoslovakia. British reach
Danish capital, Copenhagen.
Important steps were taken in the war
against Japan, also, though obscured
by the flood OF good news from Europe.
Australian troops have landed at the
important Borneo oil port of Tarakan,
whose oil soon may take q heavy bur-
den off the tankers now supplying our
fleets and armies.
The British occupied Rangoon, bring
ing to successful close the campaign
to recover Burma and open a path to
the Malay Peninsula, ThaiIand and
French Indo- China.
The high lights of the week were:
Sunday-Milan crowd seizes body of
Mussolini and hangs it upside down
following his execution with his mistress
and 16 top Fascists which occurred
Saturday on shores of Lake Como.
Marshal Graziani, Fascist commander
in chief, reported captured by Italian
patriots. Americans seize Genoa and
Milan and British 9th takes Venice and
speeds toward .Yugoslavian border as
Nazi resistance collapses in North Italy.
United States 7th Army takes over
Munich. United States Sd captures
Moosburg prison camp freeing $1,000,
mostly American. British I'd advances
to Lauenberg, 20 miles from Hamburg.
- 4.
point Z miles from North Sea port of
Emden. Russians swarm over last of
Berlin barricades. Reds continue to
mop up northern areas. Jap suicide
plane reported to have deliberately dived
on brightly lighted hospital ship Com
fort. wrecking three operating rooms
and killing %, mostly doctors and
nurses. Super Forts blast Jap home air.
fields and plane plants, destroy 20 enemy
planes. Americans capture airfeld on
Southern Mindanao. British push to
within go miles of Rangoon. Reds revive
Polish issue at San Francisco Confer
ence and ask seats for Ukraine and
White Russia in Assembly.
Monday - Another surrender offer
from Himmler reported on the way to
the Allies, this time including all the
Big Three. United States 9th Army
makes contact with Reds near Magde-
burg. Red tanks smash into Tier
garten, Berlin's central park which had
been converted into underground fort.
Two 7th Army Divisions capture Dachau
prison camp, freeing $4,000 captives.
American Sd advances on Linz to cut
OF Czechoslovakia and divide Nazis into
three pockets; also crosses Isar River
to move toward Salzburg, guarding en-
trance to Brenner Pass. Reds move
toward Rostock and isolate Baltic port
Of Swinemuende. Gen. Clark announces
NaA Army in Italy is broken. Yugo-
slavs reported in Trieste. Marines at
Kiel reported to have mutinied. Japs
send 200 planes against Okinawa fleet,
losing 104 but damaging light feet
units. More than 100 Super Forts blast
Honshu and Kyushu. Yanks drive on
Davao from two directions. Philippine
based planes hit Formosa, Hong Kong
and Swatow.
Tuesday-Hamburg radio announces
Hitler's death, reporting he was killed
at his command post in Reichschancel-
lery. Admiral Doenitz, Navy chief, takes
over. pledging himself to save Ger
many from the advancing Bolaheviks."