The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-05-04
Europe

CONTINUED from Page One)
ed that the armistice offer covers
Rotterdam. Amsterdam and the
Hague" The broadcast was not
confirmed. Possibly II referred 10
recent arrangement by which the
Allies are sending food conveys
through the German lines to Dutch
cities.
Terrific Pounding
Enemy troops in the north, at
tempting to flee toward a possible
last Nazi holdout area In Norway,
we're being subjected to a terrific
aerial pounding. Allied planes, In
a streom OF rocketing, strafing and
divebombing assaults. sank at least
SO enemy vessels and damaged
scores OF others.
British units we're reported 10
have sped through Schleswig- Hol-
stein. surging past the enemy naval
base centers OF Kiel and Flens-
burg which the Germans have de-
clared "open cities. Shaef was
out OF touch with Second Army
vanguards and had no confirmation
OF these accounts OF their pro-
gress.
Only slight resistance was met
by Field Marshal Sir Bernard l..
Montgomery's troops. a Stockholm
dispatch SAID. What opposition
the Germans put up was reported
centered at the border city OF
Aabenraa.
Hunt for Bodies
In Berlin the Russians probed
through the blazing chancellery Of
the Third Reich in the Wilhelms-
trasse but failed to find the bodies
Of Adolf Hitler and Propaganda
Minister Paul Joseph Goebbels,
who were reported by the Germans
to have committed suicide.
The U. S. Seventh Army com
pleted a circle when It Joined the
Fifth Army. The frst Seventh
Army Divisions we're drawn from
Italy. The Army was activated
for the invasion OF southern France.
After crashing through France, the
Saar, Bavaria and Austria, 1t Gen.
Alexander NJ. Patch's men were
back in Italy. The Fifth Army
had hammered It's way up the ltal-
ian peninsula.
American Third Army troops, id
vancing on a 50-mile front In CEe-
chosloyakia, had outflanked the
great Skoda munitions work at
Pilsen, reaching points A miles to
the southeast. Gen. Patton's
troops also were besieging the Aus.
trian fortress city OF Linz ond
wers reported nearing a Junction
with the Russians in that area.
Virtually Completed
The ca rsiJ IOt.Germany Virtual ny
was completed. The only parts
of the Reich still in Nazi hands
consisted OF narrowing pockets
with a total area no longer than
the state OF Pennsylvania.
In northern Germany, where
British and Russian forces have
linked up. the enemy debacle was
described as growing steadily
worse. In two days total OF 500
900 Germans have surrendered in
the north. including the command
ers of two armies, Gen. Won Tippels-
kirch and 1t. Gen. Kurt Won Man
teuffel. The enemy command de-
clared Kiel and Flensburg, import
ant German naval bases open
cities.
A junction OF 1t. Gen. Alexander
NJ. Patch's Seventh Army and Fifth
Army troops who had fought their
way I'D through the Italian penin-
sula was expected in the western
end of the Alpine redoubt before
night. Mechanical cavalry OF the
Seventh Army took Salzburg.
Field Marshal Ewald Won Kleist,
who engineered the Germans 1910
breakthrough in France. has sur
rendered to the L. S. Third Army
which was assaulting the largest
and most formidable Of the German
pockets.
Closing In
Gen. Patton's men were closing
In on three sides Of the burning
Austrian fortress city OF Linz and
were outflanking the Skoda NUM-
lions center OF Pilsen in their ad-
vance into Czechoslovakio. Third
Army units besieging Linz were
close to a junction with the Rus.
slams west of Vienna. Moscow said
the distance was 10 miles.
The Seventh Army's 109rd In
fantry division entered Italy and
the Bremen Pass before Inns
bruck, Capital OF the Austrian
Tyrol. Small groups Of Dazed TIA
liam troops met them, but offered
little resistance.
Four.foot snowdrifts slowed the
advance OF the French First Army
west Of Innsbruck.
First White Russian Army troops,
the conquerors OF Berlin, were
joining with the L. s. Ninth Army