April 30, 1945; SURRENDER OFFER ON WAY:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, APRIL 30, 1945:

RACINE, WIS., MONDAY AFTERNOON, APRIL 30, 1945

Fighting Rages

In Munich;

Dachau Freed

PARIS — (AP) — The American Ninth and First armies joined the Russians at two new places today, trapping an undisclosed number of Germans between Berlin and Leipzig and virtually surrounding all enemy troops between Berlin and the Elbe river in a pocket 85 miles long.

Four divisions of the American Seventh army fought inside Munich within two miles of the heart of that birthplace of the nazi party. By 7 p. m., German resistance had become "light to moderate , " a Sixth  army group statement

said.

The Ninth army contacted the Russians at Apollendorf on the north bank of  the Elbe three miles west of Wittenberg. The First army met the Russians a t Wittenberg itself. Other Ninth army troops on t h e Elbe north of Magdeburg

and 85 miles northwest of Wittenberg were only ten miles from the Russians at Rosenhagen.

Munich still was holding out shortly before noon and small arms fire was increasing. Elements of at least four Seventh army divisions pressed into the Bavarian capital from t h e north, west and southwest.

Reports continued to reach supreme Headquarters that Germans were attempting to negotiate, a surrender.

LONDON.—(AP)—Russians tanks have smashed into the Tiergarten, Berlin's central park converted in to an underground fortress, the nazi-controlled Oslo radio said today, and Moscow reports said the fall of the capital was imminent.

The newspaper Pravada said t he Russians were fighting in the ruins  of Unter Den Linden, the spacious avenue in the heart of Berlin that terminates at the Tiergarten.

The Hamburg radio, chief nazi transmitter still broadcasting in

Germany, proclaimed that "the hard battle for Berlin reached its

climax today."

Hope for May Day Victory.

Moscow dispatches said Marshals Gregory K. Zhukov and Ivan S. Konev, commanding red armies at Berlin, were going all-out for May day victory and had thrown in " maximum artillery and air power to reduce the nazis' strongholds in the cenyer of the city.

Soviet dispatches from Berlin said the nazis hemmed in a very small area made up roughly of the Tiergarten, the reichstag district just to its north the Wilhelmstrasse administrative quarter and most of t h e crowded commercial district centered on Unter r Den Linden running  east from Tiergarten.

New Surrender

Offer Reported

'On Its Way'

LONDON—(AP)—A new surrender offer from Heinrich Himmler, presumably to all three major powers, was understood to be "on its way" today.

British cabinet ministers were ordered to stand by as swiftly moving developments pointed to Germany's collapse.

Prime Minister Churchill was reported preparing a statement for commons tomorrow—May day—

but there was no indication of what he might say.

This capital was outwardly calm, even though a V-E day a n announcement was expected at any hour. There was more ministerial activity in Whitehall than there

had been in some time.

There were indications that only details of Germany's surrender remained to be worked out. These may concern whether Himmler or any other ranking nazi chieftain could give solid evidence that German pockets on the Atlantic coast and in Norway would lay down their arms.

'No Doubt' Move Underway.

It was possible that uncertainty over the temper of- commanders such as Col. Gen. George Lindemann in Denmark was holding up an agreement on details.

The British Press association said "there is no longer any doubt that armistice moves are in progress and moving swiftly."

Speculation centered around the possibility that May day might be

chosen for a victory announcement.

Suicide Pilot

Rams Into U. S.

Hospital Ship

GUAM—(AP)— American doughboys, enraged over a Japanese pilot's suicidal attack on a helpless navy hospital ship evacuating their wounded buddies, fought doggedly today for two airfields—their immediate objectives on southern Okinawa.

The fully-loaded, unarmed, unescorted U. S. S. Comfort was attacked and heavily damaged 50 miles south of Okinawa. Twentynine were killed, 33 wounded, and

one was missing. The killed included six army nurses and five army medical officers.

Although the 13,000-ton vessel was readily identifiable as searchlights played on the giant red crosses painted on her gleaming white decks and superstructure, the Japanese pilot made several runs at her preliminary to his kamikaze (suicidal) attack, reported Associated Press Correspondent Vern Haugland.

Admiral Turner Storms. Vice Adm. Richmond K. Turner, commander of the Third fleet amphibious force, stormed: "My printable comment on this outrage is unprintable."

Lt. Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner, Tenth army commander who was visiting Admiral Turner today, said "This is terrible. Any comment Icould make on this wouldn't go through the mails."

April 29, 1945; PEACE IN EUROPE IS CLOSE:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, 1PRIL 29, 1945:

BIG SPRING, TEXAS, SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 1945

Himmler Rebuffed

When Reds Left

Out Of His Offer

By The Associated Press

Heinrich Himmler, Nazi Gestapo chief and German interior minister, has offered to surrender Germany unconditionally to Britain and the United States but was rebuffed because he did not include surrender to Russia, Moscow announced officially early today (Sun).

The fact that the offer was made and spurned was reported by Tass, official Soviet news agency, in a Moscow broadcast. This was the first official word that Germany, in a states of military collapse, was ready to quit.

Previously reports to the same effect had circulated around the world, and from San Francisco, where the United Nations Conference was in session, came word last night (Sat) that a surrender had occurred and was expected to be announced at any moment.

President Truman, however, told White House correspondents that actual surrender was a rumor without foundation.

The San Francisco report that a surrender had been made with "no strings attached," originated with Senator Tom Connally, chairman of the senate foreign relations committee and vice chairman of . the American delegation to the United Nations Conference.

The San Francisco report that a surrender had been made with "no strings attached," originated with Senator Tom Connally, chairman of the senate foreign relations committee and vice chairman of . the American delegation to the United Nations Conference.

This information, given at first with the stipulation that Connally not be identified, was carried by the Associated press at 6:55 p. m. Central War Time.

One hour and forty minutes later President Truman told an extraordinary press conference at the White House in Washington that he had gotten Admiral

Leahy to telephone General Eisenhower in Paris "and there is no foundation for the rumor."

The president authorized direct quotation of his statement—an un usual procedure.

Learning of the presidential statement, Senator Connally au ihorlzed identification of himself as source of the surrender report and told a reporter that he still expected the surrender announcement to be made "momentarily.'

He said he believed the official news would be forthcoming in a matter of hours.

White House Press Secretary Jonathan Daniels, however) told reporters, "the lid's on,'' signifying: that nothing more was expected last night.

Armies Near

Revolt-Torn

Nazi Cradle

By JAMES M. LONG

PARIS, Sunday, April 29

(AP)—As American armies pressed for a quick cleanup of Germany's Alpine fortress,- reports avere received here from San Francisco quoting, a high United States official,  as saying that the German government had agreed to unconditional surrender.

The U.S. Seventh and Third armies rolled an unstoppable wall of tanks to within 22 miles of Munich, cradle of Nazidom that already was reported torn

by revolt.

Supreme headquarters said n German capitulation offer had been received here but that did not mean none had been made directly to one or more Allied capitals.

The Allies- were reported have said Germany must surrender completely to the United States, Russia and Britain or face intensified destruction of her re maining physical assets and military forces.

Parley Assumes

New Harmony

By DOUGLAS B. CORNELL

SAN FRANCISCO, April 28 (AP)— Hopes of the United Nations Conference for a speedy German surrender rose and fell like a tide tonight and through the confusion delegates saw their peace-shaping task growing more difficult.

They cheered at word that an American delegate, Senator Tom Connally of Texas, had declared that the Nazis had surrendered and the announcement would come "momentarily." They heard with dismay that President Truman, in Washington, had pronounced the surrender report unfounded.

But most of them felt that a Nazi collapse, if It does not come now, can't be long delayed. Connally repeated, after the Washington denial, that he expects the announcement of surrender "momentarily."

Two different possibilities lay ahead of the delegates:

1. A shift to high speed to accomplish as much as possible toward molding the pattern of a peaceful world before top statesmen have to leave San Francisco

2. A longer and more complicated job if such men as Eden of Britain, Molotov of Russia and Stettinius of America have to rush to their capitals in the hour of

victory.

Thus far the major accomplishment of the conference, which opened last Wednesday, has been the attainment of harmony on the surface Looking ahead, representatives of 46 nations are focusing on an old issue now assuming greater prominence — a demand of smaller countries for a bigger break in' shaping peace.

Summer Capital

Of Philippines

Falls To Yanks

(See THE WEEK, ft. 11, Col. 4)

By RAY CRONIN

Associated Press War Editor Baguio, once-beautiful summer capital of the Philippines in the rugged Benguet mountains of northern Luzon, fell to America

doughboys Friday, Gen. Douglas MacArthur announced today (Sunday). The lengthy encircling campaign cost "amazingly light" Amer ican casualties.

Other Yanks, meantime, reache the shores of Davao' Gulf in ther drive access southern Mindanao Island from Moro Gulf, and were just 25 road miles south of thebig hemp port of Davao—last major stronghold in the Philippines

On Okinawa, in the Ryukyus, doughboys pressed slowly forward through pillboxes, caves and strong points while U. S. artillery was "employed against

troop concentrations in rear areas.

Japanese planes raided U. S warships off Okinawa Friday night sinking an auxiliary craft and causing some other damage. Twenty-five of the attackers were destroyed and two others probablyshot down.

April 28, 1945:Soviets Overrun Berlin:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, APRIL 28, 1945:

CHARLESTON. WEST V I R G I N I A , SATURDAY EVENING, A P R I L 28. 1 9 4 5

Troops Rip Through

Nine-Tenths of City;

Fall Expected Hourly

Moscow Says End Drawing Near;

" 8,000 Germans Killed in 24 Hours;

Flanking Units 50 Miles Past City

LONDON (UP).—The German high command admitted today,

Say that Russian siege forces had slashed to the Brandenburg gate and Alexanderplatz in,the heart of Berlin.

LONDON (UP).—Russian shock troops today broke into the Tiergarten, heart of Adolf Hitler's last-ditch defense citadel in encircled Berlin. Moscow said the siege of the Nazi capital swiftly was approaching its end.

Reports reaching London also said fighting was raging "very near" Adolf Hitler's Reichschancellery on the Wilhelmstrasse, the Reichstag on the northeast corner of the Tiergarten, the State Opera House and other buildings in the center of Berlin.

A Moscow dispatch said Soviet Cossack divisions swept nearly 50 miles west of Berlin and reached the Elbe river opposite the American ninth army. The Russians

were awaiting an "imminent junction" with the ninth army, Mos

South of Berlin, the Russian army organ Red Star said, two more Soviet divisions had linked up with the Americans following the original junction at Torgau, tO miles below the capital.  Red Star said only that the two;

divisions met the Americans elsewhere than Torgau and added:

New Linkups

German General Says-

Hitler Will End Own Life

Or Be Killed Within Hours

Adolph Hitler- will kill himself or be killed in Berlin within a

few hours or days and the war will end, Lt. Gen. Kurt Dittmar, German high command spokesman, said in his final war commentary— in American custody.

Dittmar, who surrendered to the ninth army on the Elbe river Wednesday, told his captors that Hitler and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels were in Berlin

and will die there.

"The war will end in a few days." Dittmar said. "Hitler will either be killed or he. will commit suicide. One of lhree generals—von Brauchitsch. Guderian, or von Rundstedl:—will take control and will make peace immediately on almost any terms."

The elegantly-uniformed general outlined the war situation for correspondents, just as he used to do for radio Berlin listeners when the Nazi army was overrunning Europe.

Asked about the Bavarian redoubt, he said, "there's talk about; it, and the map will show you that two pockets are being

_________________________________

Hitler, Goebbels Shot?

ST. MARGRETHEN, Switzerland (UP). — A high diplomat who has just arrived at the Swiss border from Germany said ! today that Adolf Hitler and Propaganda Minister Paul Joseph Goebbels were shot three days ago.

The diplomat said that Gestapo Chief Hienrich Himmler yesterday rushed to Berlin by plane with his right-hand man, a Gen. Schellenberg.

He also reported that a revolution had broken out in Munich and that occupation of the city by the Allies was expected tonight.

formed, one in the north including Norway and Denmark and one in the south in the Alps and Italy. But that is probably less by intention than by force of circumstances,"

At any rate, he thought, the war could not last after the fall of Berlin, which he said was a matter of hours or at most days.

"I saw the war was lost on July 20th," said Ditlmar, referring to the frustrated attempt on Hitler's life. "From then on the highest quarters had learned nothing

from the past. Militarily and politically, the situation could still have been changed for the better

July 20th was a warning—hut things were not changed. If the attempt had succeeded I certainly think the Wehrmacht would have taken over control."

"The Allied leadership is quite good, as is the Russian, hut. We ourselves made you rich." Dittmar said. "The old German strategy no longer exists in this war."

Third Army Troops

Run Riot Through

Austrian Defenses

55.000 Germans Surrender in Day;

Stronghold of Augsburg Captured;

New Junction With Reds Expected

ZURICH (UP). — The Nazi gauleiter in Munich broadcast today that a revolution had been suppressed. He CAlled on the population to continue resistance against the Allies,

From Combined AP and UP wires

PARIS. — Revolution flamed in the streets of Munich, the first city of Nazidom, today as triumphant American armies twept trough southern Germany to deliver the death blow to Adolf Hitler's collapsing third Reich.

American tanks and armored troop columns careening in on Munich from all sides picked up a dramatic radio appeal from

______________________________________

Himmler Reported Offering Peace

LONDON (UP). — The Luxembourg  radio said today that Heinrich Himmler, in in a message to the American, British and Soviet foreign ministers, made an offer of unconditional surrender.

The broadcast, said that the government  informed the bearer that "unconditional surrender could be accepted only if offered to all the Allies.”

______________________________________________

insurgents /or immediate help to overthrow the Nazi overlords in the city- The extent of the revolution was still uncertain but the at least were in control of the Munich radio station and It' appeared  that a genera! uprising similar to that which convulsed Germany in the last hours of World war one was in the making.