Bidspirit auction | “All Germans Surrender!” – Extra

“All Germans Surrender!” – Extra Edition of the Detroit Times Announcing the Surrender of Nazi Germany and the End of the War in Europe - “EXTRA” edition of the American newspaper Detroit Times, published on May 7, 1945, announcing the end of World War II in Europe. Headline: ALL GERMANS SURRENDER!  The subheadline reads: “LONDON, May 7 (INS) - Amidst general expectancy that formal announcement of the end of hostilities in Europe will come at any moment or hour, the Flensburg radio today broadcast that Adm. Doenitz has ordered the unconditional surrender of all German fighting troops. The announcement was made by Count Lutz Schwerin von Krosigk, German foreign minister.” It further states: “After a heroic struggle of almost six years of unparalleled hardship, Germany has surrendered to the overwhelming power of her enemies... In the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, workmen installed batteries of electric lamps which will illuminate the building on the night of the cease-fire.” The issue reports in real time on the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, thereby marking the end of World War II in Europe. The main headlines are based on the official broadcast from the Flensburg radio station, in which German Foreign Minister Count Lutz Schwerin von Krosigk announced, on behalf of Admiral Karl Dönitz, that all fighting forces of the Reich had been ordered to lay down their arms. The reports describe the heightened anticipation in London and the Allied capitals ahead of the official proclamation of Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day), while noting a degree of caution as further official confirmation from the Supreme Command was still awaited. The issue continues with reports of events signaling the end of the war: “The Press Association reported that there was growing expectation that within ‘a matter of hours’ Prime Minister Churchill would go to the microphone and announce to the world that the war in Europe was over. Paris radio reported that General de Gaulle, head of the French Provisional Government, was preparing ‘an important announcement to the nation.’ Churchill held a full meeting of the British Cabinet at 10 Downing Street this morning after canceling his customary weekend visit to the country... Admiral Dönitz ordered all German submarines to cease hostilities immediately and return to port.” Alongside the main report on the end of the war in Europe, the issue reflects the rapidly unfolding events of those historic days through a variety of related articles and reports: ongoing updates on the continuing war against Japan, including the shooting down of Japanese aircraft, the advance of forces in Burma, air raids on the island of Kyushu, and testimonies of American airmen released from Japanese captivity; a rare photograph of an underground factory for the production of German Heinkel He 162 jet aircraft, discovered by the U.S. Ninth Army inside a salt mine approximately 300 meters underground; reports from the San Francisco Conference on the drafting of the United Nations Charter and agreements among the major powers (“Big Five”), alongside growing diplomatic tensions with the Soviet Union over the future of Poland and the arrest of leaders of the Polish underground, and more. The ״Detroit Times״ was a popular evening newspaper published in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, and was part of the newspaper empire of media magnate William Randolph Hearst. During World War II, as an evening newspaper, it enjoyed a significant advantage in providing up-to-date coverage of developments on the European and Pacific fronts that unfolded during the course of the day. Detroit itself served during those years as the “Arsenal of Democracy” and was a major center of American wartime production, making this widely circulated newspaper an important source of information for hundreds of thousands of industrial workers and their families. 6 pages. 56 cm. Complete issue. Fold marks. Tears and minor losses along the fold lines. Good condition.