THE FINAL WEHRMACHT COMMUNIQUE OF WORLD WAR II, AS RECEIVED BY THE LAST GERMAN ARMY COMMANDER TO SURRENDER

THE FINAL WEHRMACHT COMMUNIQUE OF WORLD WAR II, AS RECEIVED BY THE LAST GERMAN ARMY COMMANDER TO SURRENDER
THE FINAL WEHRMACHT COMMUNIQUE OF WORLD WAR II AS RECEIVED BY THE LAST GERMAN ARMY COMMANDER TO SURRENDER
“THE GERMAN ARMED FORCES HAVE GIVEN WAY – HONORABLY – TO AN OVERWHELMING SUPERIORITY OF STRENGTH” An important German military document a message sent by German president Admiral Karl Donitz one day after the signing of the German surrender in Berlin to the last German army commander of the war to surrender. The document is the two-page text of a military communique received by radio on May 9 1945 at the military headquarters of Gen. FRANZ BOHME (1885-1947) Wehrmacht Commander of Norway and Commander-in-Chief of the 20th Mountain Army. The typed document is headed: “The final armed forces communique of this war” and it was undoubtedly prepared the same day as it was received. Bohme and German forces in Norway had already surrendered the previous day to British Gen. Thorne who would immediately assume his role as Allied Forces Commander (Norway) and Head of SHAEF (Norway). Bohme and his staff would be imprisoned as soon as a functional surrender of the government could be effected. The message reads in small part: “…From the headquarters of the Admiral of the Fleet 9th May 1945 . The High Command of the Armed Forces announces: In East Prussia German divisions still defended bravely to the last the Vistula estuary and the western side of the Frisian neck; in these operations the 7th Infantry Division particularly distinguished itself…its commander General von Saucken will receive the additional honor of the diamonds to his Knight' s Cross…Pushed forward as a defensive screen our armies in Courland…have held in check for a month superior numbers of Soviet rifle and armored troops and in six major battles have won themselves imperishable glory. They refused all earlier opportunities of transport out of the area. Completely correctly only the wounded and fathers of large families were moved in aircraft still flying out to the West. The headquarters staff and officers are remaining with the troops. At midnight on the German side in accordance with the surrender conditions which have been signed all fighting and movement ceased. The defenders of Breslau who had withstood the Soviet attacks for two months succumbed in the last hours after a heroic struggle to the overwhelming strength of the enemy…all higher command headquarters have also observed the order to cease fighting. A Czech insurrection…may endanger the execution of the surrender terms… defenders of strongpoints on the Atlantic our troops in Norway and the garrisons in the Aegean Islands…have bravely maintained the honor of the fighting German soldier. Since midnight firing has ceased and all fronts are silent…the armed forces have discontinued a struggle which had no prospect of success. The heroic fight has gone on for nearly six years is thus at an end. It has brought us great victories but also heavy defeats. The German armed forces have given way - honorably - to an overwhelming superiority of strength [underlined by Bohme]…The German soldier true to his oath and in the highest degree has performed deeds on behalf of his people which will live in memory forever. The home front has supported him to the last… Even the enemy does not deny respect to the deeds and sacrifices of the German fighting forces on land on sea and in the air [this line underlined by Bohme]…Every member of these forces after laying down his arms can stand proudly erect and in the gravest hours of our history go to work boldly and confidently for the eternal life of our people…their fatherland is bleeding from countless wounds…” We suspect the underlined portions may have been quoted by Bohme in a final farewell address to his men. Bohme carried this message with him into captivity as it bears a “No. 11 PRISONER OF WAR CAMP” stamp at top and the notation in English: “This is the personal property of General Bohme POW Nr. B 560393” At some point the document was cleanly torn in half – perhaps accidentally over the years maybe by an vindictive captor or maybe by Bohme himself out of frustration or anger. In 1947 Bohme was brought before the Hostages Trial in Nuremberg and charged with war crimes committed in Serbia in 1941. He increased retaliatory murders of Serbs killing a hundred Serbs for every German killed and fifty for every German wounded. When his extradition to Yugoslavia seemed imminent Bohme leaped to his death from his prison window.