To bolster overseas morale –
Navy orders breaking up of home athletic outfits
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Völkischer Beobachter (April 7, 1945)
Im Zeichen erfolgreicher Abwehr
Kühl sehen wir den Gefahren ins Auge
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‚Gewitter im Samowar‘
Stockholm, 6. April – Das Buch des US-Journalisten Bill White „Bericht über die Sowjetrussen,“ in welchen der Verfasser nach einem Besuch der Sowjetunion schildert, hat nach einer Meldung der US-Zeitschrift Time den.
Unwillen der roosevelthörigen Zeitungen und Zeitschriften in den USA ausgelöst. Als Beispiel führt die Zeitschrift ein Spottgedicht der Saturday Review of Literature an, in dem den amerikanischen Journalisten und Verfassern der Rat erteilt wird, „schreibt nicht mehr über Stalin und die Sowjetunion.“ Die Time schleißt ihren Bericht, der die Überschrift „Gewitter im Samowar“ trägt, mit den Worten: „White muss nun eingesehen haben, dass die Sowjetunion für einen eifrigen amerikanischen Reporter augenblicklich kein erwünschtes Thema ist.“
Oberdonau-Zeitung (April 7, 1945)
Japans neuer Ministerpräsident
Admiral Suzuki und die Wehrmacht berufen
Tokio, 6. April – Zur Betrauung des Barons Suzuki, des ehemaligen, heute 76-jährigen Admirals, mit der Kabinettsumbildung erklärte der Sprecher des japanischen Außenministeriums, Igutschi, dass in Japan die Bildung eines noch stärkeren Kabinetts allgemein erwartet worden sei.
Das Kabinett Suzuki solle alle Kräfte der Nation auf das eine große Ziel ausrichten, die erfolgreiche Beendigung des Krieges. Wie Domei meldet, geht auf Grund der gemeinsam geführten Besprechungen Suzukis mit den bisherigen Wehrmachtsministern hervor, dass das neue Kabinett in vollem Umfange mit dem japanischen Heer und der japanischen Kriegsmarine Zusammenarbeiten werde. Ein neuer Kriegsminister und Kriegsmarineminister werden ernannt werden.
Führer HQ (April 7, 1945)
Kommuniqué des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht
Im deutsch-ungarischen Grenzgebiet stoßen unsere Verbände zwischen Mur und oberer Raab in den Rücken einer feindlichen Kampfgruppe. Im Brennpunkt der Kämpfe südlich und westlich Wien wurden starke Kräfte des Gegners nach anfänglichem Geländegewinn aufgefangen. An der March und in den Südwestausläufern der Weißen Karpaten wurden zahlreiche Angriffe der Bolschewisten abgewiesen.
Von der Front zwischen den Westbeskiden und dem Stettiner Haff werden nur Kampfhandlungen von örtlicher Bedeutung gemeldet.
An der Danziger Bucht ist es durch den vorbildlichen Einsatz von Verbänden der neunten Sicherungsdivision sowie weiteren Einheiten der Kriegsmarine und des Pionierlandungsverbandes Henke trotz starkem feindlichem Feuer gelungen, sämtliche Verwundeten und einsatzfähigen Waffen von der Oxhöfter Kämpe auf die Putziger Nehrung überzusetzen. In der westlichen Weichselniederung wurden örtliche Angriffe der Sowjets bis auf einen Einbruch abgewiesen.
Vor der Festung Königsberg nahmen die Angriffe gegen die Süd- und Nordfront an Heftigkeit zu. Sie scheiterten in harten Kämpfen an dem zähen Widerstand unserer Besatzung. Einige Einbrüche wurden im Gegenstoß abgeriegelt.
In Nordostholland wurden feindliche Abteilungen in heftigen Gefechten bei Cövorden aufgefangen. In den Kampfabschnitten von Lingen und Rheine scheiterten englische Angriffe unter blutigen Verlusten. Nördlich des Dümmersees wurden feindliche Panzerspitzen bei Kornau zum Stehen gebracht.
Der Druck an der Weser hat sich verstärkt. Bei Stolzenau würde ein Brückenkopf durch unsere Gegenangriffe eingeengt. Südlich Hameln übergesetzte amerikanische Kräfte sind im Vorgehen nach Osten. Westlich der Weser drückte der Gegner vorgeschobene Sicherungen aus Bad Pyrmont und Hofgeismar auf die Weser zurück. An der Nordfront des Ruhrgebietes wurde eine feindliche Panzergruppe, die nach Dortmund durchzustoßen versuchte, durch zusammengefasstes Artilleriefeuer zurückgeschlagen. Auch im Raum von Soest und beiderseits Winterberg sowie am Siegabschnitt blieben die Amerikaner nach Verlust von zahlreichen Panzern liegen.
Östlich Mühlhausen in Thüringen sind heftige Kämpfe im Gange. Während Eisenach und Langensalza verlorengingen, führen unsere Truppen• aus dem Gebirgsmassiv des Thüringer Waldes heraus heftige Angriffe gegen die rückwärtigen Verbindungen des Feindes.
Zwischen der Rhön und Karlstadt am Main drängten amerikanische Kampfgruppen unsere Sicherungen nach Osten. Die Besatzung von Würzburg behauptete sich im Nordteil der Stadt gegen die feindlichen Angriffe. Unsere Truppen verhinderten im Raum von Marktbreit in Gegenstößen größeren feindlichen Bodengewinn und wiesen an der Jagst örtliche Angriffe zurück. Zwischen Heilbronn, in dem heftig gekämpft wird, und Ettlingen in Baden riegelten Panzer und Grenadiere einen tieferen Einbruch südwestlich Brettens im Gegenangriff ab und vernichteten dabei 23 Panzer und Panzerspähwagen.
Nach bisher vorliegenden Meldungen haben unsere Truppen gestern im Westen 67 Panzer und Panzerspähwagen der Briten und Amerikaner abgeschossen.
In Italien wurden erneute Angriffe am Mont Cenis und an der Ligurischen Küste abgewiesen. An der Adria gelang es den Briten, nach starkem Materialeinsatz einen kleineren Brückenkopf zwischen dem Comacchiosee und dem Reno zu bilden. Er wurde abgeriegelt.
In Nordwestdalmatien dauern die heftigen Abwehrkämpfe an.
Amerikanische Bomberverbände flogen gestern in den mitteldeutschen Raum ein und trafen besonders die Wohngebiete von Leipzig, Halle und Gera.
In den Kämpfen der letzten Wochen hat sich im Philisgebirge in Ungarn eine tagelang abgeschnittene Regimentsgruppe unter Führung von Oberst von Limburg durch starke feindliche Kräfte zu den eigenen Linien durchgekämpft. Dieser Erfolg ist besonders dem Regimentsführer zu verdanken, der trotz Verwundung durch seine beispielhafte Zähigkeit und Entschlossenheit die Truppe mitriss.
Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (April 7, 1945)
FROM
(A) SHAEF MAIN
ORIGINATOR
PRD, Communique Section
DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN
071100A April
TO FOR ACTION
(1) AGWAR
(2) NAVY DEPARTMENT
TO (W) FOR INFORMATION (INFO)
(3) TAC HQ 12 ARMY GP
(4) MAIN 12 ARMY GP
(5) AIR STAFF
(6) ANCXF
(7) EXFOR MAIN
(8) EXFOR REAR
(9) DEFENSOR, OTTAWA
(10) CANADIAN C/S, OTTAWA
(11) WAR OFFICE
(12) ADMIRALTY
(13) AIR MINISTRY
(14) UNITED KINGDOM BASE
(15) SACSEA
(16) CMHQ (Pass to RCAF & RCN)
(17) COM ZONE
(18) SHAEF REAR
(19) SHAEF MAIN
(20) PRO, ROME
(21) HQ SIXTH ARMY GP
(REF NO.)
NONE
(CLASSIFICATION)
IN THE CLEAR
Communiqué No. 364
UNCLASSIFIED: Allied forces have broken out of their bridgehead across the Twente Canal and are astride the Zutphen-Deventer highway within two miles of Deventer. To the northeast our forward elements have reached Meppen following a 15-mile advance. Lingen has been cleared and we have gained a bridgehead across the Ems River in the Lingen area. We captured Ibbenbüren, east of Rheine, and reached Diepholz, northeast of Osnabrück. Our units secured a bridgehead north on Minden on the right bank of the Weser River. Minden is in our hands. Our forces are at a point five miles south of Bückeburg. We are fighting in Hameln, and to the south we have crossed the Weser River near Tündern and continued eastward. In the area northeast of Warburg our units reached the vicinity of Bruchhausen, and we are at Tietelsen and Borgentreich. We captured Hofgeismar, ten miles east of Warburg, and to the southeast we reached Hann-Münden after repulsing a counterattack.
Our forces advanced 12 miles on a five-mile front east and southeast of Kassel. We repulsed a counterattack in the vicinity of Osterode, 13 miles southwest of Kassel. Our infantry entered Bad Langensalza and other elements are in the area four to seven miles north of Gotha. Infantry units, mopping up behind our armor, are in an area 13 to 18 miles southwest of Gotha. We cleared Eisenach and Meiningen and our armored elements have reached the vicinity of Stützerbach. We made gains into the Ruhr Pocket from the north and east. Hamm has been cleared, and to the east we captured Norddinker and Süddinker. Our armor took Bettinghausen and Schmerlecke, northeast of Soest. We reached Olsberg and captured Siedlinghausen north of Winterberg, and our armor is beyond Winkhausen, west of the city. Considerable opposition is being met in the Siegen area. We advanced to the outskirts of Fulda and cleared a substantial area to the south.
Würzburg has been cleared and gains were made north and south of the city. Farther south our units gained more than six miles south of Bad Mergentheim. We cleared one-third of Heilbronn. East and southeast of Karlsruhe we captured Bretten, and reached Stein.
Allied forces in the west captured 40,107 prisoners 5 April.
Railyards at Leipzig, Halle and Gera, southwest of Leipzig, were attacked by escorted heavy bombers in strength. Other railyards at northeim, Göttingen, in the area south of Nordhausen and north of Bayreuth, and at Stuttgart; and an ammunition dump at Gailenkirchen, east of Heilbronn, were targets for medium, light and fighter-bombers.
Fortified positions and troop concentrations at Gollhofen, southeast of Würzburg; Löwenstein and Schwäbisch Hall, east of Heilbronn; at Ellwangen; and in the area northeast of Strasbourg were attacked by fighter-bombers. Enemy airfields at Bindersleben, west of Erfurt, and at Illesheim, northeast of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, were targets for other fighter-bombers.
COORDINATED WITH: G-2, G-3 to C/S
THIS MESSAGE MAY BE SENT IN CLEAR BY ANY MEANS
/s/
Precedence
“OP” - AGWAR
“P” - Others
ORIGINATING DIVISION
PRD, Communique Section
NAME AND RANK TYPED. TEL. NO.
D. R. JORDAN, Lt Col FA4655
AUTHENTICATING SIGNATURE
/s/
U.S. Navy Department (April 7, 1945)
CINCPOA Communiqué No. 324
On April 6 and 7 (East Longitude Dates), the enemy attempted strong counterattacks against our forces operating in the vicinity of Okinawa.
During the late afternoon and evening of April 6, a large force of enemy aircraft attacked our ships and shore installations in the vicinity of Okinawa. One hundred sixteen of these enemy aircraft were destroyed – 55 by our fighters and the remainder by our anti-aircraft fire. The attacking enemy aircraft pressed their attacks in with desperation and succeeded in sinking three of our destroyers and damaging several destroyers and smaller craft. No larger fleet units were hit.
Early on April 7, Navy search aircraft of Fleet Air Wing One sighted an enemy surface force which had left the Inland Sea and passing south of Kyushu had headed into the East China Sea. The force included the large battleship YAMATO, the most powerful ship left in the Japanese Navy, an AGANO-class light cruiser, one other small light cruiser or large destroyer, and a number of destroyers. A fast carrier task force commanded by VADM Marc A. Mitscher steamed toward the enemy at high speed and during the middle of the day brought the Japanese Force under air attack.
Our carrier aircraft which had destroyed 245 enemy aircraft on April 6, met no opposition over the Japanese ships but did meet heavy anti-aircraft fire. At a point about 50 miles southwest of Kyushu they sank the YAMATO, the light AGANO-class cruiser, the small cruiser and three destroyers. Three other destroyers were left burning. About three destroyers escaped from this attack.
The YAMATO was hit by at least eight torpedoes and eight heavy bombs. All the enemy ships were heavily strafed with rockets and machine guns.
Our carriers lost seven aircraft in this action. During minor contacts on April 7, they and their aircraft shot down 30 enemy aircraft. The task groups participating were commanded by RADMs F. C. Sherman, USN; A. W. Radford, USN; G. F. Bogan, USN, and J. J. Clark, USN.
The Marine III Amphibious Corps on Okinawa moved forward steadily in the northern sector throughout the afternoon of April 6. By 1800, it had made advances which placed its front lines across Ishikawa Isthmus from Chuda on the west coast to the mouth of the Kinbaru River on the east coast. In the south, strong enemy resistance developed during the day. From its strong defensive positions the enemy employed machine gun, small arms, mortar and artillery fire against the XXIV Army Corps throughout April 6, and the following night. Army troops along the East Coast in the southern sector advanced about 2,000 yards during the afternoon of April 6, and occupied the town of Tsuwa. The enemy in the south was brought under heavy fire by our artillery throughout the day.
Search aircraft of FlAirWing One attacked airfields in Kyushu, destroying four fighters on the ground, probably destroying three others and damaging about 15 more by strafing.
Liberators of the 7th Army Air Force bombed dock installations and buildings at Truk in the Carolines on April 5.
Neutralizing raids on enemy bases in the Marshalls were continued on April 5 by planes of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.
CINCPOA Communiqué No. 325
The Marine III Amphibious Corps continued to drive northward against negligible enemy resistance on the Ishikawa Isthmus of Okinawa on April 7 (East Longitude Date). By noon of that date, the Marines had advanced about 3,000 yards to the vicinity of Nago Town on the west coast and Ora Bay on the east coast. The XXIV Army Corps in the south was moving through difficult terrain in which the enemy is fortified behind an extensive system of strong points, pillboxes, blockhouses and trenches. Carrier aircraft, ships’ guns and heavy artillery continued to bombard enemy positions. A small group of aircraft attacked our forces early in the day. Twelve were shot down.
A carrier task force of the British Pacific Fleet attacked airfields and other installations on Ishigaki and Miyako in the Sakishima group on April 6 and 7. British fighters destroyed five enemy aircraft in the air and three others on the ground.
Further information on the action of fast carrier task forces of the U.S. Pacific Fleet on April 6 shows that our aircraft sank four small cargo ships and many small craft in the area of the Ryukyus and destroyed two aircraft on the ground, this damage being in addition to that previously reported. On April 7, after attacking Japanese surface forces off Kyushu, one of our heavy fleet units suffered minor damage during an aircraft attack but is fully operational.
Hellcat and Corsair fighters of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing bombed and strafed warehouses and other installations in the Palaus on April 7.
CINCPOA Press Release No. 63
For Immediate Release
April 7, 1945
Additional information on the three‑day strike of the British Pacific Fleet on the Sakishima Group 31 March to 2 April (East Longitude Dates) shows extensive damage inflicted on enemy ground installations in those islands, destruction of 22 enemy aircraft and damage to nine others. Some major units of the British Pacific Fleet sustained slight damage from enemy aircraft during the attacks but all major units remained fully operational.
The Pittsburgh Press (April 7, 1945)
Japs’ last big battleship sunk
8 other war vessels blasted by Mitscher – 391 planes destroyed
Jap fleet blasted north of Okinawa
GUAM (UP) – Adm. Chester W. Nimitz today announced Japan had lost the most powerful dreadnaught left in her battered fleet – the 40,000-ton super-battleship Yamato – eight other warships sunk or damaged and 391 planes in a desperate air and sea attempt to stem the American invasion of Okinawa.
U.S. losses were three destroyers sunk, several destroyers and smaller craft damaged, and seven planes shot down.
In addition to the Yamato, the Japs lost a light cruiser of the 6,000-ton Agano class, a smaller cruiser and three destroyers. Three other destroyers were left burning.
Their air losses included: 116 planes lost to U.S. fighters and anti-aircraft in a Jap attack April 6 on shore installations and ships off Okinawa; 245 planes shot down by fleet carrier fighters in the same action; 30 Jap planes shot down April 7, the day on which the Jap fleet losses were inflicted.
The Yamato was hit by at least eight torpedoes launched by torpedo aircraft, and eight heavy bombs, in addition to strafing by rocket and machine-gun fire.
Adm. Nimitz revealed that the blow to the desperate Japs was once again inflicted by the fast carrier force of Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher.
The Yamato, Adm. Nimitz said, was the most powerful battleship left in the Jap fleet. It was probably Japan’s newest dreadnaught, laid down in 1938 or 1939, and probably commissioned after the start of the Pacific war.
It was rated at better than 40,000 tons but the exact figure never was known. It was supposed to have been armed with nine 16-inch guns and had a speed of 30 knots or better.
The Okinawa sea-air battle, Adm. Nimitz revealed, opened yesterday, Guam Time, with a strong Jap air attack launched against our forces on Okinawa and the concentration of ships lying off shore.
The Japs “pressed their attacks with desperation,” Adm. Nimitz said, and succeeded in sinking three U.S. destroyers and damaging several other smaller craft. But they failed to hit any of our larger fleet units.
In this battle the fleet carrier fighters had a field day, knocking 245 Jap planes out of the sky while fighter plane pilots on Okinawa and ack-ack batteries there accounted for another 116.
Early today fleet air search planes sighted a Jap surface fleet which had steamed out of its refuge in the Inland Sea and, passing south of the Jap island of Kyushu, had headed into the East China Sea.
The force, possible as strong a fleet as the Japs could muster for their all-out effort to oust us from Okinawa, was seen to comprise the Yamato, one Agano-class light cruiser, another smaller light cruiser. or large destroyer and an unspecified number of other destroyers.
Adm. Mitscher, as so many times previously. was ordered to the attack. His fast carrier force charged in at high speed and by noon brought the Japs to bay.
Three destroyers escape
While the fleet planes had found the sky filled with Jap aircraft yesterday, they discovered no Jap planes over the fleet when they drove in for the attack.
The Japs opened up with heavy anti-aircraft fire, but the American planes pressed in.
Attacking the Japs at a point only 50 miles southwest of Kyushu, they rammed at least eight torpedoes into the big Yamato and rained eight heavy bombs onto her. She sank. In the same vicinity they sank the Agano cruiser, the small cruiser and three destroyers. Three other destroyers were left ablaze.
“About three destroyers escaped from the attack,” Adm. Nimitz said.
Gain on Okinawa
The carrier forces which made the attack were commanded by Rear Adms. F. C. Sherman, A. W. Radford, G. F. Bogan and J. J. Clark.
The weight of the enemy attack made it plain that the desperate Japs, in the midst of a deep cabinet crisis, with U.S. forces firmly installed at Okinawa and faced with the Soviet denunciation of the Russo-Jap neutrality pact, had made a do-or-die attempt to drive us from Okinawa.
At the same time on land, U.S. forces encountered stiffened Jap Opposition as they drove into the strong positions designed to protect the northern tip of Okinawa and the capital of Naha.
Adm, Nimitz reported that, nevertheless, Marine forces at the north drove forward across the Ishikawa Isthmus from Chuda on the west to the mouth of the Kimbaru River on the east.
To the south. Army troops gained about 2,000 yards and occupied the town of Tsuwa.
The 7th Infantry Division was within 200 yards of the Yonabaru airfield on the east coast. Other U.S. forces were within 4,000 yards of the west coast Cachinata field above Naha.
Another announcement revealed that some major units of the British Pacific Fleet also suffered minor damage from air attacks during an earlier five-day bombardment of the Sakishima islands, southwest of Okinawa. The British force was known to include the 35,000-ton battleship HMS King George V and the 23,000-ton aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious.
The Jap planes which attacked the British apparently came from Formosa. The British shot down five planes.
Pacific Fleet headquarters announced that the 77th Infantry Division killed 539 Japs and captured 166 in the seizure of the Kerama Islands 10 to 20 miles west of Okinawa prior to the main landing on Okinawa last Sunday.
All of Germany’s gold seized by Yanks in mine
British near Bremen – Americans 26 miles beyond Weser Line
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