Mr Bromley's summary. Western Europe: Kesselring orders his troops on Western Front...

HW 1/3665

1945 Apr 3

Mr Bromley's summary.

Western Europe: Kesselring orders his troops on Western Front to fight to the end, Apr 1; population of Munster greets Allies with white flags and German 86th Corps cut off in the area before attempting to fight its way through towards Iburg, Apr 2; plans on Apr 2 for attack by 88th Corps and 2nd Parachute Corps on Apr 4 against Allied forces in Oldenzaal area leading to attack against Haltern area; Kesselring orders 17th SS Division to destroy Allied forces south-west of Wuerzburg and to regain line of River Tauber, Apr 1; German plans for counter-attack against British flank, Apr 2; 63rd Corps resubordinated to 47th Panzer Corps on Apr 1, to advance from Hamm and head north; Army Group G ordered by Kesselring to hold at all costs line of River Jagst, Apr 1; GAF claims to have destroyed all 3 bridges over Dortmund-Ems Canal south-east of Rhine, Apr 1; Hitler expects more from his C-in-Cs and GOCs, they should act on their own initiative and not take civilian population into consideration; German High Command gives 2 locations each for future alternative HQs for C-in-C West and Army Groups B, G and H, Mar 29; Hitler's orders for destruction of German factories and other key installations, Mar 31; all military supplies in Bremen area not required at front to be evacuated, Mar 30; 15th Air Division asks which airfields in Army Group B area suitable for limited air supply, Apr 1; Army Group H asks what it should do with up to 15,000 tons of gas ammunition at Lubeck threatened by Allied advance, Apr 1; German gas ammunition in 2 stores south of Fulda to be abandoned intact and without any special markings, Apr 2; on Mar 24, 6 divisions of Army Group B were capable of only limited defensive employment.

Southern Europe: German units in Italy go to readiness 2 in view of war situation in Germany and possibility of imminent large-scale operations in Italy, order not yet given for start of demolition at key installations, Apr 1; ration strength of South-western Region on Mar 20 was some 996,000 men and 115,000 horses.

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