Southern France Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 9, 1945, Nice, Provence Alpes Cote d�?TAzur                               Document Ike thanks troops of United nation front obscure As be comes Germany a scattered and conglomerate army had been reduced to approximately 1,705,000 troops opposing the allies on the eve of Complete surrender according to the latest estimates in London military circles. It the ramp Fife note of me once mighty wehrmacht were isolated in pockets extending from Norway to the Aegean 8ea add4 from Estonia to the West coast of France. Bulk of the forces were believed to have been in Czechoslovakia Austria and Yugoslavia. One commentator estimated there were 1,030,000 German troops in those three countries. Gives breakdown his breakdown was chechoslovakia�?25 divisions or 550.000 men Austria remnants of 35 divisions about 450,000 men yugoslavia�?13 divisions or about 130.000 men Aegean Rhodes and Crete islands a about 25,000 men. Courland area near Estonia a 300.000 men Norway up to 200,-000 men the norwegian information service estimated the minimum in Norway was 250,000 French coast pockets�?110,000 men. Further breakdown of the French pockets gave by. Nazaire�?30,000 men dunkirk�?10,000 Channel islands�?30,000 lorient�?25,000. No figures on Navy Hie commentators estimates included regular soldiers 88, air Force and Todt workers. There was no estimate on German naval  Quot military sources estimated that the wehrmacht comprised 8,000,000 men at the Peak of its Power following the fall of France. Little red schoolhouse Allied supreme he. Forward of at Rheims is housed in a Modem red Brick Schodl the building Baa been Gen. Totsen Howerth. Forward he since last fall and had been similarly used by the germans. Tin 8 was the sort of tiling that confronted the germ i of floors ution they went to 8haef Headquarters to negotiate a peace treaty. Fresh in their minds were scenes Tike these of their armies surrendering in Masse to the allies. Of the would be world conquerors herded together under the guns of american soldiers. The pictures Are of fwd captured in the Ruhr pocket signal corps photographers took those shots near historic Remagen scene of the first Rhine Roesslng by 8th army. Now its on to Tokyo is Frisco viewpoint 8hakp, interpreter for Gen. Smith. A Rig. E. 4. Foord sheaf chief of operational intelligence who to Corton germans into room j a cot Ivan Zon Kavitch russian representative. To Chor Taeff interpreter to Gen. Suslo Paroff. Mat Gen. H r. Bull assistant sheaf chief of staff. Gawk adm. Hans Gofer a von Fredeburg commander in chief of Germany Navy. A. G. 8. Wilhelm oxen us aide to Gen. Jodi. Is hand Cen Fri col. R. 0. H. Fol Ellmore sheaf g3, drafted surrender terms. Cot frill be left member of Ober commando wehrmacht n a at equivalent of uj3. War department. Who began negotiations with Friedebur. Gen Eisenhower did not appear i the surrender room. He remained in his office with air chief marshal sir Arthur Tedder and received Jodi afterwards. The House was staffed by american enlisted personnel manageress was pfc Joyce Bennet of new York former Secretary to the manager of the hotel Windemere three Cooks were t-4 Eric Ericson North Caldwell n.  T-5 Charles h. Fickinger Bellville do. And t-5 George Clarck Monmouth Iii pvt. William Bittay new Brunswick n. J., was waiter. Orderlies assigned to Gen. Adm. Georg von Friedburg and col. Fritz Poleck were pfc Charles Phillips Winona tenn., and Pic John Whysall Pontiac. Mich. At night the germans were guarded by six maps in relays of three. They were pfc Jack Al Arnold Lancaster a. Pfc Charles p. Trautner Oakland Calif. Pfc Joeeph r. Fink Detroit pfc Frederick a Stone Pittsburg pfc Clifford p. Cleland Plattsburg. N. Y. And pfc Elmer Cole Little Falls n.  During the weekend surrender peaches Coffee and wine. Dinner conferences at Rheims the German Tomato Jinice. Pork chops mashed delegates a were afforded every potatoes carrots and peas fruit Courtesy and Comfort normally Coffee and ted wine Given an american officer. The on sunday morning the Allied nazis were saluted by u. S. Soldiers officers breakfasted with the nazis had i orderlies and household staff and lived in a seven room House at 3 Rue Godinet normally used As a temporary Billet for officers visiting sheaf. Three Allied officers were in the House with the germans at All times it. Col the Viscount Bury and maj. F.  Lawrence of 21st army up and 2-lt George Reinhardt. Of new York their official interpreter. The nazis meals were the same As those authorized for u. 8. Junior officer messes. Three of the menus were breakfast Grapefruit segments Fried eggs and Bacon Coffee and Toast. Lunch fruit cocktail Fried Chicken mashed potatoes com. The stars and stripes nominates As hero of the news an Anonymous army Telephone operator our teletype went cold dead in the Middle of the Flash announcing Germany a final surrender when we tried to Telephone our Paris office for the Story All direct lines were Busy then the i operator informed of the urgency of the situation routed our Call to Paris by Way of new York. It was about 6.000 Miles but we got the news san. Francisco May 8�? there was no spectacular reaction Here today to the news that the european War had ended. Conference comment was summed up by Brig. Gen. Carlos p. Romulo resident commissioner of the Philippines to the u.s., who said a a Good. Now we can concentrate on  norwegian foreign minister lie said he would return to London to. Supervise food shipments. Envoys ate cookies mailed from u. S. Nazi glowers at lost Armor Rheims May a during the first evening adm. Friedburg and col Poleck nazi surrender delegates stayed Here they were served martinis made by the Allied officers who stayed with them. With the cocktails the enemy representatives got cookies grudgingly contributed by pfc Joyce Bennett House manageress who had received them in a package from Home. Ool a Fritz Poleck one of the German negotiators flown to Brussels was obviously displeased by the sight of wrecked German armoured vehicles visible from the plane As it passed Over Western Germany. Since he did not speak English and his chief. Gen. Adm. Hans Georg von Friedebur slept through most of the flight there was Little conversation aboard the Craft do tag checked at the beginning of his interview with it Gen Walter Bedell Smith German emissary adm. Hans Georg Friedebur was required to display his credentials and authority to represent fuehrer adm. Karl Doenitz. Read Start and stripes when adm. Friedebur and ool Poleck requested some Quot picture magazines to read sunday morning. Pfc Joyce Bennett of new York furnished them copies of the stars and stripes and several american magazines. T