Volume 14 , Issue 19

On This Day: 7 May 1945

It was on 7 May 1945, in The New York Times, the headlines declaring that the war in Europe had ended. Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France, to take effect the following day, ending the European conflict of World War II.

Reims, France, May 7 --- Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Western Allies and the Soviet Union at 2:41 A. M. French time today. [This was at 8:41 P.M., Eastern Wartime Sunday.]

The surrender took place at a little red school house that is the headquarters of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. The surrender, which brought the war in Europe to a formal end after five years, eight months and six days of bloodshed and destruction, was signed for Germany by Col. Gen. Gustav Jodl. General Jodl was the new Chief of Staff of the German Army. The surrender was signed for the Supreme Allied Command by Lieut. Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, Chief of Staff for General Eisenhower. It was also signed by Gen. Ivan Susloparoff for the Soviet Union and by Gen. Francois Sevez for France.

The official Allied announcement was made at 9 o'clock Tuesday morning when President Truman broadcasted a statement and Prime Minster Churchill issued a V-E Day proclamation, Gen. Charles de Gaulle also addressed the French at the same time. General Eisenhower was not present at the signing, but immediately afterward General Jodl and his fellow delegate, Gen. Admiral Hans Georg Friedeburg, were received by the Supreme Commander.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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