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And the fight goes on...Field Marshal Schorner’s Army Group South (or what’s left of it) continues to resist the Soviets in Bohemia and the Czech lands, hoping to get west to surrender to the Americans. The Germans really didn’t want to go into Soviet captivity. While the German OKW hasn’t had contact with Schorner since May 2, a liason officer did make it through to him on either May 8 or 9 to convey the news of the general surrender. Schorner is reported to have said he did pass the order along, but could not guarantee it would be obeyed. There is more than a hint of duplicity in the account.

As for Schorner, his tale became one long string of “good news bad/news.” Good news: He saved his own hide by changing into civilian clothes and hopped into an experimental helicopter or Fiesler Storch, deserting his troops who were being rounded up by the Soviets. Bad News: his aircraft crashed in Austria. Good News: He survived the crash, and was captured by the Americans, as he wished. Bad News: The Americans turned him over to the Soviets, who tried him for war crimes and sentenced him to 25 years hard labor. Good News: Chancellor Adenauer secured his release in 1955 along with the other POWs held by the USSR. Bad News: When he got back to Germany, he was tried in a West German Court. His crime? Ordering the execution of German soldiers who were suspected of desertion or cowardice (which is exactly what he wound up doing). Good news: Due to health reasons, his sentence was commuted in 1961. Bad News: they stripped him of his pension. Good news: He had a portion of it restored. Bad News: he lived the rest of his life in poverty and shame, having been one of the few officers tried by the Courts of Germany and her opponents. Good News: He was the last surviving German Field Marshal, having outlived von Manstein by 23 days, and none have been created since. Bad News: The rightful verdict of history is that he was a dirtbag.