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WEATHER
Continued Fair and Warmer
DIV ARTY RAG
EXTRA

Vol. I
Germany, May 8, 1945
No.30

V-E TODAY!



VICTORY IN EUROPE!


Today is Victory in Europe day! The official announcement will be broadcast by Mr. Churchill at 1300 hours GMT. At 1900 hours GMT the King will broadcast to his people. The King has sent his congratulations to Gen. Eisenhower on the success of the Allied Armies. First news of German capitulation came from an agency correspondent yesterday afternoon. It said the surrender was made at 02141 hours GMT yesterday in a school house. at Rheims, Gen. Eisenhower's headquarters. The surrender was signed for Germany by Col. Gen. Gustav Jodl, the new Chief of Staff of the German Army. Lt. Gen. Bedell Smith signed for Gen. Eisenhower. Maj. Gen. Suslapatov signed for Russia and Gen. Francois Sevez for France. The Germans were repeatedly asked if they understood the terms. They replied "YES," and said they would be carried out by Germany. According to Czechloslovakian patriot radio the Germans fighting in Prague have now agreed to the unconditional surrender terms. The Patriot radio said American tank spearheads were within seven miles of Prague. Russian forces driving west have captured four more towns within a 120 miles of Prague. Off Norway 48 Allied warships have been sighted at the entrance to Oslo Fjord. Other British warships are stated to have entered Trondheim Fjord.

NORWAY NAZIS SURRENDER
The German commander in Norway has told his troops they must carry out the terms of unconditional surrender. The German cruisers Prinz Eugen and Nurenburg with a 160,000 tons of Merchant shipping have surrendered to the British forces.

BRITAIN TO DEAL JAPANESE GREATER BLOWS
Mr. Eden broadcasting in the United States says all the men and materiel employed against the Japanese in Burma will now be free to carry on the good work elsewhere.

SUPERFORTS ATTACK KYUSHU
American Superfortresses have made their 18th attack on Kyushu, the southern island of Japan. American carrier planes have again attacked airfields on an island off Okinawa. In Borneo Allied warplanes are operating on the airfield captured by Australian troops on Terakan island.

YANKS RELEASE PAUL WANER
NEW YORK, May 6--The New York Yankees announced they had given Paul Waner, veteran outfielder, his unconditional release. Waner is the only active player with 5,000 hits.

PORTUGAL NAZIS MOURN FUEHRER
LISBON, May 6 (Reuter)--The ultimate and inevitable resurrection of German might was the theme of memorial Services for Adolph Hitler, held here today in German Catholic and Lutheran churches. The Catholic church was not big enough to hold members of the German community who tried to attend, and a loudspeaker was set up for standees in the courtyard.--Stars & Stripes.

CORRECTION
The Div Arty Rag stated that the 231st A. F. A. would play C Btry., 212th A. F. A., Thursday 10 May. The correct schedule cals for A Btry., 128th A. F. A. vs. C Btry., 212th.
Game time has been changed from 1830 to 1500 for all league games.

GAME POSTPONED
The game that was scheduled between Div. Arty. officers and Bakelite officers yesterday was postponed. It is expected that Div. Arty. officers will play the officers of 212th AFA today at 1400. Pitching for the Badger Farm club will be either Col. Pope or Lt. Welden.
The EM of Hq. Btry., 212th, shellacked their superiors yesterday by the embarrassing score of 30-5.

BATTERY BELCHES
(Extracts from "Div Arty Rag" taken from several editions) T. S. Friedrich experienced a sudden soar to loftier heights of popularity when he became the recipient of a parcel direct from the United States Territorial Possession of Louseyanna. Due credit goes to the Shamokin baseball "ump" for efforts expended to procure the mail. Among the grateful was the Loueyville Lt. who received the solitary V-Mail of the day.

Air section recently aired documents and official Nazi papers heretofore buried in the ground by an SS Jerry. Peck's Rogues promptly turned the cache over to the Section

"Killer" Cain has been so indoctrinated with this non-fraternization business that he has begun to apply it to of his "friends." Last night the band was playing a lively tune and this prompted a comrade to jokingly ask, "May I have the next dance, Cain?" The comrade was "killed" by Cain with the reply, "Sure, I don't want it!"

Howard Muraski and John Walker were appointed by order of the President, the Grace of God, the B. C. and on down the line, to be Technician 5th Grade (Temporarily). Both are considered first class C. B. I. bait.

MERCHANDISE: If you wish to sell, buy or swap-rags, bones, junk or beat-up cameras, or rusty old Lugers, consult "Sales" Sousa or "Bozham" Bramer of Shysters Unlimited Unincorporated Unscrupulous Enterprises, successors (?) to Surprenant, Souza & Van Bramer Laundry Services. All transactions are confidential and for a profit. If you need cash for the deal, the only security required is your mother. "Sales" and "Bozham" will furnish the chains to safeguard your interest.

"Buy from Bramer -
Sell to Souza --
Swap with Shysters."


Yesterday's inspection caused many a worry to some of us, especially that of the billets. Since "Mauldin" sleeps in the barn, a cleanup of quarters would mean the dusting of rafters, pitching of hay and shoveling of potatoes, an impossible task to say the least. "Mauldin" reached a Solomon-like decision and moved to the field rather than endure the luxuries of garrison life.

Famed horsemen were brought to mind by the men of the Battery when two saddle horses showed up in the vicinity. The riders of the hoofed animals ranged from the likes of Tommy Hitchcock on down to Ichabod Crane.

To add a variety to the diet of the battery two hunting parties were formed to supply game or fowl for the kitchen cauldrons.
Party 1 (A. M.)--Heckart, Garland, Bardine, Hulsey, Feddorko, Allegra.
Party 2 (P. M.)--Fedorko, Grillo, Allegra.

The morning group brought back four deer and the afternoon group five. Whittington and Rodgers volunteered to dress the meat and did the job expertly. Both men agreed that if the meat was hung a day it would be in its prime today. The hunters estimate that there will be several pounds of venison for each man of the battery when the nine deer are prepared.
The chase was good sport and proof that the Div. Arty. huntsmen are dead shots on the range, in the field, and against the enemy.

TONNDORF BUSINESS BOOMS
Schloss Tonndorf is developing into a growing community with various enterprises and utilities. It now boasts of a laundry service ably operated by Pfc. Kleszczewski, a radio repair service, a tailor shop, and dry cleaning agency, a Post Exchange, a movie house, an outdoor beer garden, a newspaper, a baseball diamond, a military government, a police force, a photo laboratory, a ballroom, and an airport.

"SOUPY" SMILES AGAIN
"Soupy" was tickled to hear of the rubes who bit on the Berlin pass gag. Barnum was right; one a minute. Typical of the clique regime, those who "were" bound for Berlin kept the mission a secret and stealthily rolled their bedding, packed their musette bags, etc., and appeared at a bewildered 1st Sgt's office.
Some complained when told that their names were not picked to make the trip and claimed that they were eternally unlucky. The 1st Sgt. Had an excellent opportunity to study the various approaches used by individuals requesting special favors. In a way it was a weird gag, but it did provide a laugh to all but those directly concerned. God help me if I bite now.
SS: I lost my comb, may I borrow yours?

TS: Yes, but it's dirty!

SS: That's alright. So is rny head.


Editor Francis at work
Editor T/5 Philip J. Francis "sweats out" one of his own headlines.

THE BIRTH OF THE DIV ARTY "RAG"
The Div Arty Rag was first printed in Normandy as a bulletin containing the highlights of the news. A portable typewriter was used in lieu of a more satisfactory duplicator. At that time only 6 or 8 sheets were typed and distributed. In Lorraine a German Burgomeister "contributed" a screen process mimeograph with the necessary supplies. 25 copies were printed and distribution then included the Battalions of Division Artillery. New ideas were introduced and supplies of liberated materials enabled the Rag to increase in both volume and circulation.

Today the Rag features sports, gossip, and miscellaneous items of interest. The number of copies printed each day numbers about 66.

Numerous individuals have contributed in one way or another in the publishing of our Div Arty Rag and this is intended to be an acknowledgement of their aid.


[Editors Note: This is an image of the Div Arty Rag that was published in this book. The text is reproduced above]


Division Arty Rag

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