Cassino to the Alps - US Army Center Of Military History

THE CAPITULATION
GERMAN REPRESENTATIVES RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS FROM GENERAL GRUENTHER
units had gotten word of the surrender
was to invite possible bloodshed. General
Truswtt had thus held Keyes' II
Corps in place since early on 2 May to
allow the German command in the area
east of Lake Garda and in the Piave
and Brenta valleys ample time to get
word of the cease-fire to all units, many
isolated and lacking regular military
communications with their headquarters.
Some German units took advantage
of the delay to attempt escape
through the Alpine passes into Austria,
in spite of a standfast order. Aerial
reconnaissance reported over a thou-
531
sand horse-drawn vehicles and more
than 500 motor vehicles mixed ,,"ith
civilian traffic passing through Bolzano
in the direction of the Brenner pass.
Deterred by poor weather conditions
and reluctant to cause further bloodshed,
Allied pilots made no effort to
attack the columns.
Satisfied by 3 May that all German
units had J"eceived the cease-tiJ"e order,
Truscott let Keyes' II Corps resume
roundup operations. Northeast of Lake
Carda the 85th and 88th Divisions sent
small task forces up the Piave and
Brenta valleys toward the Austrian