Nazi Commander in North Africa Surrenders to American Jewish Officer

Checking with its Bureau of War Records, the National Jewish Welfare Board today established that Lieut. Albert Klein, to whom Major General Fritz Krause, artillery commander of the Afrika Corps surrendered in Tunisia, is a 23-year-old Jewish boy from Waukegan, Ill. He is married and has been in service for two years.

Lieutenant Klein is reported to have delivered the American “unconditional surrender” ultimatum to Gen. Krause. He gave the Nazi general twenty minutes to decide, after reaching the latter’s headquarters near Bizerte. The German general agreed to surrender and was then questioned by the American Jewish Lieutenant prior to being taken to the headquarters of Major Gen. Omar N. Bradley.

Speaking at a press conference today, Frank L. Weil, president of the National Jewish Welfare Board, outlined the activities of the J.W.B.’s Bureau of War Records which compiles reports of Jewish participation in the armed forces. He spoke of the cooperation which the Bureau is given by the military authorities in its research work, and related how Jewish communities throughout the country are assisting in compiling lists of Jews in the service. Milton Weill, chairman of the public relations committee of the Jewish Welfare Board, presided at the conference. Dr. Samuel C. Kohs, director of the J.W.B.’s Bureau of War Records, gave interesting details on how the material on Jews in the Army and Navy is collected.