SOUTHERN DRIVE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 88, 14 April 1945, Page 5

SOUTHERN DRIVE

NEAR CZECH BORDER

Third Army Units Reported By-Passing Leipzig N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. 1.30 p.m. LONDON, April 13. Third Army forces have entered Pegau, ten miles from Leipzig, and are now moving- forward against surprisingly little resistance toward the Czech border, say correspondents. Other Third Army forces captured Jena after a brief "battle of honour," in which only a [ev/ shots were exchanged after the German commander nad refused to surrender to an ultimatum. Reuters correspondent with the Third Army says General Patton's Fourth Armoured Division has crossed the Mulde River, by-passing Leipzig at a point 47 miles east of Jena, to the south-west., after advancing at least 32 miles from the point where they were last reported. General Patton's Sixth Armoured Division also reached the Mulde after a 24 miles advance. ..General Patton's Eleventh Armoured Division is 15 miles from Bayreuth, 30 miles across the Czech frontier, says Reuters correspondent at Supreme Headquarters. Seventh Army tanks and infantry are 30 miles north-west of Nuremberg and other Seventh Army units are 17 miles north-west of Bamberg. Reuters correspondent points out that the Fourth Armoured Division's thrust past Leipzig brings General Patton nearer Dresden than Marshal Koniev, whose, forces were last reported near Gorlitz.