LINK-UP EXPECTED AT ANY MOMENT

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 13738, 23 April 1945, Page 3

LINK-UP EXPECTED AT ANY MOMENT

AMERICAN AND RUSSIAN ' ARMIES ■ A | MEETING OF FORCES MAY BE PROCLAIMED IN UNITED NATIONS ANNOUNCEMENT - j. GERMAN COLUMNS SPEEDING TOWARDS MOUNTAN FORTRESS London, April 22. The gap between the American and Russian forces has shrunk so far that at its narrowest point every square yard of German Territory can easily be reached either by Russian or American long-range guns . A link up is expected at any moment. . War correspondents with the American Ninth Army wiere told to-day that when the two armies join up correspondents will not be the first to announce it to the world. It is likely to be proclaimed in a United Nations announcement by the governments of Britain, the United States and Russia. Or,e correspondent tells of columns of German transport speeding south through the gap towards the so-called mountain fortress. There were also long columns on foot, Allied prisoners being marched away from the clcselytbrratened area around Berlin. On the west bank of the El>*e American First Armv t.rb-ms now occupy two-thirds of Dessau after violent

To the. P'nitli the American Thh'd Armv is still closing the wf’t’rn borders of Ot:^ohovakii fmd the American Seventh Arspv. after clearing Nuremberg', has freed, more than 1 7.000 Alhed prisoners of war. At. thy most First A rmv has replied the Swiss border. One correspondent said ,the’ r occupied Stuttgart yesterday and have now cut a, German pocket in 1000 squpro DiiV- of the Black Forest'region. In another German pocket, the Forest, all organised resistance has ended. So far 50,000 German prisoners have been taken tb-m and Americans have liquidated a brand new Gorman Division which had a combat life of only 12 days . On the middle reaches of the Elbe Ninth Army troops foiled yet another attempt bv German swimmers to blow up one of the bridges across the river to their positions on the east bank.

The Germans say that farther north strong forces of the Ninth Army, with assault boats and amphibious tanks, have tried to force another crossing of the Elbe. Farther downstream, where the river runs north-west towards Hamburg the Ninth Army’s left flank is pushing through forest country towards the British Second Army positions. British infanjry are coming to meet them about 20 miles away. . United Kingdom formations are making steady progress as they push into the outer defences of Hamburg and Bremen. Another north German nort, Kiel, was bombed last night by British, Mosquitoes. K.A.F. intruders attacked airfields and mines were laid. Two British aircraft, are missing. A polish tank column is now reported within 15 miles of the naval base of Emden. Other troops of the Canadian First Army in the Western Netherlands are pushing steadily towards Amsterdam and its flood water defences. It is reported that in the north the Germans have opened sluice gates and let North Sea waters sweep into the lew-lying country. . ’’