DRAMATIC HOUR

Evening Star, Issue 25470, 28 April 1945, Page 7

DRAMATIC HOUR

ALLIES MEET IN GERMANY

HITLER'S REICH CUT IN TWO ——I——MBBW JBIIIIIIIIJIIMBMBMBW—IHIIIIWI WW——■ (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 11 a.m.) ~~~~~ RUGBY, April 27. The historical link-up of the war has taken place. An announcement from No. 10 Downing Street states: " General Eisenhower reports that contact has been established between his ground forces and those of our Soviet Allies. The commanders of a United States division and . a Russian Guards division met at Torgau, 30 miles east-north-east of Leipzig and 40 miles north-east of Dresden on April 26 at 4 p.m. The mutual exchange of Allied prisoners of war was discussed. "The first contact between patrols took place at 4.40 p.m. on April 25, when a first lieutenant and three men of an intelligence and reconnaissance platoon of a United States division met forward elements of a Russian*Guards division." For some days there have been indications that a link-up was imminent or had already taken place. United States First Army troops had been listening on field radio receivers to Soviet officers giving orders to their troops and Russian-speaking American troops had been standing by in armoured scout cars while the Russians had sent into forward lines liaison officers to work with the Americans.

The link-up cuts Germany in half, with the northern ports and naval bases north of the cut and Hitler's " southern redoubt " below the line. The announcement of the link-up was followed by statements from Mr Churchill, Marshal Stalin, and President Truman.