The Wilmington morning star., 1945-03-31
Five. Armies
Push Through
Broken Lines
High Ranking German Says
Resistance In Reich
I. Cor> 4
40 0Oaie ~ .

PARIS, Saturday, March ST.
u. S. tanks Numbered unoppos-
ed across the formidable Elder
river 1872 miles southwest of Ber-
lin in a 21-mile sweep yesterday
and American breakthrough for
ces to the north threatened at any
hour to trap 10000 crack German
troops in the toppling Ruhr.
Five Allied armies, powered by
at least ID armored divisions be-
yond the Rhine, drove almost at
will through the broken German
front, weakened to an almost IA
tai point by $4,000 captives swept
up by Gen. Eisenhower's forces
in the last two days.
There is not any organized line
OF defense between you and Ber-
lin," high-ranking German Of
ficer told his U. S. Third Army
captors. There is not any organ
lied system of government left in
Germany. When you reach Berlin
the whole situation will quickly
dissolve"
At least two U. S. First Army
tank divisions and three U. S.
Third Army armored divisions
were on the high road to Berlin,
brushing past the scant resistance
in gains Of 20 and 81 miles re-
spectively.
The U. S. First Army scored
one of the biggest tactical VIC
tories of another sensational day
by capturing the great Elder dam
near Hemfurt. 1t was taken so
| swiftly it was not even prepared
for the demolitions that would
| have flooded the route to Berlin.
At the same time, the First Ar
my sent its northbound tank col
unlns slashing through Paderborn,
almost at the edge of the north
German plain, miles east of
the eastern limits Of the Ruhr.
The U. S. Ninth Army, break
ing German resistance in the
northern Ruhr after a blazing
tank battle, now was possibly 40
miles beyond the Rhine. It had
forged across one big but unnan-
ed river in the basin to within 60
miles or SO of a junction with the
first at Paderborn. which would
sever the Ruhr from the rest of
Germany.
Another relentless tide Of men
and armor was rolling over the
Westphalian plains north Of the
Ninth Army.
The British Second Army. with
at least three armored divisions
leading the pack, advanced 10
miles overnight, was 40 miles or
more beyond the Rhine and was
reported unofficially to be striking
for the north German ports of
Hamburg, Bremen and Wilhelm
shaven, all pounded during the
day by over $500 U. S. bombers
and fighters.
The British seized DueImen, IS
miles southwest of Muenstes, and
charged up the Muenster highway
against dug-in resistance, blu
elsewhere their armored spear.
heads were reported tanning out
almost unopposed in an almost
solid front under security black
out.
Westward, Canadian and British
forces had cut back into Holland,
possibly to seal off the V-bomb
| coast.
On the south end Of the front,
the U. S. Seventh Army captured
the ancient university city of
Heidelberg and pressed on east
along the Neckar river valley.
cutting in behind the Black Forest
toward the Bavarian Alps, where
the last Nazis may be brought to
bay.
It appeared that the hard-riding
tankmen of the First and Third
Armies were taking the captured
high-ranking officer at his word
and so far they had found it true.
Front dispatches said neither had
struck amy serious resistance in
the drive toward imperiled Der.
| lin.
The U. S. First and Third Army
in Indicating strides toward the
capital were 16 miles or less
from the big locomotive man.
ufacturing center of Kassel by
admittedly belated accounts.
The First Army's Seventh Ar
mored Division, jumping off from
positions north of Frankfurt on
the Main, reeled of 20 miles, forg.
CONTINUED on Pare Two Col. ~