The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-05-03
RUSSIANS SPLIT
'' GERMAN FORCES
~ IVES GALLAGHER

d. THE L. S. NINTH ARMY
WITH 15r Ell ELB E RIVER, May p
on H. 1ha russian drive that reach.
RL ~ Flbe near Wittenberge and
,, me u up with the U. S. Ninth
lInNea a 1r German forces OFT TO-
Army = = new 75-mile wide pocket.
DAY III opstricken Germans tried to
Pan .be Elbe in an attempt to
~ sslil away from the relentless Heo
s'a N Ne same time, British forces
~ oh e the Baltic at Lubbock and
lta l.bsrn Germany now is nothing
1'r'a = series Of isolated pockets.
L I've will to fight is gone com
I-T oIt of German troops Oil
I,'5' front and the end OF all fssnt IT.
tn,9 annears to be matter ct
lus or at the most days.
ho Ist how many troops are left
'u 49, northern German pockets
II d ~ to estimate, but there
Is q lonper is any Eastern or West
en- Front. ~ .r,,,+ # Il ran
-' nalied such. The Allied drive
OF now the Russian offensive had
NV nressed the Germans on the
I 1}sa German divisions known to
t h.Us' been fighting the Russians
NJ, me- day have deserted to the
o areericans across the Elbe the
same day ,;ro,n ~
,,ortbern Germany.
pnssians by-passing Berlin on
18th sides have linked up on both
a ao with the U. S. Ninth Army,
nrs+ At Apollensdorf, south OF
MAJ and today near Wit
4anberge. some Is miles to the
north. This pocket at most is 70
niles nj deep. The Russian armies
.re squeezing enemy troops back
n the Elbe, where they run into
the Ninth Army sitting along the
river edge.
German west plain pocket:
This pocket extends from the
now Russian linkup with the Ninth
Inward the sea where British ar
NOR cut across to the Baltic at
1uebeck, thence east of Rostock
and from there south to a point
inst west of Berlin. In this area
tbe Russians are driving straight
south while American and British
forces are squeezing north. 1t
seems reasonable to believe this
pocket can last only day or two
at tile most.
Denmark pocket:
This has been formed by the
British Second Army drive to the
Baltic and besides Denmark in
cludes Schleswig- Holstein and the
Port Of Hamburg. Here the Ger
mans might make stand across
the narrow Danish peninsula, but
reports from the Danes say that
German morale is so low their
only thought is to surrender.
To the south, with the Italian
\ Austrian collapse there remains
only Czechoslovakia and parts of
Bavaria and Austria. This is the
most formidable of all in the mat
ter Of troops, but the position is just
as hopeless. even though fighting
might 60 on for weeks if German
morale is good. This is considered
unlikely.
Holland pocket:
Holland, which already has sui
fered heavily in this war, now is
engaged in a battle for food and
any surrender in northern Ger.
many is considered likely to bring
similar one in Holland.
This sliclng OF Germany into dis
connected pockets throws upon To-
cal commanders the choice OF
whether to quit or fight, as they
are out Of touch with the supreme
command.
4 This fact, coupled with the death
OF Hitler, is expected to bring a
H flood of wholesale surrenders.
Il In fact, military men believe the
h German position is such that it
makes little difference whether or
4 not Admiral Karl Koenitz, who
says he is Hitler's successor, sur
II renders.
n They believe it is only matter
Il Of days either way.