The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-04-21
3 Armies Heading
 For Bavarian Alps
(Continued from Page D

reports that the Allied master plan called for the Red Army to take the Nazi capital.
 American -bombers pounc- ed on big convoy of Nazi Elite Guards and 150 trucks moving vest ward toward Magdeburg on the Ber- lin superhighway this afternoon.
 Streaking in so low that they were able to identify the Nazi Elite Guard uniforms, the American flyers bomber and strafed the enemy column repeatedly, destroying or damaging at least 45 trucks a'1d killing 40 enemy soldiers.
 Front reporters with the Ninth Army on the Elbe said the thunder of Russian guns east of Berlin was clearly audible and growing louder by the hour.
 25 Miles Apart
 Unconfirmed Moscow reports, re- layed by the Lcndon radio, said the American and Russian lines were only 25 miles apart this morning but it was not clear whether they referred to the Ninth Army or the U. s. First Army farther south.
 General Dwight D. Eisenhower declared flatly, however, that the juncture would be made in the next few days, and in a special order of the day he hailed the destruction of the German armies .,l the Ruhr as a gerat victory that set the stage for the final battle of the war.
 The ragged remnants of Hitler's armies of the west are now totter- ing on the Threshold of defeat" he said.
 His proclamation coincided with 8 furry of rulnorS emanating from Stockholm that peace riots had broken out in Berlin and Munich and that Hitler's SS legions had been unable to quell the disorders.
 With the Seventh Army and the French closing fast on the direct ap- breaches to Hitler's Bavarian citadel, Patton's American Third Army cut loose with a new power drive to Top off the enemy's Czechoslovak escape corridor and prevent the Nazis from massing additional troops in the southern mountains.
 Patton's southern flank swung out 23 miles east of Bayreuth to capture FriedenfeE, 100-odd miles north northeast of Munich, 16 miles west of the Czechoslovak border and 5' miles from Pilsen, site of the great Skoda Arms Works.
 Twelve miles to the c.orth, thu Americans entered Arzburg, foul miles west Of the border, and a thire column 10 miles farther north cap tured the Czechcslovak town o1 Asch, 98 miles west of Prague.
 Asch, with a population of about GOO, was the first sizeable Czecho- slovak town liberated by the Amer jeans.
 Patton sent another tany alle infantry column across the border from CZechoslovakia at a point il miles north of Asch.
 Field dispatches said the Thirt Army took another 9,400 prisoner yesterday for a week-long total O. 90507 captives. Since the Rhint crossing a month ago the T'hirt Army had counted 225,660 prisonels more than half of the 536, 305 cap. itves taken by Pattons group since it was activated last August.
 On the Third Army'S northelT flank, First Army troops forged { solid 5O-mile line along the Muldt river east of Leipzig and some 5t odd miles from the Russian lines
 German resistance was reported very light as the First's 104th Di. vision pushed to the river east O. the Bitterfield area, r miles nortf of Leipzig.
 The Third armored division rar into fierce opposition however a Bobbau, four miles north of Bit. terfield and house-to-ho fighting ragged through the town, althougf five miles farther north other Thire armored forces gained more thar half mile in a drive that car. ried almost to Dessau, 31 miles north of Leipzig.
 On the First army's north flank Ninth army troops cleared anothe, Harz mountain pocket at Blanken burg, 35 miles southwest of Mag deburg, capturing the commando, of the German 66th corps and tn, commander of the Fifth German Parachute Division.
 Ninth army forces in the liar area suffered slight casualties yes terday but took 1900 prisoners. front dispatch disclosed that ; number of German swimmers wer, intercepted while heading down thu Elbe river towards the bridge southeast of Magdeburg.
 In northwestern Germany, Can adian troops pushed another tw, miles northward to reach within six miles of Oldenburg, q key roat junction 22 miles west of Bremen and A miles southwest of Wilhelm shaven.
 Farther west, Polish troops of tli Canadian army still were oattlinI Up the west side of the Ems rive but ran into tough resistance a Delfzi1, 13 miles west of Emden.
 Headquarters disclosed that tn First Canadian army since tn Rhine crossing on March g he' taken 26,o00 prisoners.