The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-04-07
German Prisoners Gagged
by Thousands; Red Army
Drives Nazis From Vienna
Enemy Says
Allies at
Eisleben


Two British armored columns
whipped ahead IS miles TO within
% miles OF the port Of Bremen TO-
day and within three miles OF the
Weser River, already crossed by
Americans and other British, as Al.
lied power swept through north.
west Germany and Nazi prisoners
were Gagged by the thousands.
The Red Army began the job oil
driving the Germans from Vienna.
a Moscow dispatch said. As So
Wet storm columns on the south
and southeast limits OF the Aus
trian capital pushed relentlessly
nOrthward In the buildingto.build
Ing battle some presumably with
In the city proper-thcre were
what the Moscow account called
good indications" that the Naz's
faced enforcement unless they
made an early withdrawal.
The twin British columns OF the
Seventh Armored Division struck
northeast from Diepholz and Wag
enfield to Ducckcn, 22 miles from
Bremen and 90 from Hamburg on
the Elbe and units were In schwA-
forden. astridc important cross.
roads due south OF the great river
port.
Al the same time Canadian arm.
orcd forces were only II miles from
cutting on the last rail line To
western Holland and 80 miles from
the North Sea In a double barrelled
drive to the North Sea In
drive TO seal on all German forces
in Holland.
East OF the Weser British and
Americans enlarged their bridge
heads. Bome ulit4 Within IL miles
i'otstratergn nan 1oee r.ain s6ni6 N
than tie tIs6. Eirst-Army,s power
drive, carrying almost 10 the Yves
ers headwaters. surged eastward
through the Hesslan Gap. Behind
these advances the First and Ninth
Armies hacked away at tightly
trapped Nazis in the Muir. Hamm,
the rail center, fell.
There was no confirmation OF the
German report that airborne troops
were at Eisleben, only 80 miles
from Berlin, far ahead OF u. s.
Third Army spearheads which have
advanced to the area OF Keula, eight
miles north OF Muehhausen. and
Langensalza. 10 miles north or
ha hnnn
ed $50 miles from, Berlin and 5S.
from the Czechoslovak border
WuerZburg was finally cleared by
the L. S. Seventh Army, and He'll
BROWN was partially cleared.
In the first Ave days OF April
the Germans lost prisoners at the
rate OF y25 900 or more n day. The
fve-day total was 10000 captured
on the western front. with probably
2 900 more killed or seriously
wounded. At this rate OF casualties
there seemed little chance OF a
German concerted stand on the
Elbe River, which flows so miles
from Berlin and about 100 from the
Russian lines.
The Russians in Vienna met =
heavy curtain OF mortar and sniper
fire. but a Moscow dispatch said
the Red Army power appeared 10
be too much for the defenders, bat
Ting for each house. Heavy en-
gagements were reported in the
western suburbs. and Russian In
fantry in large numbers wash be-
ing moved up to back up the storm
units which battered into the city
defenses. Veterans OF Stalingrad
and Budapest were reported four
miles from 81. Stephsns Church
in the middle OF the city.
other Russians have reached
Vienna's northeast approaches at
the Morava River barrier on n
37-mile front The big Schwechat
aircraft assembly center was cap
tured and a number OF suburban
communities fell TO the Third Tx
raine Army. At the same time the
Second Ukraine Army. driving
swiftly from the BratislaYa Gap.
toppled suburbs 2 and 10 miles
southeast OF Vienna's heart and
was surging ahead with massed
See EUROPE-Psge 5