The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-05-01
Munich Falls
After Single
Fighting Day
Capture OF City Hailed
Second Only To Fall
OF Berlin

PARIS, Tuesday, May 1.-(P-
Munich, birthplace of the Nazf
and the third greatest
city of Germany, fell last night to
the triumphant U. S. Seventh Army
after short but savage one-day
battle.
Gen. Jacob L. Devers, com.
mander of the Sixth Army Group.
hailed the fall Of Munich as the
accomplishment of one principal
objective of his army group and
declared SIT may well affect the
final stages of the war to a degree
second only to the fall Of Berlin
All organized resistance was
crushed in the three-quarters OF
Munich lying west of the Isar river
and today Doughboys were crossing
the stream to clear out snipers
from the final quarter.
More than so miles south Of this
reputed northern citadel Of the
Nazis' last-stand fortress In the
Alps, other Seventh Army tanks
and infantry plunged into the Ba-
varian Alps, IL miles northwest OF
Innsbruck at the northern end Of
the Bremen pass, imperiling the
entire German position in the west
third Of the redoubt.
Amid reports that the Germans
were trying to negotiate final sur
render, Gen. Eisenhower's armies
hammered ahead in both the north
and south.
The U. S. First and Ninth Ar
mics made two new functions with
the Russians on the Eibe SOUTH
west of Berlin and were about to
snap shut a trap on large num-
bers o. the capitals defenders
farther north.
The U. S. 82nd Airborn Division.
fighting as part Of the British
Second Army, forced a second
crossing Of the Elbe river in the
Hamburg sector and drove north
about two miles.
The British in their own bridge
head 20 miles east of Hamburg
were. at least six miles beyond
the river and were Is miles south
of Lubbock, whose fall would seal
off the North German province Of
Schleswig- Holstein as well as Dem
mark.
(An unconfirmed Stockholm res
port said German Marines mutt.
MED at the Kiel naval base rather
than 20 to the front.)
In the south, the u. s. Third
Army seized control Of 60 miles OF
the Isar river northeast OF Mu-
nigh, crossed at three points, and
armored columns fought 65 miles
north of Salzburg, eastern anchor
of the redoubt.
On the east flank, two more
crossings were made into Czech-
oslovakia and armored columns
were heading south for what may
b a big tank battle in Austria with
Grman tanks moving north to
meet the attack.
(The Luxembourg radio said the
Third Army and the Russians We're
about to meet at Linz, Austrian
communications city, but there
was no hint in field dispatches OF
any big American movement IN
side Austria on that sector0
Plugging at the western end OF
the redoubt, the French First Ar
my captured the aircraft center
of Friedrichschafen on the north
side of Lake Constance and ut the
east end of the lake plowed three
miles into Austria and captured
Bregenz.
The Seventh Army was pound
ing two steel wedges into the for,
midable Alpine country east Of
Lake Constance where, if any
where, the Germans should be
able to put up a stern defense.
But a dispatch from the field
said that a large force Of Ger
mans standing guard on the north.
ern approaches to Innsbruck was
unofficially reported to be negoti-
ating for surrender.
It was on this sector that the
Americans were a dozen miles
from Innsbruck, which controls all
east-west roads through the A.
pine redoubt, after capturing the
Alpine town Of Mittenwald.
Twenty-six miles to the west, q
second wedge had been driven 10
miles into Austria, and forking
out along the Alpine highways two
columns both were about Is miles
from the main east-west highway
leading into Innsbruck.
1t was the 45th Division which
Continued on Page Three; Col. 81