Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-04-22
Capital Three-Fourths Encirc|ed;
Linkup Of Yanks and Reds Near
9th Army on EIbe
Seen as Choice for
Historic MEETING
BY the Associated Press.


Formal announcement that the
Americans and Russians have
joined in Central Germany was
expected today in a matter OF
hours and there were indications
that the United States 9th Army
might be the chosen force for
the. historic meeting with the
Red Army at or near Berlin.
Associated Press Correspondent
Yves Gallagher, with the 9th Army
at Magdeburg. reported that the
great Russian Observation-Disclosures
now has entered Berlin-explained
why the 9th Army had been sitting
on the Elbe River west of the Ger
man capital since April IL.
The 9th Army had, and still has,
the power to have marched to Ber-
lin within 10 days of its reaching
the Elbe, Mr.. Gallagher noted, and
referred to the expected junction of
the 9th and the Russians in the
Berlin area.
Plane Sights Soviet Tanks.
simultaneously with the Gallagher
dispatch, United States 18th Army
Group headquarters announced cryp-
tically that reconnaissance plane
lin contact with the 83d Division
(Which is 9th Army DivisionD re-
ported having sighted what is be-
lieved to be Russian armor some
where east of the Elbe River Satur-
day afternoon"
The very fact that Army group
headquarters saw fit to make such
an announcement lent it added sig
nificance. Reconnaissance planes in
contact with frontline divisions do
not operate at extreme range ahead
of the line.
The Paris radio reported the dra-
matte junction already had been
made, and there were reports here
that patrols had made preliminary
contacts.
The two Allies last were reported
50 miles apart east of Leipzig Id an
area about rs miles south of Berlin,
and It was in that sector around
Dresden that the French said they
had come together.
Reich Under Slashing Attacks.
However, the Germans said the
Russian forces already were to
4 miles inside the Berlin city limits
on the northeast and had cut around
the city to Beelitz, on the south
west, while field reports from the
American front put those Russians
within IS miles of the United States
9th Army drawn up on the Elbe.
French LIST Army tanks in an 49,
mile dash reached the Upper Danube
at a point 10 miles from the Swiss
frontier.
Farther east the United States
7th Army was only 20 miles from
the river as American tanks and
troops swung south on a broad
front, perilling the Danubian strong
hold of Ulm, sentinel city on the
route to Munich, in Hitlers re-
doubt. Ulm is u miles west of
Munich.
In between these steel spearheads,
the French and Americans met
southeast OF Stuttgart, completing
the enlightenment of that key COM
munications and industrial city
with a population of $4,000.
Sd Army Captures Asch.
The United States Sd Army drove
second wedge into Czechoslovakia,
capturing the city of Asch. Seeking
to. split that last Nazi arsenal
country from the Alpine retreat,
these troops plunged farther south
where they were SIS miles west of
Pilsen, biggest munitions city in
Czechoslovakia.
In the north, Hamburg's suburb
OF Harburg was under assault by
British troops fighting through the
outskirts. Bremen was all but cut
off.
The Poles to the west seized Pa
penburg. hinge of the defense line
which the Germans had formed to
protect their ports of Bremen, Will
helmshaven and Emden.
The Canadians dug into the
Grebbe Line defending Western
Hollands cities of Rotterdam, Am