Communique Number 380 – 23 April 1945

Allied forces continue to make progress north of Papenburg and have beaten off additional enemy counterattacks against our bridgehead over the Küsten Canal. In the Bremen-Hamburg area we captured Rotenburg and Buxtehude, and cleared a large area southeast of Rotenburg. Escorted heavy bombers attacked objectives in Bremen. Enemy strong points southeast of Bremen were attacked by medium bombers. Our forces spread farther down the south bank of the Elbe River and entered Bleckede, and to the south we cleared most of the Göhrde Forest. Two-thirds of Dessau has been cleared and fighting continues against strong resistance. Bitterfeld, Jessnitz, and Raguhn have been cleared and infantry elements advanced east to the Mulde River.

Southeast of Leipzig our patrols corssed the Mulde River and advanced several kilometers without resistance. Some sniping activity is being met northwest of Naumburg. South of Nürnberg our infantry made gains up to five miles, reaching Laffenau and Grossweingarten. To the southeast, we cleared Bopfingen and drove six miles farther south. South of Crailsheim, we reached Ellwangen. Stuttgart was occupied, and numerous towns in the surrounding area were taken. Southeast of Stuttgart, we made gains up to five miles.

Forces to the south drove ten miles to the German-Swiss border, near epfenhofen, thus sealing off a Schwartzwald Forest Pocket of more than 1000 square miles. The bridgehead across the Danube River was expanded to a width of nearly 40 miles, reaching Sigmaringen, which was captured. Along the German-Swiss border, a drive eight miles to the east brought our forces to Rielasingen-Worblingen. In the southwest corner of the Schwartzwald Forest Pocket, in thrusts of up to ten miles, we reached Waldkirch, Freiburg and Grezhausen. An enemy airfield at Memmingen, 30 miles southeast of Ulm, was attacked by fighter bombers. Allied forces in the west captured 37.276 prisoners on Apr 21.

Communique Number 381 – 24 April 1945

Allied forces in north Holland beat off an enemy counterattack near Wagenborgen and are fighting in Appingedam. Our forces in Germany, advancing down the right bank of the Weser, captured Uphusen, five miles from the outskirts of Bremen. Enemy defense positions around Bremen were attacked by medium bombers. West of Oldenburg, fighter bombers hit a concentration of field guns. West of Hamburg we have occupied Harsefeld and Oostenbrugge. Enemy forces which penetrated the Klotz area on Apr 19, and subsequently were pocketed, have been mopped up except for a few stragglers. Dessau has been cleared and our forces are fighting in the western part of Eilenburg. Our patrols crossed the Mulde River in the vicinity of Eilenburg.

In Czechoslovakia our troops liberated Thonbrunn and Dolreuth. To the south, in Germany, our infantry cleared Tirschenreuth after meeting strong resistance from 1500 hungarian troops who ultimately surrendered. Our armor cleared Weiden and advanced south to enter Nabburg and Schwarzenfeld. Our infantry, advancing with the armor, reached the vicinity of Mantel and entered Aschach. Southwest of Amberg we reached the vicinity of Kastl and cleared Neumarkt after repelling a small counterattack. South of Nürnberg our armor and infantry made gains up to ten miles and reached Weissenburg.

Our forces crossed the Donau River at Dillingen, 15 miles northwest of Augsburg, and we advanced five miles south of the river. Upstream along the Donau we reached Ehingen, 12 miles southwest of Ulm. Other units driving east from Sigmaringen advanced to within six miles of Ehingen, virutally sealing off an area of 500 square miles southeast of Stuttgart. From Ludwigshafen we drove 25 miles eastward to a point 18 miles north of Friedrichshafen on Constance Lake (Bodensee). A 40-mile stretch of the German-Swiss border is now in our hands. West of the Schwartzwald Forest we gained eight miles southward along the Rhine to reach Müllheim. Allied forces in the west captured 32.642 prisoners on Apr 22. Enemy shipping off the Frisian Islands and in the Ems Estuary; rail lines and traffic between the Ems and Weser Estuaries and in the Elbe Estuary area, and airfields in both northern and southern Germany were attacked by fighter bombers. Many aircraft were destroyed or damaged on the ground. Four enemy aircraft were shot down during the day. According to incomplete reports eight of our fighters are missing.

Communique Number 382 – 25 April 1945

Allied forces in north Holland occupied Appingedam and cleared the whole of the coastline as far east as the mouth of the Ems Estuary. Southeast of Bremen we captured Arbergen and Tyten. We entered Zeven, between Bremen and Hamburg, and fighting continues in the town. Enemy strong points in the Bremen area were attacked by medium bombers. Gun positions and troop concentrations in the area of the Ems Estuary and around Oldenburg were hit by fighter bombers. Targets in the communications center of Bad Oldesloe, northeast of Hamburg, were attacked by escorted heavy bombers. Southwest of Weiden our infantry units reached the vicinity of Vohenstrauß. In the area north of Regensburg we captured Schwandorf and Burglengenfeld.

Other units in the area north of Regensburg reached the vicinity of Roding and entered Nittenau. Several bridges were captured intact across the Regen River in the course of these operations. To the west our forces entered Lauterbach and Beratzhausen and reached the vicinity of Thumhausen, four miles west of Regensburg and three miles from the Donau River. In a rapid adavnce to the southeast our armored elements reached the vicinity of Arnetsried, three miles northwest of Regen and 35 miles from the Austrian border. South of Nürnberg, our armor and infantry advanced up to ten miles on a broad front to within seven miles of the Donau. Forces in this area were within 13 miles of units pushing downstream from the Dillingen bridgehead. Our hold south of the river at Dillingen was expanded to a width of ten miles and a depth of six miles.

The 500-square miles pocket south of Stuttgart is being steadily reduced. Ulm was captured by units making simultaneous thrusts from the northwest and from the southwest. Units advancing from the north reached the city in a drive of 15 miles. Twenty miles to the south, our forces advanced 25 miles eastward to reach the Iller Canal. Additional penetrations were made into the Schwartzwald Forest Pocket. another crossing of the Rhine River, at Kems, put our forces within eight miles of Basel, Switzerland. Allied forces in the west captured 39.089 prisoners on Apr 23. An airfield at Flensburg; road and rail traffic in the Berlin area and from Eggenfelden, southeast of Landau, to Praha; strong points in Dillingen; airfields at Augsberg, Landsberg and München; rail yards at Ingolstadt, Landau, Plattling and in Czechoslovakia and the Donau River Valley were attacked by fighter bombers. Many enemy aircraft were destroyed or damaged on the ground. An oil depot near Sschrobenhausen, northeast of Landsberg, was attacked by medium and light bombers. Eight enemy aircraft were shot down during the day. According to incomplete reports, two of our medium bombers and ten of our fighters are missing.

Communique Number 383 – 26 April 1945

Allied forces have reached the sea near the Dutch-German frontier, isolating a pocket of the enemy in the area of Delfzijl. We have launched an attack on Bremen from the south and the east and are fighting in the eastern suburbs. Enemy gun positions, an ammunition dump and several supply dumps in the Bremen area, and infantry entrenched with self-propelled guns at Wehldorf, north of Bremen, were attacked by rocket-firing fighters and fighter bombers. Medium bombers attacked defended positions in Bremen. Zeven has been cleared of the enemy and we advanced beyond it to the north and captured Selsingen. Enemy ships in the Ems and Elbe Estuaries and at Cuxhaven, and road and rail traffic in northern Germany were hit with rockets and bombs. Strong points at Leer, oil storage plants at Brake, and a camp and defense works at Oldenburg were attacked by fighter bombers.

Coastal guns and fortified positions on Wangerooge Island, near the mouth of the Weser River were bombed by escorted heavy bombers. Our infantry units cleared Eslarn and advanced southeast to the vicinity of Schönthal. Other elements reached the vicinity of Lambertsneukirchen and entered Wenzenbach in the area northeast of Regensburg. To the east our armor cleared Regen and entered Zwiesel. Other armor advanced to a point 15 miles southeast of Regen and 18 miles from the Austrian border. In the area north of Regensburg our infantry reached the vicinity of Regenstauf and Kareth. Our forces are along a ten-mile stretch of the Donau River from a point two miles west of Regensburg to Kelheim. South of Nürnberg we entered Sülzburg and reached the Altmühl River in the vicinity of Hirschberg and Gungolding. Several crossing of the Altmühl River were made in the vicinity of Gungolding and one bridge was captured intact.

West of Gungolding we reached the vicinity of Neudorf and captured Rupertsbuch. South of upertsbuch, we reached Hard and Gammersfeld and to the southwest, we are in the vicinity of Donauworth on the Danube River. East and south of Dillingen we captured Wertingen and Knöringen, and reached Anhausen. German aircraft made 25 attempts to bomb a two-lane bridge we captured at Dillingen, but the span was undamaged and ten enemy planes were shot down. Enemy efforts to destroy the bridge with mines also failed. A number of towns were taken in the collapsing Swabian Pocket south of Stuttgart. Our units are approaching the Danube north of Günzburg. We entered Wiblingen, on the Iller Canal three miles south of Ulm, and farther south we established bridgeheads across the canal at Vöhringen and Illertissen. To the west in the Rhine River Plain, the Swiss border was reached in the vicinity of Basel. We captured Lörrach and advance elements pushed ten miles northeast of the town. Allied forces in the west captured 43.405 prisoners on Apr 24.

Rail traffic between Linz and Praha; communications targets in the Praha-Linz-München; horse-drawn and motor vehicles moving southward in the Ingolstadt area and in the Donau Valley, and airfields in the München, Augsburg and Linz areas, were heavily attacked by fighter bombers. A very large number of aircraft were destroyed or damaged on the ground. Large ammunition dumps south of Ulm and northwest of München, and an ordnance depot northwest of Salzburg were bombed by medium and light bombers. The Skoda armament works and an airfield at Plzen; rail yards and facilities in the Berchtesgaden region at Traunstein, Salzburg, Hallein and Bad Reichenhall were attacked by escorted heavy bombers in strength. Twelve thousand pound and other high explosive bombs were dropped on the German Führer’s chalet near Berchtesgaden, the SS barracks in the grounds and his mountain refuge at the top of the Kehlstein five miles from the chalet, by other escorted heavy bombers. Eleven enemy aircraft were shot down during the day. Eighteen of our heavy bombers and 14 fighters are missing according to incomplete reports. The oil storage depot at Vallo, in the Oslo Fjord, was attacked last night bt heavy bombers. The transformer station at Pasing near München and the naval base of Kiel were bombed by light bombers.

Communique Number 384 – 27 April 1945

Allied forces west of Delmenhorst advanced three miles to reach Rethorn. We occupied the greater part of Bremen where enemy opposition weakened. Enemy gun positions and strong points east of Leer and north of Bremen; shipping off the Frisian Islands and in the Ems Estuary; road and rail transport and other communications targets in the area of Flensburg and Rendsburg and west of Oldenburg, and objectives south of Oldenburg, were attacked by other fighter bombers and rocket-firing fighters. Medium bombers attacked rail yards at Buchen east of Hamburg. Our units have liberated Cheb, in Czechoslovakia and reached a point 27 miles to the south. West of the Czech-German border, 16 miles farther south we reached the vicinity of Stadlern. To the southeast, in Germany, our armor has entered Röhrnbach and reached the vicinity of Tittling, 11 miles northwest of the Austrian border.

In the area north and east of Straubing, we entered Neukirchen and reached the vicinity of Gschwendt. Our units crossed the Danube River in several places between Frengkofen and Regensburg and entered Irl. Other troops crossed the Danube in the vicinity of Kapfelberg and reached a point three miles south of Regensburg. Our cavalry elements have cleared that part of Kelheim on the north bank of the Danube. Farther west, we captured Dietfurt and entered Eichstatt and Ingolstadt. In the area north of Augsburg our units oved to the Danube and are mopping up the north bank for a stretch of 11 miles. To the southwest, we advanced ten miles beyond the river on a front paralleling it for 20 miles. Münsterhausen, 15 miles south of the Danube, was reached. Two counterattacks, one in battalion strength supported by armor, were beaten off at an autobahn bridge over the Danube near Günzburg.

Neu Ulm, across the river from Ulm, was entirely cleared. Along the Iller Canal running south from Ulm our units fanned out to the east, west and south. We reached a point 15 miles south of Ulm. The pocket south of Stuttgart was considerably reduced. Our forces reached a point on the north shore of the Constance Lake (Bodensee) within 13 miles of Friedrichshafen, and are along the Swiss border from Basel to the Lake. Deep penetrations were made into the Schwartzwald Forest. A 12-mile thrust to the east almost cut it in two. From north of Augsburg to south of Ulm, 11.335 prisoners were taken. Between Ulm and the Rhine, 6.000 were captured. Allied forces in the west captured 34.237 prisoners on Apr 25. Road and rail communications in an area east of Nürnberg to south of München and in a triangular area formed by München-Praha-Linz, and a motor convoy north of Berchtesgaden, were attacked by fighter bombers. Airfields east of München, southeast of Straubing and near Plattling were attacked by light and fighter bombers. Many aircraft were destroyed or damaged on the ground.

Communique Number 385 – 28 April 1945

Allied forces east of the Dutch-German frontier cleared the Rheiderland Peninsula. We occupied the whole of Bremen including the docks. West of Zeven we captured Kirchtimke. Enemy ships and barges off Cuxhaven; road and rail traffic in the areas of Wilhelmshaven, Oldenburg and Bremen; motor transport between Kiel, Wismar and Wittenberge, and a convoy on the Perleberg-Kritz road were attacked by fighter bombers and rocket-firing fighters. Our forces have effected a firm juncture with elements of the Russian 1st Ukrainian Army at Torgau on the Elbe River. To the south, our units reached a point two miles north of Cheb in Czechoslovakia. Our infantry captured Furth, near the German-Czechoslovakian frontier, and other elements reached the vicinity of Drachselsried in the area northwest of Regen.

Our armor entered Austria at a point two miles south of the intersection of the German, Czechoslovakian and Austrian borders. Other armored elements entered Gegenbach one mile west of the Austrian border. In the area east of Straubing, our units reached a point one mile northwest of Deggendorf, the Danube River near Bogen, and the vicinity of Straubing north of the river. South of the Danube, we captured Regensburg. East of Regensburg our bridgehead across the Danube is eight miles wide and four miles deep. West of the town our bridgehead across the Danube is six miles wide and two and one-half miles deep. Farther southwest we reached the Danube on an 11 mile front and crossed at Eining and at a point five miles southwest of Eining. Ingolstadt has been captured. In the area east and northeast of the town, our armor captured Menning and entered Forchheim and Mailing. In an advance along the München-Nürnberg autobahn our infantry reached a point three and one-half miles south of Ingolstadt. West of Ingolstadt our units pushed five miles south of the Danube and to the southwest, we closed on Augsburg from north, west and south. Forward elements are within five miles of the city on the northwest and within eight miles of it to the south.

A number of points were reached on the Lech River along a front of 20 miles to the north and 20 miles to the south of Augsburg. From east of the Iller Canal, armored units advanced 25 miles eastward to cross the Lech at Landsberg. South of Memmingen, armored spearheads thrust 20 miles southward to Kempten, 12 miles from the Austrian border. The pocket south of Stuttgart has been eliminated except for stragglers who are being mopped up. On the Swiss border, Constance was captured. The Schwartzwald Forest Pocket, now an area of about 250 square miles just north of the Swiss frontier, is being steadily reduced. From ten miles east of Ingolstadt to the Iller Canal area, 11.346 prisoners were taken. Between the Iller Canal and the Rhine, 6.500 were captured. Allied forces in the west captured 46.694 prisoners on Apr 26.

Road and rail traffic in the Praha-Plzen-München triangle; enemy armor, motor transport, fortified buildings and an ammunition dump in the München and Augsburg areas; airfields near München, Straubing and Salzburg; and collection point for enemy troops at Schrobenhausen, between Augsburg and Ingolstadt, were bombed by fighter bombers. During the day’s operations two enemy aircraft were shot down. Seven of our fighters are missing.

Communique Number 386 – 29 April 1945

Allied forces advancing along both banks of the Weser River in the Bremen area have occupied Seehausen and Gröpelingen. Northwest of Rotenburg we have advanced seven miles and reached Horstedt and Vorwerk. Southwest of Zeven we captured Kirchtimke. Enemy strong points south of Leer and other objectives in Leer were attacked by fighter bombers. Our forces advanced three miles into Czechoslovakia and entered Karlsbach, 16 miles south of Tachov. Farther south we enetered Maxberg against strong enemy resistance. North of Regen, in Germany, we reached the vicinity of Neukirchen and entered Oberreid. We captured Deggendorf and entered Schöfweg and Oberauerbach, east of Deggendorf. Southeast of Regensburg, we reached the outskirts of Aiterhofen and Perkam and cleared Alteglofsheim and Thalmassing. In the area southwest of Regensburg, our troops cleared Teugn and Abensberg and advanced six miles into the Durrenbucher Forest.

South of Ingolstadt we repulsed a small enemy counterattack and reached the vicinity of Mainberg and Hirnkirchen. Our units are closing in on München in a wide arc extending from north to southwest of the city. Advance elements are within 20 miles of the city. Mechanized cavalry drove 15 miles southeast from the vicinity of Neuberg to Pfaffenhofen. Infantry across the Danube, west of Neuburg, was within 20 miles of München to the northwest after capturing Haag and Tandern. Our forces across the Lech River north of Augsburg reached Aindling and Willprechtszell. We captured Augsburg including the garrison and the Major General commanding it, and advanced to Freidburg four miles farther east.

East and south of Landsberg we captured several towns including Schöffelding, Finning and Stadl. Farther south along the Lech river, we reached Schongau after a 20-mile advance from the northwest. Other elements advanced 25 miles east from the Kempten area to the vicinity of the Lech River between Schongau and the Austrian frontier. Burggen, Lechbruck and Dietringen were captured. To the south Füssen was taken and we crossed into Austria in that vicinity. All organized resistance in the Schwartzwald Forest ceased and the area is being mopped up. On the Maritime Alps front, our forces were at or across the Italian frontier for a stretch of 50 miles from the Ligurian Sea. At some points we pushed ten miles into Italy. From the vicinity of Neuburg to the Iller Canal area we captured 24.887 prisoners, including three generals, and between the Iller Canal and the Rhine, more than 7000 were taken. Allied forces in the west captured 57.533 prisoners on Apr 27.

Communique Number 387 – 30 april 1945

Allied forces crossed the Leda River near its junction with the Ems River and occupied most of Leer. Good advances were made in the area northwest of Rotenburg where the enemy salient between bremen and Zeven is being reduced. Farther east we are mopping up in Lauenburg after crossing the Elbe River upstream from Hamburg against moderate resistance. Enemy positions southeast of Hamburg and near Lauenberg, and road and rail transport between Lauenburg and Ludwigslust and east of Schwerin, were attacked by fighter bombers and rocket-firing fighters. Thirteen enemy aircraft were shot down over our Elbe bridgehead.

In Czechoslovakia our forces captured an airfield one mile northeast of Cheb which was strongly defended by 1000 enemy troops. Three hundred and fifty prisoners were taken. Northeast of Straubing, in Germany, our troops captured am. Southeast of Regensburg our armor captured Plattling, entered Haader and advanced eight miles southeast of the town. Our infantry elements cleared Straubing and reached the vicinity of Fierlbrunn. Other units captured Malmersdorf, entered Schatzhofen and reached the vicinity of Moosburg. At Moosburg a pow camp of 27.000 british and american troops was liberated. Farther west our infantry reached the vicinity of Hirschbach, 22 miles north of München. Our forces captured and cleared the concentration camp near Dachau. Approximately 32.000 persons were liberated. Three hundred SS guards at the camp were quickly overcome.

Our armor entered the outskirts of München. We reached the northern end of the Ammersee. Armored spearheads swung around its southern tip and pushed five miles northward along the eastern shore to Herrsching. To the south, other armor reached Spatzenhausen. We captured Saulgrub and drove southward into the Bavarian Alps to Oberammergau. South of Füssen we expanded our hold in Austria and advanced to the vicinity of Roßschläg. In the area north of the eastern end of the Constance Lake ur units pushed southeast along a front of nearly 25 miles. Advances of up to 15 miles brought our forces to Leutkirch and Weingarten. From the München area to the Iller Canal, we took 35.890 prisoners, and between the Iller Canal and the Rhine, 3500, including two generals. Allied forces in the west captured 74.986 prisoners on Apr 28.

Several large road convoys mainly moving southward in the area east and south of Plzen, and a large number of rail cars, many of them loaded with motor transport, in the same area were attacked by fighter bombers, throughout the day more than 900 road vehicles and rail cars were destroyed or damaged. Enemy strong points west of München, at Hattenhofen, Mammendorf and Fürstenfeldbruck, scattered road and rail traffic moving southward from München and airfields in the area east and southeast of the city were bombed by other fighter bombers. Many enemy aircraft were destroyed or damaged on the ground. Yesterday afternoon unescorted heavy bombers dropped over 600 tons of food supplies for the Dutch population in enemy occupied Holland. In the day’s operations 17 enemy aircraft were shot down including those destroyed in the Elbe bridgehead area. Nine of our fighters are missing.



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