The U.S. 9th Army at the Elbe, 18 April 1945

The U.S. 9th Army entered Magdeburg, on the Elbe River on 18 April 1945, a week before the U.S. 1st Army linked up with Soviet forces at Torgau. Imagery coverage from the 18th shows a column of American vehicles moving into the center of the city and a possible command post on the outskirts of town. A large American field hospital had already been set up 25 km to the northwest at Haldensleben. A possible higher-level command post, indicated by the presence of seven liaison aircraft and several armored vehicles, could be seen north of the city at Wolmirstedt.