During the April of 1945 American tank crews south of Torgau (Germany) began to pick up the chattering of Soviet infantry units on their radios - the transmissions were generated by the advanced units of Marshal Konev's (1897 - 1973) First Ukrainian Army and both the allied units were elated to know that the other was nearby, for it meant one thing: the end of the war was at hand. Correspondent Ed Cummings was with the U.S. First Army when the two groups met at the Elbe River and filed the attached report for Yank Magazine.
This union was long anticipated by both armies - click here to read about it.
Click here to read about the significance of this event.
Click here to read an assessment of the late-war German soldier...
