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

The U.S. Ninth Army entered Magdeburg, on the Elbe River on 18 April 1945, a week before the U.S. First 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 deployed near the cathedral and Rathaus. A possible command post with other armored vehicles was 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.

In advance of the American move on Magdeburg, a number of USAAF reconnaissance sorties covered routes to the city. An analysis of coverages from 7 and 8 April shows virtually no German defenses, but some rail and vehicular activity was observed. Notably, near-synoptic coverage from two sorties on 8 April showed trains moving east and west through Telgte, relatively near the Allied line (9 April). Other trains were in rail yards in the vicinity of Helmstedt. There was little evidence of German military activity, but several military trucks with trailers were passing through Wendenburg on 7 April; in addition, a group of possible civilian vehicles were parked on the road leading into town. Further East another group of civilian vehicles were stopped at a possible checkpoint at Irxleben, just outside Magdeburg.