Central Germany

Between 4 and 18 April 1945, elements of the US Ninth and First Armies reduced the Ruhr Pocket, leading to a massive German surrender.

Reduction of the Ruhr Pocket

Other elements moved eastward through central Germany towards the prearranged ETO-Soviet border on the Elbe and Mulde Rivers. Third Army, on the First Army's right flank, initially moved east before pivoting to the south and entering southeastern Germany.

The accompanying map summarizes ETO ground operations from 4 April to 18 April 1945.

Reduction of the Ruhr Pocket and Advance to the Elbe and Mulde Rivers

Scalable Version of the above Map

Sources for Big Pigeon's The ETO > Central Europe > Central Germany webpage:

Reduction of the Ruhr Pocket, Map 5 by R. Clinton, was found at https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-E-Last/maps/USA-E-Last-5.jpg.
Reduction of the Ruhr Pocket and Advance to the Elbe and Mulde Rivers, https://history.army.mil/brochures/centeur/p24-25(map).jpg - Central Europe: 22 March--11 May 1945, by Edward M. Bedessem.

Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - The ETO > Central Europe > Central Germany:

Taken from the bigpigeon.us WWII Dead module.

03-08 - The ETO > Central Europe > Central Germany: (two dead, updated 4 Oct 2023)
† Gee, Norris Bradford, SN 0-1-174-575, US Army, Marion Co. (WWII-GeeBrothers)

202nd Field Artillery Group, Ninth Army; observation plane pilot; DNB 7 May 1945 Uetze, NE of Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany; The ETO > Central Europe > Central Germany.

† Henderson, Max O., SN 37-485-581, US Army, Pott. Co. & Thayer Co., NE

Co. K, 406th Inf. Regt., 102nd Inf. Div., XIII Corps, Ninth Army; KIA 18 Apr 1945, E of Hanover, near the Elbe River, Germany; The ETO > Central Europe > Central Germany.