The crossing of the Elbe River was to prove a mortal blow to the hopes of the Nazi Command to continuing resistance to Allied forces in the West. The 2d Armored "Hell on Wheels" Division and 83d "Thunderbolt Division were the spearheads of the Ninth US army and they were the units who were first to seize the crossing of the Elbe. However the units were halted on orders from above and their advance was to be the furthest east the Allies reached during the hostilities and mark the point at which American and Russian Forces met for the first time. This short monograph produced by the European Theater of Operation historian Lt. Houcek was based on the oral testimony collected from the men involved.