The U.S. Ninth Army reached the Elbe in 1945, stopping just short of Berlin
In the final weeks of World War II, the U.S. Ninth Army reached the Elbe River, placing American troops within striking distance of Berlin before they were ordered to halt.
On April 12, 1945, General William H. Simpson and the U.S. Ninth Army successfully crossed the Elbe River, reaching Tangermünde. They were only eighty kilometers from Berlin, the heart of Nazi Germany. While the soldiers were eager to push forward and capture the capital, they were ordered by Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower to stop at the river.
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