April 8, 1945; German Gold/Treasure Captured:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, APRIL 8, 1945:

ABILENE, TEXAS, SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 8, 1945-THIRTY-SIX PAGES IN THREE SECTIONS

WITH THE U. S. THIRD ARMY, April 7.—(AP)

The golden treasurer of Adolf Hitler's collapsing  Reich—more than 100 tons of gold bullion, the currencies of many nations and blocks of priceless art works—were captured today by the Third Army in an unexpected haul that may shorten the war by robbing the German army of its payroll.

The stupendous cache, its full value as yet undetermined but possibly

For the billions of dollars, was found in a hidden salt mine at Merkers, 18

miles southeast of Hersfeld, when two native German women spilled the secret to military police.

Reichtland officials on the spot said the bullion represented "all the

gold  in Germany," and the German army gave some confirmation by

trying desperately to reel back into Merkers today with a heavy counterattack

In the Muhlhausen area 30 miles north, in which the V. S. Sixth Armored and 65th Infantry divisions knocked out W enemy tanks and smashed the attack.

Some 200 British prisoners of war who had been employed In the mine,

which is called the Werks Kalseroda, uli they had seen 20 10-ton truckloads

of gold unloaded in the mine. This would mean 200 tons of gold,

but the German bankers insisted that something over 100 tons was the

correct amount.