By the spring of 1945, the war was turning into a rout as the Germans retreated on all fronts. There was, however, one major obstacle to the Allied advance in the west: the River Rhine. If the retreating German forces were able to destroy the final bridges across the river then the advancing Allied forces would be forced to make an opposed, and highly costly in terms of men and matériel, crossing of the river.
The Ludendorff railway bridge at Remagen became pivotal. On 7th March 1945, the bridge at Remagen became the centre of world attention as US forces sought to capture it. The German defenders attempted to detonate demolition charges. The first effort saw the charges fail to explode; the second succeeded only in lifting the bridge from its bearings without destroying it. Following their attack, US forces gained a foothold on the east bank of the Rhine. The capture of this crucial river crossing enabled US forces to establish a strong bridgehead on the east side of the river allowing them to continue their advance into the heart of Nazi Germany.
Author: Ian Kemp
Format: PB 96 pages
Publisher: Ian Allan Ltd
Pub date: Nov 2006
ISBN 10: 0711030944
ISBN 13: 9780711030947
