Battle of Remagen
Ludendorff Bridge, Remagen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
What happened
US forces of the First Army, led across the bridge by Lieutenant Karl Timmermann of the 9th Armored Division, faced German defenders under Major Hans Scheller. As American troops reached the Rhine River in March 1945, they found the railway bridge at Remagen still standing. German engineers set off explosives, but only some went off. American soldiers rushed across, cut the remaining wires, and held both ends of the bridge.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the first Allied crossing of the Rhine into Germany, about three weeks earlier than planned. Some military experts believe it shortened the war.
What came next
Over 125,000 troops crossed in the following days. The damaged bridge collapsed on 17 March 1945, but by then engineers had built other bridges.
Did you know?
The bridge was never rebuilt, and its surviving towers now house the 'Peace Museum Bridge at Remagen', opened in 1980.
Timeline
- 1916-1919The Ludendorff Bridge is built.
- 7 March 1945US troops capture the bridge intact.
- 17 March 1945The bridge collapses.
- 25 March 1945US forces break out of the bridgehead.
- 1980The Peace Museum opens in the bridge towers.