The Bridge at Remagen

7th March 1945: The surprise capture of the last remaining bridge over the Rhine accelerates the advance into Germany

The view of the Remagen railway bridge from the Apollinariskirche high above the Rhine River.

US troops stormed the approach to the bridge and then ran across it as demolition charges failed to demolish it.

Ludendorff Bridge from the north-eastern shore after the attempted demolition. The 300-kilogram (660 lb) weak, industrial-grade demolition charge only succeeded in destroying part of the eastern pedestrian catwalk and a section of the main truss (shown above) on the northern side of the bridge

Having broken through the Siegfried Line, the Allies were now making unexpectedly swift advances into Germany as the defences crumbled. They knew, however, that a significant barrier awaited them. The Rhine River is the principal natural defensive feature in the west of Germany. It was here that Hitler was planning to make his last stand: every bridge was to be blown up, and the eastern bank was to be defended in depth. To cross the Rhine, the Allies were preparing an amphibious and airborne assault second only to the Normandy invasion.