Remagen Bridgehead

The words

1. Bratge

   Willi Bratge was Remagen’s local combat commander until Hans Scheller took over. As an American prisoner, he survived a German death sentence imposed in his absence.

   Ch. XI, pp. 208–210 and 230, command succession and sentence · Army history: Remagen and its bridges (opens a new tab)

2. Bridgehead

   An advanced position held in enemy territory.

   American troops expanded their position east of the Rhine despite German counterattacks. Reinforcements turned the captured crossing into a base for further operations.

   Holocaust Museum: the Remagen bridgehead (opens a new tab) · Cambridge Dictionary: bridgehead (opens a new tab)

3. Demolition

   German commanders delayed destroying the bridge to let retreating troops cross. That decision gave Americans a chance to capture it.

   Ch. XI, pp. 213–216, withdrawal and delayed demolition · Army history: Remagen and its bridges (opens a new tab)

4. Erpeler Ley

   The Erpeler Ley rose behind the bridge’s eastern end. Railway tracks entered a tunnel through this steep hill beside the crossing.

   Ch. XI, p. 213, eastern end and tunnel · Army history: Remagen and its bridges (opens a new tab)

5. Explosives

   The explosives damaged the bridge without destroying it. Americans then made repairs so that more troops and vehicles could cross.

   WWII Museum: the Remagen crossing (opens a new tab)

6. Foothold

   The bridge collapsed on March 17, 1945, killing engineers at work. Temporary crossings were already operating, so the American foothold endured.

   Ch. XI, pp. 227 and 229–230, temporary bridges, collapse and continued operations · Army history: Remagen and its bridges (opens a new tab)

7. Hoge

   Brigadier General William Hoge commanded the 9th Armored Division’s Combat Command B. He ordered the force to seize the unexpected crossing.

   Ch. XI, pp. 214–215, combat command and capture decision · Army history: Remagen and its bridges (opens a new tab)

8. Ludendorff

   The railway bridge was named for the First World War general Erich Ludendorff. Russian prisoners of war were used in its construction.

   WWII Museum: the Remagen crossing (opens a new tab)

9. Pershing

   New Pershing tanks supported the infantry advancing through Remagen. Damage at the bridge approach halted the tanks while infantry continued the crossing on foot.

   Tank Museum: Pershings at Remagen (opens a new tab)

10. Pontoon

    A boat or float supporting a temporary bridge.

    Engineers used pontoon ferries before bridges were complete. These floating rafts carried troops and equipment while construction and repair work continued.

    Army history: Remagen and its bridges (opens a new tab) · Cambridge Dictionary: pontoon (opens a new tab)

11. Remagen

    Remagen lay between Bonn and Koblenz. Its rough eastern terrain made it an unlikely planned crossing, but the surviving bridge changed Allied operations.

    Holocaust Museum: the Remagen bridgehead (opens a new tab)

12. Rhine

    The Rhine was a major barrier on the route into Germany. Capturing a standing bridge offered an alternative to crossing it in assault boats.

    Holocaust Museum: the Remagen bridgehead (opens a new tab)

13. Seizure

    On March 7, 1945, American infantry rushed the damaged bridge after German explosions failed to bring it down. The capture gave Allied commanders an unexpected crossing.

    WWII Museum: the Remagen crossing (opens a new tab)

14. Timmermann

    Lieutenant Karl Timmermann led the infantry across the damaged bridge. Sergeant Alexander Drabik was credited as the first American soldier to reach the far bank.

    WWII Museum: the Remagen crossing (opens a new tab)

15. Zangen

    Gustav von Zangen led the German Fifteenth Army. He anticipated an American thrust toward Remagen while Model emphasized defending Bonn.

    Ch. XI, pp. 209–210, competing expectations · Army history: Remagen and its bridges (opens a new tab)