I went on a bit of a battlefield tour the other week and part of it was to retrace the route of Company 'A' of the US 27th Armoured Infantry Battalion under the command of Lt. Karl Timmerman and the seizure of the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine at Remagen. It was at this very spot at the Waldschlosschen that Timmerman sent forward a patrol who quickly returned with the news that the Bridge was still intact. The view across the bridge from the western bank with a 'then and now' comparison.. A MG position on the tower on the west bank.. A few views from below, again on the West bank. The heights of the Erpeler Ley can just be seen on the Eastern shore.. Some of the memorials to those who took part in the capture of the bridge.. And the view over to the bridge towers on the eastern bank of the Rhine with the vitally strategic Erpeler Ley towering above..
After a very pleasant crossing of the river by ferry we arrived at what was the eastern side of the Ludendorff Bridge.. A quick walk uphill around the back of the towers brings you to the railway tunnel.. And then up a winding climb you emerge at the top of Erperler Ley. The views are stunning and give a good idea of why the Germans were so determined to keep it occupied..
And finally there were a couple of little extras, first the German Military Cemetery in Remagen.. Note the 1945 battle damage to the memorial.. To someone a son, brother or husband.. Just a little down the Rhine there is this memorial to the 270,000 German POW's who were held there.. And finally this. It's the black Madonna. Cast in mud and then preserved in boot polish it was the handiwork of one of the POW's in 1945.
I'll echo the others and Welcome. Thank You for showing me pictures of a place I know I'll never be able to visit.
You guys in europe get all the fun.... Apart from the sorry military relics in our vicinity, theres nothing like this anywhere within striking distance..Jealousy doesn't even begin to explain my feelings of total isolation from where the real military history is located. Just out of interest....what were the German lack of motivations for leaving something as important as the Luddendorf bridge unguarded and intact? Did local elements decide to NOT have a battle for the bridge, with an eye to speeding the downfall of a regime they knew was coming to an end? Or was it plain incompetance,? If so, it was certainly on a grand scale. The Luddendorf bridge seems to have been too darned risky to defend in the eyes of the ordinary landser, so did they intentionally have the night 'off' in Remagen town, frolicking and fornicating until the wee small hours, and wake up with a hangover..."Oh darn! The bridge is captured.....now we can get the hell out of here!")
Superb photos Jonathan - many thanks for posting them. A place I've always wanted to visit and never got around to it.....
Fantastic photos, Jonathan! The 'Then & Now' pics are a favourite of mine. Like Martin, Remagen is a place I have always wanted to visit, and It's only 50 miles or so from where I stay when in the Eifel region...detour alert!!!
Marvelous photos, Jonathan! Like John, I also am a fan of the Then & Now pics. Thanks for posting them.
i was at the bridge yesterday and made some photos.... https://www.facebook.com/teamhaehnchenkeule/photos/?tab=album&album_id=549119861935083 View attachment 24413
if anyone is interested,im updating the remagen topic on my page as soon as i receive new original content..here is the link: http://vintage-militaria.com/bridge-at-remagen/
