By spring 1945 World War 2 was approaching its end game. The Germans were retreating on all fronts in the final major barrier to the Allied advance in the West was the River Rhine. Both sides realized that once the river was crossed the heartland of Germany would lie open. If the retreating German forces were able to destroy the final bridges across the Rhine then the advancing Allied forces would have to make an opposed and costly crossing of the river. The Ludendorff railway bridge at Remagen became pivotal. On 7 March 1945 the bridge at Remagen became the center of world attention as U.S. forces sought to capture it. The German defenders attempted to detonate demolition charges. The first effort saw the charges failed to explode; the second succeeded in only lifting the bridge from its bearings without destroying it. Following their attack, U.S. forces captured the bridge and crossed the river. Despite repeated German attacks from land, water and air, including the use of V-2 rockets, they held the bridge until structural weaknesses caused it to collapse 10 days later. By then U.S. forces had established a strong bridgehead on the east side of the Rhine from which to continue their advance into Nazi Germany. Profusely illustrated, including many contemporary photographs from German and Allied sources showing the bridge immediately before, during and after the attack, secret operations: Remagen bridge is a gripping account of how this feat of arms was accomplished. From the back cover.

Ludendorff Bridge --Allied Plans -- We Have a Bridge Intact Over the Rhine -- A Bull by the Tail -- Consolidation -- Bridge Collapses -- Aftermath.