Edited by Gerald Boerner
Commentary:
Many of us have seen and been immersed in the World War II movie relating to the first bridgehead established by the Allied forces across the Rhine (Rhein) River. This marked the Western Allies quest of Berlin. This was one of the last bridges left spanning the river despite the best efforts of the German to destroy them. And, we might say, the efforts of the Allied Air Forces to take them down.
The Ludendorff Bridge located at Remagen has been erroneously been labed as the Bridge at Remagen. In any case, when the American troops arrived. The German forces had “blown” the approached the bridge on the western side of the Rhi e. The railroad bridge itself was still intact. The lack of an intact approach hampered the crossing of heavy equipment, such as tanks an heavy artillery, but the troops were not accompanied by any. So planking was laid over the RR tracks so the troops could cross the Rhine.
With this breakthrough into Germany proper set the stage for the final defeat of Nazi Germany. The western allies advanced from the Rhine through Bavaria and the German heartland while the Russians approached from the east. Peace in Europe was imminent.
So let’s proceed with our exploration of this event in the latter days of World War II… GLB
These Introductory Comments are copyrighted:
Copyright©2011 — Gerald Boerner — All Rights Reserved[ 3066 Words ]
Quotations Related to OBSTACLE:
“Bureaucracy is not an obstacle to democracy but an inevitable complement to it.”
— Joseph A. Schumpeter
“Conceit is an insuperable obstacle to all progress.”
— Ellen Terry
“In the face of an obstacle which is impossible to overcome, stubbornness is stupid.”
— Simone de Beauvoir