January of 1945 began the great rush to reach and span the Rhine River by the allies into the heartland of Germany.
The only thing still standing between Germany and the approaching combined seven armies of America, Britain, Canada, and Russia, were its natural defensive waterways, primarily the Rhine River.
The Americans led by General George Patton and the British led by Field Marshal Montgomery along with the First Canadian Army led by General Crerar helped gain control of the banks of the Rhine which marked the last major line of German defense.
There had been a total of 22 road and 25 railroad bridges spanning the Rhine River into Germany, but with the exception of the Remagen Bridge, they had all been destroyed
The Rhine River became the focal point for the invasion. Allied Engineers were given the daunting task of constructing bridges across the Rhine to replace the bridges destroyed by the retreating German forces.
Patton and Montgomery were both pushing their men hard. If the war in Europe was to end, the Rhine had to be crossed to bring the war home to Germany.
Massive loads of materials had been brought in by every means available, from boxcars to semi-trailers. They were loaded with tons of bridge girders, marker buoys, concrete and iron anchors, and thousands of pounds of rope and others supplies.
The Allied engineers had to construct two types of bridges, Pontoon bridges and Treadway bridges, because they both could be put up fast!
Not only were the combat engineers suppose to assemble these bridges in record time, but they were expected to do so while being shot at by snipers and bombed by Luftwaff planes.
Portable Treadway Bridges
A portable treadway bridge was comprised of thirty foot sections of rubber floats each supporting two steel beams spaced to accommodate the treads of a tank.
These sections were floated into position on rafts mainly and were pinned together and if properly anchored on each side of the waterway, could support the thirty-five ton Sherman Tank.
These types of bridges were used for transporting heavy equipment and gear and were more durable and able to sustain heavy traffic.
It was still a nerve racking and rolling passage with the treadway floats bobbing and weaving up and down and was a far cry from a permanent and properly supported structure
Heavy Pontoon Bridges
The heavy pontoon bridges were less sturdy and floated on water. They were supported by barge-or-boat-like floats and were used primarily for troop transport and light equipment but also at some risk heavier vehicles also utilized them in a rush to cross the Rhine.
Each pontoon was able to support a load equal to the mass of the water that it displaced, but this load also included the mass of the bridge itself.
If the maximum load of a bridge section was exceeded, one or more pontoons could become submerged and sink. The roadway across the pontoons had to be able to support the load, yet be light enough not to limit their carrying capacity.
ALLIED TROOPS ROLL ACCROSS THE RHINE RIVER
The first unit to cross the Rhine was the 5th Infantry Division that used assault rafts to cross the raging Rhine at Oppenheim (west of Darmstadt and south of Mainz) in the early morning hours of March 23.
After the area was secured the combat engineers were able to built a 972-foot pontoon bridge across the Rhine.
During the same day construction of another bridge of the heavy pontoon type was started by the 87th and 88th Heavy Pontoon Battalions.
Aside from one direct hit, fortunately a dud, no trouble was encountered and this bridge was opened in the early morning of March 24.
A third bridge, built by the 150th Engineers approximately 1/4 mile upstream of the first bridge, was complete by noon on March 25.
By March 27, five divisions with supporting troops and supplies had crossed the three bridges constructed at Oppenheim.
The entire 6th Armored Division crossed in less than 17 hours. During the period of March 24-31, a total of 60,000 vehicles passed over these bridges.
The many engineers who toiled and died to accomplish this massive undertaking and built the bridges across the Rhine River deserve only the highest praise for their bravery and ingenuity.
Source
Across The Rhine by Franklin M. Davis Jr. (World War II /Time-Life 1980.)
 |
 |
 |
