Battle of Remagen The Battle of Remagen was a World War II battle between American and German forces in and around the German town of Remagen , particularly centred on the Ludendorff Bridge across the River Rhine . The fighting resulted in the capture of the bridge intact by American forces and allowed the Western Allies to begin their first major crossing of the Rhine , the last natural line of defence that the Germans thought could be used to substantially hold up the Western Allied advance . Previously crossings had been limited to small infantry reconnaissance patrols by boat . Importantly , the battle convinced the Allied high command in Western Europe that they could envelop the German industrial area of the Ruhr as opposed to focusing primarily on General Bernard Montgomery ' s plan , Operation Plunder , which would bring the British 21st Army Group across the Rhine into northern Germany . Outcome . The battle started on 7 March 1945 , when American forces entered Remagen , on the south - west side of the river . The German soldiers assigned the task of blowing up the bridge were on the north side of the river . They wanted to wait until all of the Germans , who were on the south side of the river , had crossed the bridge before they destroyed it . Just as the Americans approached the bridge the Germans set off the explosives but most failed to detonate , and the damage to the bridge , while significant , could be quickly repaired . A three - man detachment from 2nd Platoon , B Company , 9th Armored Engineer Battalion ( Lieutenant Hugh Mott , Staff Sergeant John Reynolds , and Sergeant Eugene Dorland ) moved with the first squad of A / 27th AIB to reduce the remaining explosives after the first unsuccessful bridge demolition by the Germans . They were the third , fourth , and fifth US Soldiers onto the bridge . Crossing with lead elements , Dorland destroyed the main demolition switch box on the far bank . The remainder of B Company with the rest of A / 27th AIB , finding and reducing more explosives on the bridge . After the crossing was initially secured , Lt . Mott led B Company in the hasty bridge repairs that allowed the first Sherman tanks to cross the bridge by 22 : 00 that evening . After the capture of the bridge , the Germans attempted to destroy it through a variety of methods , including air attacks by Messerschmitt 262 jet fighter - bomber s , V - 2 ballistic missiles and frogmen trying to implant explosives . The battle ended on 25 March 1945 when the allied forces could break out of their bridgehead and advance into the rest of Germany . Aftermath . The bridge collapsed due to structural damage on 17 March , after six US divisions were in place in the bridgehead . By then the allies had already built 3 pontoon bridges about 1 , 000 yards down river from the bridge . Several German officers who had been assigned the task of destroying the bridge when ordered were court - martialed for their failure and were convicted , sentenced to death and executed . The bridge was not rebuilt after the war . However , the towers for the bridge are still there , and can be visited . The battle was depicted in the novel " The Bridge at Remagen " by Ken Hechler , later adapted into a film of the same name .