Remagen, anyone been there?

[Owen]

Anyone been to Remagen?
Anyone camped there?
What's the After The Battle article like on it?
Anyone read Ken Hechler's book?
I just bought it on Play.com for £3.32



Anyone been in the Museum?
Die Brücke von Remagen


Can you guess where we're going for our summer holiday?

Edit: Blimey, just seen the campsite I'm planning on going to used to be a PWTE.
The Bridge at Remagen

[Shockwavesoldier]

no ,I have not books looks very good though. I like the halftrack motor carriage with quad .50 cal AA gun. I have a model of that from bastogne.

[Martin Bull]

Hello Owen

No, I haven't been there - yet. It's just about the last major NW Europe battlesite on my 'to do' list.

Ken Hechler's book is a classic of its kind - you have to keep in mind that its a very 1950s war book ie a 'cracking good read' rather in the style of Cornelius Ryan. Two more worth hunting out and taking with you are 'Remagen Bridge' by Andrew Rawson ( in the Leo Cooper 'Battleground Europe' series, ISBN 1-84415-036-4) and also 'Remagen Bridge' ( original title, eh ? ) by Ian Kemp ( in Ian Allan's 'Secret Operations' series, ISBN 9-7807-11-030947 ). If you're only buying one, I'd go for the Rawson title.

Of course, and as always, the ATB issue is well worth getting ( I love 'em ! ) but it's a little dated now ; I think the area must have changed a bit.

Hopefully, others here will be able to answer your queries about camping, etc.

Have a great trip !

[Owen]

Cheers Martin.
Just had email back from campsite.
They've reserved a place so we're going there for definate.
I wonder if it's haunted by the Ghosts of POWs?
I see the Chapel of the Black Madonna is nearby too.
I'll order the ATB issue on Remegan.
I wonder if my daughter will mind standing in for a German Officer ...again.
My poor kids, eh?

Looking forward to summer a bit mor enow.
Italy trip first though.

[EmersonBigguns]

Yes! I visited last September. Great little town. We were there at a time when most everything was just closing up for the winter but I imagine during the summer its a pretty busy place. I assume you are camping at the 'Golden Mile'. Standard European campground, good facilities with showers and a resturant. They hard lock their gates at night so if you plan on doing some touring early in the morning be sure to leave a vehicle outside the main gate in the overflow parking area. There is a semi-pro football club located right next to the entrance to the campground and on one of the nights we were there we watched a few hours of scrimmage play. Remagen is not a big place and its easy to get around. There is a car ferry a few miles south of the campground if you prefer to drive across. There is a passenger ferry in town if you prefer to ride across. Be sure to get a tall frosty adult beverage in the little pub at the top of the Erpel Ley. There are also a few German military cemeteries in the area that are worth a look if you are into that sort of thing. Here is a trip report I posted on another forum....



On March 7, 1945 the Ludendorff Railroad Bridge at Remagen was captured by soldiers of the 9th Armored Infantry Division. Men of the 27th Armored Infantry Battalion, led by Lt. Karl H. Timmerman arrived in Remagen surprised to find a bridge across the Rhine river still intact. German attempts to sabotage the bridge, followed up by bombing attacks and even attacks by frogmen failed to destroy the bridge but left it severely weakened. The bridge eventually collapsed on March 17, 1945 killing 28 men as it fell. Before it fell, thousands of US troops and tons of US supplies were delivered across the river.
With a bridgehead secured, Allied engineers also built a pontoon bridges on both sides of the bridge allowing for continued use of the crossing site. I have a few historic pictures taken of the pontoon bridge located a few hundred yards upstream. Hitler, furious, that a crossing of the Rhine was left standing had 5 officers court martialed, 4 of whom were subsequently put to death for 'allowing' the Remagen bridgehead to develop..
One thing I didn't know was that this bridge, constructed from 1916-1918 as part of the Schlieffen Plan of WWI was actually built with the next great war in mind. German engineers built the bridge with pre-existing areas to be set for demolition anticipating another war with France. As a post WWI condition of surrender, French engineers filled these areas in with concrete to prevent the bridge from being easily destroyed.

Here is a pre-war photo of the bridge credited in the 1930's.

The crossing site today from Remagen looking south.

9th Armored Infantry Division, the "Phantom Division"

The Erpel Ley

GI on top of the Erpel Ley

[EmersonBigguns]

View of the west tower from the Erpel Ley

View of the East Tower from the West bank of the Rhine River.

And a look at the West Tower from the east bank of the Rhine River

Another look at the West Tower, where the peace museum is located

There is a small monument on the east bank dedicated by veterans from both the German and American Army who met on site 46 years later.

The Tunnel Entrance then...


and now...

Firmly sealed and locked. Although it appears the space inside is still used for exhibitions and festivals and what not. Another thing I learned was that for the movie, a similar bridge in Czechoslovakia was used but that Hollywood had to blast its own tunnel on the other side of the Czech bridge for filming. Also, that filming of the movie was interrupted in August 1968 when the Soviets invaded Czechoslovakia. The film people had to flee to Austria and finished filming in Germany and Italy.

[EmersonBigguns]

A few historic photos of the upper Pontoon Bridge


A few historic photos from the bridge collapse of March 17, 1945 which killed 28 soldiers on the bridge.




A picture taken in 1940 showing anti-aircraft defenses.

Looking West through the Bridge Towers. There used to be a bridge deck here. :P

The view of Remagen from atop the Erpel Ley.

Remagen was a great little town. We spent two nights there and got rained on for all but maybe 6 hours, including the hour or so we spent on the Erpel Ley. Not much going on in the fall/winter but this would be a great little city to visit in the summer. Kelly and I caught a 'football' scrimmage at the local soccer club one of the nights we where there and had a helluva fine German meal in one of their restaurants. There is a ferry that runs back and forth across the river between Remagen and the Erpel across the river.

[EmersonBigguns]

I've read the book. It's not bad but it is a little bit of a 'dry' read. I've also seen the film and frankly I didn't like it too much. I can't remember why but I do remember not even finishing the movie. Perhaps this weekend I'll give it another shot and let you know why I thought it stunk.

Have fun!

[4th wilts]

was it captured by the 9th armoured div,the 9th infantry div or the 9th armoured infantry regiment.yours,lee.

[Owen]

Thanks for all that info EB.
Top notch.
As for ,

There are also a few German military cemeteries in the area that are worth a look if you are into that sort of thing.

I can imagine Adam now spitting his drink over the PC .
Of course I'm into that sort of thing.