Hi, after reading two outstanding threads on this forum: Crossing the Rhine. | WW2Talk Bridging the Rhine for 12th Corps - March 1945 | WW2Talk I would like to ask if anyone has details from the planned XXX Corps Order of Battle for Op Plunder. Specifically, I am wanting to know what Anti-Aircraft Artillery units were assigned to the XXX Corps sector at Xanten, i.e. what was the assigned AA AA Brigade and AA Regiments? Also, what was the assigned Anti-Aircraft Operations Room (AAOR)? This information will enable me to obtain copies of the relevant war diaries from TNA, Kew. Cheers Rod Also, on another thread, someone asked when the first bridges were completed/become operational in the northern sector. I have some answers. The US bridge at Wallach was the first, followed by the British bridge near Vissel. Firstly, the two threads mentioned above provide information on British bridges. The Ike Skelton CARL in the United States has a large number of WWII documents online at: Ike Skelton Combined Arms Research Library (CARL) Digital Library - Ike Skelton Combined Arms Research Library (CARL) Digital Library (oclc.org) A search on the term 'Plunder' will bring up several US Army (and a US Navy) documents relating to Op Plunder and the American bridging effort. From all these sources, here is a rundown on bridges across the Rhine completed in the Northern sector between 24-26 March 1945, in order of completion: 1530h, 24/03 1,152 ft M2 Treadway Bridge near Wallach completed 1600h, 24/03 1,152 ft M2 Treadway Bridge near Wallach opened to traffic 1840h, 24/03 1,152 ft M2 Treadway Bridge near Wallach accidentally damaged, closed to traffic 2200h, 24/03 Draghunt Bridge (FBE 9), near Vissel, Xanten completed 2300h, 24/03 Draghunt Bridge (FBE 9), nr Vissel, Xanten opened to traffic 0100h, 25/03 1,045 ft Heavy Pontoon Bridge (Reinforced) near Wallach completed 0200h, 25/03 1,152 ft M2 Treadway Bridge near Wallach repaired and reopened to traffic 0615h, 25/03 M1 Treadway Bridge near Mehrum completed 0630h, 25/03 1,045 ft Heavy Pontoon Bridge (Reinforced) near Wallach opened to traffic 0830h, 25/03 M1 Treadway Bridge near Mehrum opened to traffic 1630h, 25/03 Digger Bridge (Class 40 BPB), near Bislich opened to traffic 0200h, 26/03 Waterloo bridge (CL 9) near Wisselward, Rees completed 0405h, 26/03 1,284 ft M2 Treadway Bridge at Wesel opened to traffic 0830h, 26/03 Lambeth bridge (CL 15) near Niedermörmter, Rees completed 0900h, 26/03 Sussex Bridge (Class 12 BPB) near Auf dem Hammel, completed and opened to traffic 1645h, 26/03 M2 Treadway Bridge near Milchplatz completed 1800h, 26/03 M2 Treadway Bridge near Milchplatz opened to traffic 1850h, 26/03 25-Ton Ponton Bridge at Wesel completed 2300h, 26/03 London bridge (CL 40) near Niedermörmter, Rees completed
Hi Rod_M, if you're interested in AA-units near Xanten you should look to XII Corps and its order of battle. I believe Trux' latest thread has answers on that question: Crossing the Rhine. | Page 3 | WW2Talk
Some nice pics of the Treadway at Wallach (actually it lead from Wallach on the left bank to Ork on the right bank and to Spellen) 1945 March 24, at Spellen, Germany, Bridging the Rhine - 17th Armored Engineer Battalion in World War 2 (17th-engineers.nl)
Hi alberk, thanks for the links - I'd already noted the info on the XII Corps AA units from that thread. There are also a host of bridge photographs from the Northern and Southern sectors within the following two US Army publications: Engineer operations in the Rhine crossing: Ninth US Army, 1945 Part_1 - World War II Operational Documents - Ike Skelton Combined Arms Research Library (CARL) Digital Library (oclc.org) Rhine crossing: Twelfth Army Group engineer operations Part_1 - World War II Operational Documents - Ike Skelton Combined Arms Research Library (CARL) Digital Library (oclc.org) Each webpage contains a facsimile scan of the the original publications in two parts. Cheers Rod