Following the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes; the Allies began steps for the final assault into Germany. The long-delayed US Army thrust over the Roer River; Operation Lumberjack; finally took place in February; placing the US Army along the Rhine. The Rhine represented the last major geographical barrier to the Allied advance into Germany. The plan was for Montgomery's 21st Army Group to leap the Rhine into the Ruhr in a carefully choreographed attack called Operation Plunder. In the event; fortune smiled on the US Army when the 9th Armored unexpectedly found that the Ludendorff bridge at Remagen had not yet been demolished by the Wehrmacht; leaving this one major crossing over the Rhine intact. An armored infantry team supported by the new Pershing tanks stormed the bridge; seized it in fierce fighting and disarmed the charges placed on it. They then held it against numerous counterattacks in which the Germans used conventional tactics and unconventional; including jet bombers; V-2 missiles; and frogmen. Remagen was not the only impromptu Rhine crossing made by the US Army in central Germany but it was the most dramatic and hardest fought. The irrepressible George Patton; in spite of instructions to stay put; snuck an infantry division across the Rhine in the south; setting the stage for the race into Germany. After reinforcing their two major Rhine crossings; the US Army launched its late-March offensive; encircling Frankfurt; and setting the stage for the defeat of the Wehrmacht in the West. This is a gripping; authoritative account of a crucial battle during the last major set-piece operation of World War II (1939-1945).
#1173834 in Books Pen and Sword 2009-04-21 2009-05-05Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.10 x 1.10 x 6.10l; 1.25 #File Name: 1844158888336 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The "Other" side to the Falklands War.By Anthony J. AndreaFor those with an interest in the Falklands War then this gives the "other" side to that conflict.For a general war reader then it just shows that at the end of the day soldiers go where the politicians say and fight whoever is the designated enemy.It is a well written and readable account of the Falklands War.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. gives an excellent and relatively balanced view of the conflictBy Dr H.A. WesselsCombined with Middlebrook's previous book on the Falkland conflict; "The Falkland War"; which describes the battle mainly from the British point of view; this book; which views the war from the Argentinian side; gives an excellent and relatively balanced view of the conflict. Although these books are mainly concerned with the military actions; they give enough political background to understand the motivation of the Argentinian junta to invade a British territory and thus incur the wrath of one of the greater military powers at the time. Aside from the factual information; the books are well-written and easy and pleasant to read. Highly recommended for anybody interested in this peculiar and unfortunate little war between two modern; Western nation-states.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Ok but some redundancyBy CustomerA pretty good "why we fight" element from Argentine perspective; and decent oob set ups for each engagement; but combat accounts of these engagements are mostly vague on detail with significant gaps. Much better books out there.
