Operation Lumberjack
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Operation Lumberjack was a military operation conducted in the last stages of the war in Europe during World War II. The operation was launched by the First United States Army in March 1945. The objective of the operation was to capture strategic cities in Germany such as Cologne, and to give the Allies a foothold along the Rhine River.
A notable achievement of the operation was the capture of the Ludendorff Bridge in Remagen. The bridge was the only bridge left intact over the Rhine River, the last natural barrier between Allied forces in western Europe and central Germany, including industrial areas such as the Ruhr, as well as the seat of power at Berlin. The bridge was taken after German forces failed to demolish it and a handful of U.S. armored infantrymen stormed the structure. A small bridgehead was opened on the eastern bank of the Rhine - the first such bridgehead opened by the Allies - and was held open even after the collapse of the Ludendorff railway bridge on March 17. By this time, additional pontoon bridge spans had been added at the crossing site. Other crossings of the Rhine were made in March, by the Third United States Army and the British Second Army.
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