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2  "That darned Bridge"  Bombings on Remagen

At the beginning of October 1944, Americans dropped the first bombs on the Bridge at Remagen.  The town suffered its heaviest attacks at the end of 1944/beginning of 1945.  There were many dead and wounded – in a single bombing attack at noon on January 2^nd, 1945, when 127 bombs weighing 450 kilograms and 82 bombs weighing 900 kilograms were dropped, 28 civilians and 8 soldiers were killed.

Until the spring of 1944, bombings of Remagen were only sporadically concomitant with the allied attacks upon the large industrial and traffic centers of the Rhine-Ruhr area.  This situation changed with the advance of allied troops following the landing in Normandy in June, 1944:  The Middle Rhine area became a primary bombing target of air-raid squadrons.  This was to have dramatic consequences for the citizens of Remagen.