Sunday, March 25, 1945. Crossing the Rhine.

The Battle of Remagen ended in a US victory.

The Red Army began the Bratislava–Brno Offensive.

Winston Churchill, accompanied by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, crossed the Rhine near Wesel in an Allied landing craft.

The trip was legitimately dangerous.

Allied forces began to cross or advance from the Rine nearly everywhere.

" Left to right: Pvt. Ray Pennington, Princetown, W.Va., Pfc. Emory Neill, Griffith, Ga., and Pfc. Howard J. Stringer, Columbia, Miss., set up their machine gun to watch and harass the Nazi movements on the other side of the Rhine near Oberwesel, Germany. All men are with 76th Infantry Division, 3rd U.S. Army. 25 March, 1945. 76th Infantry Division. Photographer: Tec 5 A.H. Herz, 166th Signal Photo Co."

"3rd U.S. Army infantrymen load onto tank destroyer in Konigstadien, Germany, as they drive deeper into Germany. 25 March, 1945. Company I, 3rd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division. Photographer: T/5 Schneider, 166th Signal Photo Co."

Aachen's post Nazi mayor Franz Oppenhoff, age 42, was assassinated by the SS.

Task Force 58 conducted air raids on Okinawa.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. William H. Rupertus, age 55, died of a heart attack.  He was the author of the Rifleman's Creed;

Rifleman's Creed

This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.

Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will ...

My rifle and I know that what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit ...

My rifle is human, even as I [am human], because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will ...

Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life.

So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy, but peace!

Last edition:

Saturday, March 24, 1945. Operation Varsity.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Army, Bernard Law Montgomery, British Army, Burma, Canadian Army, Hungary, Nationalist Chinese Army, Okinawa, Operation Plunder, Operation Varsity, Red Army, U.S. Navy, World War Two

Saturday, March 24, 1945. Operation Varsity.

Operation Varsity, part of Operation Plunder, saw British, Canadian and American airborne troops drop around Wesel, Germany.

Little remembered, and sometimes criticized, the successful operation remains the largest airborne operation ever conducted on a single day and in one location.  Much of the criticism has been based on the operation perhaps being unnecessary, but it's notable that by the end of this day, Montgomery's forces of Operation Plunder, which included American, British and Canadian troops, had established a bridgehead over the Rhine five miles deep.

German troops in Hungary were retreating in disorder.

The Red Army took Spolot on the Baltic coast between Gdynia and Danzig.

Task Force 58 raided Okinawa.

The Allied Chinese New 1st Army links up with the Chinese 50th Division near Hsipaw, bringing the campaign in northern Burma to an end.

Last edition:

Friday, March 23, 1945. Rhine flood.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Adolf Hitler, Airborne, Army, Burma, Germany, Indian Army, Luzon, Operation Plunder, Operation Varsity, Philippine Resistance, Philippines

Friday, March 23, 1945. Rhine flood.

Hitler approved withdrawing German forces across the Rhine, but the order came too late to avoid 50% of those troops already being lost on the opposite bank.

 "Infantrymen of the 1st Allied Airborne Army are briefed at the marshalling area prior to taking off for the Rhine crossing and Wesel landing. Mourmelon, France. 23 March, 1945. 17th Airborne Division. Photographer: Forney."

U.S. and Filipino troops captured San Fernando on Luzon.

The Indian 20th Infantry Division took Wundwin, Burma.

Last edition:

Thursday, March 22, 1945. Operation Plunder.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Arab League, Bernard Law Montgomery, Germany, Monarchy, Operation Plunder, Spain, World War Two

Thursday, March 22, 1945. Operation Plunder.

Operation Plunder commanded by Field Marshall Montgomery was launched which saw the 21st Army Group cross the Rhine.The Rhine was crossed was at Rees, Wesel, and south of the river Lippe by the British Second Army under Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey, and the United States Ninth Army under Lieutenant General William H. Simpson.

89th Infantry Division crossing the Rhine in Operation Plunder.  Note the soldier equipped with a Thompson submachine gun on the deck of the landing craft.

The U.S. 5th Infantry Division of the 3d Army crossed the Rhine near Nierstein.

Don Juan, pretender to the Spanish Crown, demanded Franco's resignation.

Kamikazes make significant strikes on Task Force 58, including with the new Yokosuka MXYZ Ohka suicide rocket plane.

The Arab League was established.

Last edition:

Wednesday, March 21, 1945. Ohka.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Aircraft, Denmark, Gestapo, Imperial Japanese Army, Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, Nationalist Chinese Army, Okinawa, U.S. Navy, World War Two