Allied Re-offensive

At last the terrible long winter was over and spring came. In 1945 the Allies reopened the offensive. In the south the US army under General Patton conquered the bridge over the Rhine at Remagen intact on March 6th, 1945. His troops crossed the river and formed a bridgehead, from which they later broke out and began their famous race through South Germany. East of Nijmegen, north of the occupied German city of Kleve/Kleef, thousands of tons of bombs were being dropped on the German positions on the Rhine's north bank.

Meanwhile the German long distance guns that - since September 1944 - had been shelling Nijmegen, had been silenced, much to the relief of those who had stuck it out amongst its ruins. On March 26th, 1945 the British and Canadian armies, covered by an artificial fog and heavy artillery fire, crossed the river and British Airborne Forces were dropped behind the German positions on the north bank between Emmerich and Wesel. The British went north and east, occupying German towns and villages, the Canadian Army and the Polish Brigade went north and west, liberating Dutch villages and towns.