Operation Plunder

Allied Forces

• 21st Army Group
• British Second Army
  • XII Corps
    • 15^th (Scottish) Infantry Division
    • 52^nd (Lowland) Airlanding Infantry Division
    • 8^th Army Group Royal Artillery (AGRA)
  • XXX Corps
    • 51^st (Highland) Infantry Division
    • 1^st Commando Brigade
    • 79^th Armoured Division (specialized armored vehicles)
    • 8^th Armoured Brigade
  • II Canadian Corps
    • 9^th Canadian Infantry Brigade
• U.S. Ninth Army
  • XVI Corps
    • 30^th Infantry Division
    • 79^th Infantry Division
    • 8^th Armored Division (in reserve)
  • XIII and XIX Corps (in reserve)
  • XVIII Airborne Corps
    • 6^th Airborne Divison (British)
    • 17^th Airborne Division (U.S.)
    • Office of Strategic Services Teams

Axis Forces

• Heeresgruppe H
  • 1. Fallschirm-Armee
    • II. Fallschirm-Korps
      • 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division
      • 7. Fallschirmjäger-Division
      • 8. Fallschirmjäger-Division
    • LXXXVI. Armeekorps:
      • 180. Infanterie-Division
      • 190. Infanterie-Division
    • XLVII. Panzerkorps:
      • 116. Panzer-Division “Widhund”
      • 15. Panzergrenadier-Division

Operation

At 17:00 on March 23^rd, 1945, the artillery of the 21^st Army Group begins a massive bombardment against German positions along the eastern banks of the Rhine, employing around 1,300 guns. Supported during both the daylight hours and throughout the night by Royal Air Force bombers attacking the town of Wesel, this intense artillery barrage continues uninterrupted for four hours. This coordinated firepower, combined with bombing raids by the Royal Air Force targeting Wesel itself, marks the heaviest preparatory assault mounted by the Allies during this final phase of the war.

The first phase of the ground assault commences as darkness falls, at approximately 21:00, when the leading elements of the 51^st (Highland) Infantry Division and the 9^th Canadian Infantry Brigade advance quietly from their concealed positions near Rees. Utilising Buffalo LVT-2 amphibious vehicles of the 4^th Royal Tank Regiment, the infantry units cross the Rhine under close escort by amphibious tanks of the Staffordshire Yeomanry. Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Alan Jolly, the Buffalo vehicles provide critical support, enabling the assault troops to reach the opposite bank swiftly. Initially, enemy resistance is subdued, largely due to shock inflicted by the sustained artillery barrage.

However, the German defenders—comprising battle-hardened troops from the 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division and the 7. Fallschirmjäger-Division, as well as the 15. Panzergrenadier-Division, quickly reorganise and mount an increasingly fierce resistance. Fighting soon escalates in intensity, turning this “diversionary” action into some of the fiercest combat of the night. The Highland Division’s attempts to push inland face persistent counterattacks, causing heavy casualties, including the death of their divisional commander. Although meant only as a diversion to draw German forces away from the main thrust, this northern sector sees the hardest fighting of the initial crossings, with Rees and Emmerich stubbornly defended. Emmerich remains contested for several days, not falling to the Canadians until four days later, after significant efforts by the entire 9^th Canadian Infantry Brigade.

Simultaneously, at 22:00, the 1^st Commando Brigade, compromising of No. 3 Commando, No. 6 Commando, No. 45 (Royal Marine) Commando and No. 46 (Royal Marine) Commando, crosses the Rhine directly opposite Wesel. Their goal now is the rapid capture of Wesel, a vital strategic hub. The Army has requested the Royal Air Force deliver 300 tonnes of explosives onto Wesel, but in a dramatic departure from this directive, 201 Royal Air Force bombers instead drop approximately 1,100 tonnes. Under cover of this intense aerial bombardment, No. 46 Commando lands swiftly and secures a foothold within fifteen minutes, encountering limited opposition. The rest of the brigade quickly follows, guided by No .46 Commando’s pioneering advance. The town is left shattered by the massive bombardment, allowing No. 6 Commando to swiftly advance into Wesel itself. Utilising a tactic successfully employed in Normandy, they carefully lay down marking tape along their route, enabling the entire brigade to slip quietly into the heart of the town without becoming scattered. By 02:00, the Commandos hold several key positions within Wesel and spend the subsequent hours fending off determined German counterattacks. Their most difficult moments occur during a critical three-hour period when all available Royal Artillery support is redirected to assist the imminent airborne landings. During this time, armed only with small arms and unsupported, the Commandos repel repeated enemy attacks until artillery fire finally resumes at 13:30, decisively breaking up the German assaults.

By 02:00, the commandos firmly hold key points in the town, successfully repelling fierce German counterattacks through the night and into the following day. However, a particularly tense interval occurs when, for three hours, artillery support is withdrawn to support airborne operations elsewhere. The commandos are left to defend Wesel on their own until artillery support resumes, finally enabling them to decisively halt enemy attacks.

At around 02:00, the main assault by the 15^th (Scottish) Infantry Division takes place between Wesel and Rees. Unlike the severe fighting encountered by the 51^st (Highland) Infantry Division further north, these Scots initially face lighter opposition. The 44^th (Lowland) Brigade rapidly consolidates their bridgehead and advances inland without significant delay. However, the 227^th (Highland) Brigade experiences harsher resistance, with elements facing strong positions defended by German Fallschirmjäger. After overcoming these initial difficulties, the 15^th (Scottish) Infantry Division moves swiftly inland to link up with airborne forces landing later that morning.

Concurrently, further south, two American divisions, the 30^th Infantry Division and 79^th Infantry Division of the U.S. Ninth Army, also cross the Rhine. Their crossings encounter significantly less determined German resistance, due largely to the earlier artillery and aerial bombardment. Casualties remain relatively low, allowing them to rapidly secure their bridgeheads and move inland.

Throughout the night and into the early hours of the next day, engineers from both British and American units begin constructing additional pontoon bridges across the river, establishing secure logistical lines to sustain the offensive momentum. By dawn, Field Marshal Montgomery confidently assesses that a strong and permanent bridgehead has been firmly established.

American engineers from Companies E and C of the 17^th Armored Engineer Battalion, part of the U.S. 2^nd Armored Division, quickly begin preparations to enable heavy vehicle crossings. Around midnight, they construct large treadway rafts capable of ferrying armoured vehicles. This ambitious effort, accomplished in darkness, sets the stage for the rapid expansion of the bridgehead. The following day, these engineers achieve a remarkable feat: in just six hours and fifteen minutes, they assemble a massive treadway pontoon bridge spanning the Rhine, approximately opposite Wesel. This record-setting construction effort sees twenty-five 2½-ton GMC CCKW trucks, components of the renowned Red Ball Express logistical network, transporting essential bridging equipment to the riverbank. This vital supply artery significantly accelerates the build-up of Allied heavy armour and supplies east of the Rhine.

As daylight breaks on March 24^th, 1945, attention shifts from the ground fighting to preparations for the largest airborne operation yet seen, Operation Varsity. Later in the afternoon, the advancing ground forces, specifically the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, successfully link up with airborne troops who land during the morning, effectively completing a critical phase of this massive combined operation. The fierce fighting continues in the northern sector around Bienen, where the 9^th Canadian Infantry Brigade fights bitterly to relieve the beleaguered Black Watch regiment, still locked in combat with determined German forces.

By March 24^th, 1945, despite continuing German counterattacks, particularly around the areas of Bienen and Emmerich, Allied forces have firmly established positions on the eastern banks of the Rhine, setting the stage for a swift and decisive thrust deep into Germany’s heartland.

Multimedia