The Ludendorff Bridge or Bridge at Remagen

Securing the Ludendorff Bridge, undamaged, was a crucial strategic victory for the Allies in 1945. It allowed thousands of troops and vehicles to cross the vast River Rhine, and thus turn their eyes towards Berlin.

Color war movie 'The Bridge at Remagen' (1969) brought the story of the bridge from military lore into the mainstream. The movie's version of events is highly accelerated, putting a far greater emphasis on infantry battles than the weeks of artillery duels that preceded the bridge's capture in real life.

Thousands of Allied troops crossed the bridge immediately after its seizure. Allied area bombing had damaged some Rhine crossings to the north, while the German Wehrmacht destroyed others in controlled explosions to slow down its adversaries.

The 9th Armored Division of the US First Army became the first Allied troops to cross the Rhine after its capture on March 7, 1945. With the Russian Red Army advancing from the east, the pincer was now set.

After losing control of the bridge, German forces repeatedly tried to destroy it. They succeeded on March 17, 10 days after its capture. But not before some 25,000 troops and vehicles had established themselves on the eastern bank.

This photo was taken on the 70th anniversary of the bridge's capture, May 7, 2015. The ceremony brought together veterans from around the world.

The Ludendorff Bridge, initially constructed for logistics purposes in World War I, was never rebuilt after its 1945 destruction. The towers on its western bank at Remagen (pictured here) were converted into a museum. Across the Rhine, in Erpel, the towers were made into a performing arts space — and they're now up for sale.