Page "Remagen" Paragraph 8

Although the bridge's capture is sometimes regarded as the " Miracle of Remagen " in U. S. histories, historians debate the strategic importance of the capture of the bridge at Remagen.

General Eisenhower said that " the bridge is worth its weight in gold ".

However, few U. S. units were able to operate east of the Rhine ahead of the main crossings in the south, under Generals Patton and Bradley, and in the north, under Field Marshal Montgomery ( Operation Plunder ).

Ultimately, only a limited number of troops were able to cross the Rhine before the bridge's collapse.

However, the psychological advantage of having crossed the Rhine in force and in pursuit of the retreating Wehrmacht improved Allied morale while communicating disaster to the retreating Germans.