1945 WWII 1104th Engineer Combat Group Pictorial Map of the Roer River Crossing at Julich

Building bridges to cross the Roer River into Germany.

This is a 1945 pictorial map of the 1104th Engineer Combat Group's Roer River Crossing at Jülich, Germany. Unlike most World War II route maps, this piece focused on a singular moment - the crossing of the Roer - rather than a longer campaign or deployment. Six illustrated windows connect individual bridges to their construction sites, documenting the engineering work that carried troops and vehicles across the flooded river under German fire. From footbridges for assault infantry to a Bailey bridge erected on the piers of a destroyed highway bridge, the map records how engineers established and expanded the crossing during Operation Grenade.

A Closer Look

A map of Jülich, Germany, and its immediate environs occupies the center of the sheet, surrounded by six illustrated windows depicting bridges built across the Roer. Arrows connect each illustration to its construction site, linking the engineers' work to the terrain. Five bridge types are represented: several treadway bridges, a Bailey bridge (portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge), a footbridge, an infantry support bridge, and a heavy pontoon bridge. Brief captions highlight particular engineering achievements, including the Bailey bridge erected on the piers of the destroyed highway bridge at Site 2 and the heavy pontoon bridge, the first vehicular bridge completed across the Roer during the offensive. The units responsible for constructing the bridges are listed along the lower border.

The Roer River Crossing at Jülich

Planning for the Roer crossing at Jülich began in November 1944. The 1104th Engineer Combat Group trained on the Meuse River near Maastricht, Netherlands, allowing units assigned to each bridge to practice under comparable river conditions. The crossing began at 3:30 a.m. on February 23, 1945, as part of Operation Grenade. As assault boats ferried units of the 29th Infantry Division across the river, engineers began constructing three footbridges and an infantry support bridge. The first footbridge was completed 86 minutes after the attack began, and all three were ready by 7:00 a.m. The heavy pontoon bridge was completed before nightfall.

Work on the treadway bridge at Site No. 2 began an hour after the assault. By 9:30 a.m., heavy artillery fire was striking the construction site, with several rounds hitting the unfinished bridge and killing or wounding officers and enlisted men. The engineers relocated the crossing 100 yards upstream and resumed construction at 2:00 p.m., completing the bridge at 11:00 a.m. on February 24. The infantry support bridge at Site No. 3 took longer, opening at 3:30 p.m. that afternoon.

Receding floodwaters allowed construction of the treadway bridge at Site No. 5 to begin on February 24; it was completed at midnight on D+2. Work on the Bailey bridge began at 7:00 a.m. on February 25, and the bridge opened to traffic at 5:10 p.m. on February 27. These operations are detailed in the 1104th Engineer Combat Group headquarters report, Roer River Crossing at Julich, dated March 16, 1945, and digitized by The Ohio State University.

The Roer River crossing at Jülich formed part of Operation Grenade, the U.S. Ninth Army's offensive to break through German defenses west of the Rhine during the final months of World War II. German forces had released water from upstream dams, flooding the Roer valley and delaying the assault for nearly two weeks while Canadian and British troops attacked farther north in Operation Veritable. The crossing required engineers to establish bridges under enemy fire across a swollen river, enabling infantry bridgeheads to receive the vehicles, artillery, and supplies needed to sustain the advance. Its significance extended beyond the immediate battle: breaching the Roer line opened the way toward the Rhine and helped the converging Allied armies clear its western approaches, preparing for the crossings into Germany's industrial heartland.

Publication History and Census

This map was likely compiled for a post-crossing report issued by the 1104th Engineer Combat Group. Rare, with but one cataloged example, located at Texas A and M University.

Condition

Very good. Light wear along original fold lines. Signature in upper margin.

References

OCLC 1366501900. Headquarters 1104th Engineer Combat Group, '16 March 1945 Roer River Crossing at Julich.'