How many German troops were captured in the Ruhr pocket?
317,000 German soldiers were taken prisoner in the Ruhr pocket in April 1945, along with 24 generals. They were held at the Rheinwiesenlager, a temporary enclosure near Remagen.
Questions about Ruhr pocket
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What was the Ruhr pocket in World War II?
The Ruhr pocket was a battle of encirclement fought in April 1945 on the Western Front. U.S. forces from the 12th and 21st Army Groups trapped Army Group B and elements of the First Parachute Army in Germany's Ruhr industrial region, then systematically reduced the pocket over eighteen days.
How did Field Marshal Model die at the end of the Ruhr pocket?
Field Marshal Walter Model committed suicide on the afternoon of the 21st of April 1945. Unwilling to surrender as a field marshal into Allied captivity and fearing trial for war crimes, he took his own life after the pocket had collapsed and his attempt to reach the Harz mountains failed.
What role did the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen play in the Ruhr encirclement?
The capture of the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen on the 7th of March 1945 gave the U.S. 12th Army Group its crossing point south of the Ruhr. General Bradley exploited the bridgehead rapidly, and it became the foundation for the southern pincer that eventually closed around Army Group B.
When did organized German resistance end in the Ruhr pocket?
Organized resistance in the Ruhr pocket ended on the 18th of April 1945. The pocket was split in two on the 14th of April when the First and Ninth armies linked up at Hattingen; the eastern half surrendered the next day and the western half collapsed four days later.
What was the Aktion Rheinland resistance group in Düsseldorf?
Aktion Rheinland was a German anti-Nazi resistance group that attempted to surrender Düsseldorf to Allied forces in order to spare the city further destruction. SS units crushed the effort and executed some of those involved, but the resistance did succeed in cancelling an attack by 800 additional Allied bombers. American forces captured Düsseldorf on the 18th of April 1945 without significant fighting.