Question about the Arado...

I don't think anyone questions whether Arados mounted attacks on the bridge
during March, 1945. However, is there any specific information that they
actually HIT the bridge or even scored "near misses"? Obviously, any
validation would need to come from Allied sources, simply because the
Germans were not in a position to know. I find it exceedingly difficult to
believe that a circa 1945 aircraft with a blind bombing system from that era
was able to hit a target as small as a bridge from 16-26k feet.

KB

There are numerous sources available that either stick to one version
of the story or the other. I personally think the truth lies somewhere
in between. During the crucial 10 days the Remagen bridge was taken
until its collapse on 3/17/45 the Allies put a severe strain on the
weakened bridge with all the traffic put across it. The Germans for
their part tried everything to collapse the bridge. Of the three
concentrated attacks the Germans put up this we DO know:

- the 11 V-2 attacks failed to hit the bridge, but some near misses
were believed to have sent shock waves into the structure... small
probabilty of contributing to the structural failure of the bridge...

- the frogmen sent to attack the bridge with demolitions were caught
with no possibility of contributing to the structural failure of the
bridge.

- the jet attacks launched from KG 76 succeeded in hitting the bridge
with 1000 kg bombs several times from March 12-14. A total of 48
Ar-234 jet bombers were used in these 3 attacks and 55 over all from
Mar 9-14. The earlier raids were failures due to the few jet bombers
used and the dive bombing tactics employed. However, the strategy
changed with in the latter raids with medium alt. horizontal bombing
of the bridge. The Arados made several hits using the "Egon" system
which is believed to have contributed heavily in the structural
failure of the bridge 3 days later. I am not suggesting in any way
that the Arados by themselves caused the eventual collapse of the
bridge. Allied heavy traffic increased to such an extent that it was
inevitable that the bridge would collapse. But the Arado hits meant
that it collapsed sooner rather than later.

To be fair, let's just say that a combination of Ar-234 strikes and
the heavy Allied traffic on the weakened bridge caused its collapse on
Mar 17, 1945. But history is written by the victors...

Rob