On March 24th 1945, near Xanten in Germany, the Rhine River was crossed in one of the biggest attacks launched in western-Europe. The attack consisted of an Airborne assault (Varsity) and an Amphibious assault (Plunder), two Divisions of airborne soldiers and four infantry divisions were used in the initial assault.
Operations Varsity was a joint American, British and Canadian airborne operation, it involved more than 16,000 paratroopers of the American 17th Airborne and the British 6th Airborne divisions. They were flown in by several thousand aircraft, it was the largest airborne operation in history that took place on a single day and in one location.
In Operation Plunder the British 2nd Army (The 51st Highland Division and the 15th Scottish Division) and the US Ninth Army (30th and 79th Division) crossed the River Rhine in an amphibious assault.
All of the units involved from both operations were part of the 21st Army Group commanded by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery.
These are some the pictures taken during the two operations!