Overview

In what quickly came to be called the Battle of the Bulge, the 291st Engineer Combat Battalion found itself directly in the path of the German spearhead. With heart-stopping suspense, Colonel David Pergrin describes one of the European theater's critical delaying actions as his unit destroyed bridges, planted mines, and defended roadblocks in the face of oncoming tank columns. Here, in gritty detail, is the story of how those damned Engineers ruined Hitler's winter offensive, and how the 291st, with a reputation almost as big as its accomplishments, went on to build a 1100-foot pontoon bridge across the Rhine at Remagen in 32 hours-in the face of fierce opposition and near-impossible odds. Pergrin follows the battalion from its formation and training through the campaigns in France, Belgium, and Germany, making us witness the genuine heroics, skill, and spirit that lifted the 291st to the realm of legend.

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9780760324080

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WWII History, September 2006 It is a sure bet that most infantrymen would say that the only bunch tougher than the foot soldiers themselves were the combat engineers. If you have a hard believing that, then you have not read First Across the Rhine, the 1989 classic recently reprinted in paperback. Pergrin was the storied 291st's commanding officer, and he and Hammel write with pride and precision about the battalions exploits...First Across the Rhine is a thrilling, page-turning account of a small number of brave individuals who, through sheer guts and determination, did as much as any other American unit to win the war. A definite must-read.

<p> Military Trader, December 2006<p>. .. First Across the Rhine is a rip-roaring good account of the race to establish a bridgehead into Germany.

"Military Trader, December 2006 ...First Across the Rhine is a rip-roaring good account of the race to establish a bridgehead into Germany. WWII History, September 2006 ""It is a sure bet that most infantrymen would say that the only bunch tougher than the foot soldiers themselves were the combat engineers. If you have a hard believing that, then you have not read First Across the Rhine, the 1989 classic recently reprinted in paperback. Pergrin was the storied 291st's commanding officer, and he and Hammel write with pride and precision about the battalions exploits...First Across the Rhine is a thrilling, page-turning account of a small number of brave individuals who, through sheer guts and determination, did as much as any other American unit to win the war. A definite must-read."""

Military Trader, December 2006. .. First Across the Rhine is a rip-roaring good account of the race to establish a bridgehead into Germany.

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