![]() The pilot was ordered to attack a bridge that was defended by the German tank commander and now the soldiers have visited the remains of the Bridge at Remagen (formerly “Ludendorff Bridge”) together.ĭuring action that led to the film ‘The Bridge at Remagen’ being made in 1969, the bridge collapsed on 17th March 1945, some 10 days after soldiers from the 9th Armoured Division seized it, allowing the First United States Army to cross it. Cottrell flew a P-47 Thunderbolt, which was designed for dogfights at high altitude and for attacking targets on the ground. They were used in both the European and the Pacific theatres. The Thunderbolts were a series of various American military aircraft developed between 19. (Newsflash)Īnd when the former German tank commander was asked if they had any weaknesses he jokingly replied that you had to catch them from behind, before adding dryly: “But we didn’t write that on the tank.” Ed Cottrell, 99, knelt to honour his friend Ted 77 years after his death at the Belgian military cemetery.Ed Cottrell as a young pilot – was flying a P-47 fighter aircraft.The American told local newspaper Bild that the tanks were a fearsome opponent saying: “The only thing we knew was that the tanks were so robust that bullets could not damage them – only bombs.” The battle in which Tegethoff had the rank of lieutenant in the German Wehrmacht later became a Hollywood film. ![]() ![]() Two World War II veterans who fought on opposite sides in a battle that marked a turning point in the conflict are seen here sharing a joke after the former American fighter pilot told the German tank commander he was happy he missed him so “we can be friends today”.įormer American fighter pilot, Ed Cottrell, 99, who flew a Thunderbolt and participated in 65 missions against German troops, shared a beer and sauerkraut with his new German friend Dr Juergen Tegethoff, 97, who used to be a tank commander in the battle for the bridge at Remagen. ![]()
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