European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 17, 1962, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Battle survivors compare notes today. Above at right the twin Tower on West Bank of the Rhine. Will Bratge was condemned to death. Jacob Klebach was by Ken Hanse i staff writer after a reunion last week of the com Bat soldiers who were there on both ides of the tines the question of Why the germans failed to blow the. Famed Luden Doris Bridge still remains unsettled. But the reunion at Remagen Germany did give an answer As to Why the rail pan eventually collapsed-r-17 years ago to Day. It fell because of overuse not because of attacks by the Luftwaffe As the late Hermann goer ing was so fond of claiming. To recapitulate the combat situation Nomarch 7.1945 Allied units were Rushing to the  were not to Cross it that Day. But to poise themselves Cor a later grand assault1 but Surprise package came their Way. 12 a unit of american armoured infantry seized the Bridge at Remagen. Plans were changed and three divisions poured Over the Rhine in the biggest military Triumph since a Day. The big question Why did t the Ger mans blow the Bridge Hitler was so enraged he had four allegedly responsible officers court martial Leland sentenced to die. But Only three were killed. The fourth an army Captain in charge of Bridge Security was tried and sentenced in absent a. He had been captured by the americans. He now is a schoolteacher in Germany. Name is will Bratge 58, and he was among those present at the March 7 reunion this year at Remagen. His comments and those of the others atthe reunion on Why the Bridge still stood i asked for 600 Kilos 1,320 pounds of army explosives i received 300 Kilos 660 pounds of commercial explosives they were to be exploded electrically we activated the Detonator Only one charge we Toff causing a Crater in front of the Bridge. The main charge did not go off a tank round must have hit the pipe carrying the Cable to the  Jacob Klebach. 64, now a Remagen Carpenter then a sergeant of the Bridge Security Force All those stories Are not True. Nobody knows. It just did t  us. Army Sec Joseph a. De Lysio of the Bronx n.y., 40, now with the 24th then a platoon sergeant of the 27th army inf in and the third across the Bridge maybe a Shell hit the none american tank the Tower. It did t Tower. A we know was the