U.S. troops enter newly captured Essen. Troops of the 79th Division, Ninth U.S.

U.S. troops enter newly captured Essen. Troops of the 79th Division, Ninth U.S. Army, ride through the rubble of Essen, Germany, Soldiers of the 17th U.S. Airborne Division first occupied Essen April 10, 1945, against little enemy resistance. Located in the midst of one of the world's richest hard coal districts, Essen was called the arsenal of Germany. The Krupp plan in Essen, under constant attack by Allied air raids, was the largest steel works in Europe and was especially vital to the enemy since it supplied parts to other assembly plants.