A Bridge Too Far, Operation Market Garden.
Montgomery had underestimated the Germans' capacity to recover after their retreat across northeastern France.
September 17, 2024
(Arnhem Airborne Assault: By Simon Smith)
American generals quietly expressed satisfaction over the failure of British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's Operation Market Garden in September 1944. Though the plan was British-led, it involved Allied forces from several nations. British historian Max Hastings, in Armageddon, describes the operation as "a rotten plan, poorly executed." One of the most critical errors was the decision to drop the 1st Airborne Division six to eight miles from Arnhem rather than closer to the bridge, which ultimately proved disastrous for the paratroopers and doomed the mission.
Montgomery, eager to cross the Rhine and penetrate into Germany, had grown frustrated with General Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose headquarters remained in Brittany, nearly 400 miles from the front lines on the Belgium-Netherlands border. Eisenhower's staff struggled with command-and-control issues, including slow intelligence processing and issuing orders. After Market Garden's failure, Eisenhower became increasingly dismissive of Montgomery's strategic ideas.
Montgomery had underestimated the Germans' capacity to recover after their retreat across northeastern France. Though two SS panzer divisions in the vicinity of the Allied air drops played a major role in preventing the capture of key objectives, it was the disorganized mix of smaller German units around Arnhem that proved most troublesome for the British 1st Airborne Division. These units, occupying defensive positions east of Arnhem, significantly delayed the British advance. SS Colonel Ludwig Spindler managed to assemble elements from 16 different units to defend the approaches to Arnhem.
The arrival of elements from the II SS Panzer Corps, including tanks, artillery, and armored vehicles, left the British heavily outgunned. The British paratroopers, spread across nine battalions, faced 14 German battalions and the devastating panzerfaust, which proved highly effective against Allied tanks and vehicles. British soldiers recounted the terror of hearing the approach of German tanks, with one intelligence officer, John Killick, recalling the chilling moment when "a tank coming round a corner" would traverse its turret toward them.
The German 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions, which had narrowly escaped destruction in the Falaise Pocket the previous month, were key players in the defense. The 10th SS Panzer Division had companies equipped with Panzer IVs and Sturmgeschütz assault guns, while the 9th SS Panzer Division's 1st Battalion operated Panther tanks. Reinforcements from the 506th Heavy Tank Battalion, equipped with Tiger II tanks, further bolstered the German defense late in the battle.
Despite the presence of these battle-hardened German units, the Allies might have succeeded had they attacked with greater urgency and determination. However, many Allied commanders treated Market Garden as just another operation, underestimating the German defenses. They mistakenly believed that after advancing so quickly across France, the road into Germany would be straightforward. The Germans quickly disabused them of this notion.
Operation Market Garden, launched between September 17-25, 1944, was one of the largest Allied airborne operations of World War II. Its objective was to seize key bridges in the Netherlands and pave the way for a rapid advance into Germany, bypassing the heavily defended Siegfried Line.
September 17, 1944:
The operation began with an airborne assault involving over 35,000 paratroopers from the U.S. 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, as well as the British 1st Airborne Division. They were tasked with capturing critical bridges at Eindhoven, Nijmegen, and Arnhem. The ground component, led by British XXX Corps, started advancing from the Belgian-Dutch border. The initial landings were successful, with most troops securing their objectives. However, problems with radio communication and unexpected German resistance near Arnhem began to emerge.
September 18, 1944:
While the U.S. 101st quickly secured the bridges near Eindhoven, XXX Corps’ advance was slowed due to German counterattacks and traffic congestion on the narrow roads. The 82nd Airborne had secured the Groesbeek Heights but faced heavy resistance in Nijmegen. Meanwhile, British paratroopers of the 1st Airborne in Arnhem struggled to hold onto the northern side of the bridge, as German forces, including SS Panzer divisions, started counterattacking. Vital supplies and reinforcements were delayed, worsening the situation.
September 19, 1944:
The 101st Airborne continued their efforts to clear the road for XXX Corps, facing stiff German resistance. In Nijmegen, the 82nd launched an unsuccessful attempt to capture the critical Waal River Bridge, which delayed the ground forces further. In Arnhem, British paratroopers were isolated, facing mounting casualties and dwindling supplies. The Germans began to close in on the British forces at the northern end of the Arnhem bridge.
September 20, 1944:
In a bold and desperate assault, the U.S. 82nd Airborne, with the help of British tanks, successfully captured the Nijmegen bridge after a daring river crossing by assault boats. This allowed XXX Corps to continue advancing, but the delays had cost precious time. In Arnhem, the British 1st Airborne Division was now heavily surrounded, with reinforcements unable to reach them. Despite heroic resistance, the situation for the British became increasingly dire.
September 21, 1944:
The British 1st Airborne was forced to retreat from the Arnhem bridge, with survivors moving to a defensive pocket at Oosterbeek. German forces were tightening the noose, and British paratroopers struggled to hold their positions. Meanwhile, XXX Corps continued to battle its way through towards Arnhem but was still miles away. The U.S. 101st and 82nd Airborne worked to secure the road and defend against German counterattacks to keep the corridor open.
September 22-23, 1944:
By now, the operation had largely stalled. The British forces in Arnhem were surrounded, with no means of relief. Attempts to reinforce them failed due to poor weather, which grounded further airborne drops. The Germans continued to bring in reinforcements, counterattacking both the airborne divisions and the advancing ground forces. In Oosterbeek, the British paratroopers dug in and fought tenaciously, but their position was becoming increasingly untenable.
September 24-25, 1944:
Realizing the failure of the mission, the British ordered a withdrawal of the remaining troops in Arnhem on the night of September 25. A daring evacuation, known as Operation Berlin, was conducted, where around 2,000 British soldiers were ferried across the Rhine under the cover of darkness. By this time, the Allies had lost nearly 17,000 men, and the objectives of Market Garden had not been achieved. The operation ended in failure, as the Rhine remained in German hands, and the hope of a quick advance into Germany was dashed. However, the airborne forces had fought with distinction, and the courage of those involved remains a significant chapter in the history of the war.
