WORLD HISTORY : OPERATION MARKET GARDEN
Field Marshal during Operation Market Garden >
Dwight D. Eisenhower:
Military Leader of the Allied Troops at Operation Market Garden. >
Search Now >
more >
Operation Market Garden
The Plan
Promoted to Field Marshal on 1st September 1944, Montgomery believed that the battles in the West could be won by Christmas. He advocated a thrust on Berlin, supported by all available resources. This was considered preferable to advance on a broad front, which would be difficult to supply from the few ports in Allied control.
The Military leader of the Allied forces, Dwight Eisenhower disagreed with this plan of action. Believing that Germany would use their remaining force to defend the industrial regions of the Saar and the Ruhr, he proposed a double attack on those areas. Although he agreed that a North bound attack was necessary, unlike Montgomery he did not consider it an absolute priority.
Before the plan had been decided, Montgomery received news of V-2 attacks in London. It became vital to prevent V-2 missile bases in the Netherlands from being accessed by the Germans. Montgomery advocated an assault over the rivers Maas and Waal, with the bridge of Arnem being the primary target.
Market Garden was one of the boldest plans of World War Two. Thirty thousand British and American airborne troops were to be flown behind enemy lines to capture the eight bridges spanning the network of canals and rivers on the Dutch/German border.
This was to coordinate with British tanks and infantry pushing up from the Allied front line. They would relieve the airborne troops, who could then cross the intact key bridges.
A Warning From Intelligence
The First Allied Airborne Army including one British and two American divisions would begin the operation, dropping by parachute and gliders. They were to land near the Dutch towns of Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem, and take the eight key bridges. This was known as the 'airborne carpet', along which the advancing British armour of XXX corps could push through to Germany.
The airborne commander, General 'Boy' Browning, had just seven days to prepare for the operation. Before the strategic detail could be confirmed, he received alarming information regarding German troops in the area. It was suggested that there were two SS Panzer divisions around Arnhem, with many tanks and vehicles.
With the deadline for cancelling the operation drawing close, General Browning had to consider the importance of the Intelligence reports which may be inaccurate. He decided that the operation should go ahead as origionally planned.
Operation Market Garden was undermined by a series of dangerous compromises. Allied movements would have to go precisely to plan if it was to be a success.
The Battle
On Sunday 17 September, 500 gliders and 1,500 aircraft flew over the men of XXX corps following beneath them in their tanks and trucks. As the aircraft flew over, the Allied guns began a huge barrage to hit the Germans guarding the road ahead.
American and British gliders and parachutists came down, gathered their equipment and advanced towards their target bridges. They were confronted by enemy infantry almost immediately. The road up which XXX corps were to travel to reach the bridges was narrow, just wide enough for two vehicles to pass. It was defended by small groups of determined German troops.
As the XXX corps tanks approached they picked off the leading nine vehicles, bringing the whole column to a standstill. This delayed the Operation considerably.
The Germans were also quick to organise against the airborne troops. Although the Allied attack was unexpected, they were far from defeated.
The British paratroopers began their advance towards Arnhem. It was soon discovered that their radios were not working correctly. This communication failure proved detrimental to the troops who needed to coordinate their movements. However, one British battalion did find a way through the German perimeter around Arnhem.
By the end of the first day, the northern end of the road bridge across the Rhine had been captured. However, the close proximity of the Germans to most of the bridges resulted in many being destroyed before they could be captured.
The XXX corps had only advanced seven miles from their starting point. They had not reached the first in the sequence of bridges. The Germans meanwhile, aware of the extent of attack, were reinforcing. They prepared to take their tanks to Arnem to confront the British Paratroopers who were lightly armed and relatively unprepared.
On the 18th September, the second day of Operation Market Garden, the XXX corps made significant progress. Their tanks moved 20 miles to join the Americans at an intact bridge near Grave. On the third day they reached Nijmegen, where the Americans were still fighting to reach the bridge across the River Waal. Once they had taken Nijmegen bridge, only Arnhem would remain in German hands. The north end at least was still being controlled by British forces.
Crossing Nijmegen Bridge however proved to be extremely problematic. The XXX corps commander, General Horrocks, took control of the situation. He ordered American troops to attack across the River Waal to capture the German end of the bridge.
Half of those who took the fateful crossing were killed or wounded on the fateful crossing. When the survivors reached the far bank, they used it as a base to storm the Nijmegen bridge. The route to Arnhem was now in Allied hands. This did not however coordinate with the British parachute battalion who were at the north end of the bridge. The Allied troops needed backup but whilst Nijmegen had been pursued, the Germans had moved in their tanks. The houses in which the British were fighting were demolished.
By this point the paratroops had few anti-tank weapons. Lack of food and little ammunition made their position precarious. The Allies were forced to abandon their positions near the bridge to fight their way out. British paratroops were holding a pocket of land at the village of Oosterberck, three miles from Arnhem. However the XXX corps, were on the other side of the river from the airborne troops and they were unable to cross.
German artillery had total control of the river. Horrocks decided to evacuate the British survivors; only some 2,500 eventually made the crossing. Of the original 10,000 men who arrived at the Arnhem sector during Operation Market Garden, 2,000 reached the village of Driel. The rest were killed, wounded or taken as prisoners of war. For the British, Arnham was a second Dunkirk.
The Aftermath
Operation Market Garden failed to achieve its objectives. It was another four months before the Allies crossed the Rhine again to successfully capture the German industrial heartland. Arnem was never reached, despite the number of men who gave their lives to hold the bridge.
Logistical problems such as poor radio communication, bad weather and the inefficient Intelligence all contributed to its failure. However it was the small margin of the operation led to its ultimate failure. Any delays, however small, would be detrimental to its success. There was no leway for causal problems, everything would have had to have gone almost exactly to Montgomery’s plan for it to have ended in Allied success. Unfortunately, a number of factors acted against them.