17-25 Sept. 1944: Operation Market Garden

Beginning on 17 Sept., elements of the First Allied Airborne Army, commanded by Lt. Gen. Sir Frederick A. M. "Boy" Browning, began parachuting into Holland. The British 1st Abn. Div., commanded by Maj. Gen. Robert E. "Roy" Urquhart, supported by the 1st (Polish) Independent Abn. Bde. commanded by Maj. Gen. Stanislaw Sosabowski, had the mission of seizing the bridge over the Rhine in Arnhem. Maj. Gen. James M. Gavin's 82d Abn. Div. was given the mission of taking the bridges at Grave and Nijmegan. Maj. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor's 101st Abn. Div. had the mission of capturing bridges at Son and Veghel. This portion of the operation was codenamed Market.

The British XXX Corps, commanded by Lt. Gen. Sir Brian G. Horrocks, was ordered to send two armored and eight mechanized infantry brigades up Holland's Highway 69, nicknamed "Hell's Highway" to relieve the British paratroopers holding the Rhine bridge in Arnhem. His portion of the operation was codenamed Garden. This was the diciest part of the whole operation because the highway was elevated above the surrounding terrain, much of which was unable to support the weight of armored combat vehicles, forcing the attackers to use only the roadway.

Suffice to say, when the operation failed, one observer likened it to a classic case of overreach, saying that it was "a bridge too far" to be successfully accomplished.

For details on this remarkable operation, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market_Garden

ILLUSTRATIONS: (1) British 1st Abn. Div. paratroopers jump into Holland, 17 Sept. 1944. (2) British 1st Abn. Div. 'Red Devils' on the DZ outside of Arnhem. (3) A Hamilcar glider disgorges its load as the British 1st Air Landing Bde. descends on LZ-Z near Arnhem. (4) British main Arnhem drop zone. (5) British glider troops land in Holland during Operation Market Garden. (6) XXX Corps armor advances through Holland en route to Arnhem. (7) British paratroopers battle German armor on the Arnhem bridge, 18 Sept. 1944. (8) British paratroopers try to hold off a German attack on the Arnhem bridge. (9) British paras on the Arnhem bridge. (10) British paratroopers fight off attacking Germans in Arnhem, 20 Sept. 1944.