Battle at Best - 101st Airborne Division:
On 17 September the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment jumped over Dropzone B in Son, the Netherlands, as a part of Operation Market Garden.
The 502nd PIR is one of four rifle regiments of the 101st Airborne Division. Their assignment was:
Secure the drop- and landingzones for the gliderlandings, attack Sint-Oedenrode to seize and hold the bridges over the Dommel river and seize
and hold the bridge at Best over the Wilhelmina canal.
Maxwell Taylor, the commander of the 101st Airborne Division thought it would be smart to seize another bridge over the Wilhelmina canal, in
case the main objective, the bridge at Son, would be destroyed.
On 17 September the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment jumped over Dropzone B in Son, the Netherlands, as a part of Operation Market Garden.
The 502nd PIR is one of four rifle regiments of the 101st Airborne Division. Their assignment was:
Secure the drop-
Maxwell Taylor, the commander of the 101st Airborne Division thought it would be smart to seize another bridge over the Wilhelmina canal, in
case the main objective, the bridge at Son, would be destroyed.
17 September, at exactly 13.24 hours the first elements of
The 502nd PIR jumped into combat over Dropzone B.
Company H of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment had
the assignment to seize the bridge at Best. They were
accompanied by 3rd platoon 326th Airborne Engineers
Battalion Company C and an LMG section.
Just 14 minutes after the 502nd drops on dropzone B,
Company H jumped into combat. Company H’s commander:
Captain Robert E. Jones gathered the men of his company
as quick as possible at the edge of the DZ to make their
way to the bridge at Best. (Point 1 on the map)
The mission ahead, was thought to be an easy one. Take
and hold the bridge at Best and place roadblocks on the
Boxtel-Eindhoven highway (dark red line).
In good spirit, the men of the Company and the engineers
started moving through the fields towards Best. Using the
church steeple as a reference point.
On the Hunksteegsche weg (point 2) Company H received
its first enemy fire coming from Best. The Germans set up
a road block (point 3) on the intersection of the main street
and the Boxtel-Eindhoven highway. Incoming fire from this
position was so intense that Company H lost orientation
towards the highway. The initial route was the orange
dotted line but the Company now followed the orange line,
which led the company straight to the intersection at the
highway. The enemy didn’t place just one roadblock, in fact,
Best was heavily defended by the enemy. Enemy troops were
dug in along the highway and had 88mm and 20mm guns in
support. Because of enemy fire the platoons of Company H
got seperated and lost their strenght. German fire was
superior to the light armed American paratroopers. Two of the
platoons crossed the highway and reached the Nieuwstraat
(point 3) where they got into heavy fighting. The group had
to retreat quickly to prevent high casualties. During the
conserted attack on the intersection the company already
lost a big part of the initial 250 men.
The 502nd PIR jumped into combat over Dropzone B.
Company H of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment had
the assignment to seize the bridge at Best. They were
accompanied by 3rd platoon 326th Airborne Engineers
Battalion Company C and an LMG section.
Just 14 minutes after the 502nd drops on dropzone B,
Company H jumped into combat. Company H’s commander:
Captain Robert E. Jones gathered the men of his company
as quick as possible at the edge of the DZ to make their
way to the bridge at Best. (Point 1 on the map)
The mission ahead, was thought to be an easy one. Take
and hold the bridge at Best and place roadblocks on the
Boxtel-
started moving through the fields towards Best. Using the
church steeple as a reference point.
On the Hunksteegsche weg (point 2) Company H received
its first enemy fire coming from Best. The Germans set up
a road block (point 3) on the intersection of the main street
and the Boxtel-
towards the highway. The initial route was the orange
dotted line but the Company now followed the orange line,
which led the company straight to the intersection at the
highway. The enemy didn’t place just one roadblock, in fact,
Best was heavily defended by the enemy. Enemy troops were
dug in along the highway and had 88mm and 20mm guns in
support. Because of enemy fire the platoons of Company H
got seperated and lost their strenght. German fire was
superior to the light armed American paratroopers. Two of the
platoons crossed the highway and reached the Nieuwstraat
(point 3) where they got into heavy fighting. The group had
to retreat quickly to prevent high casualties. During the
conserted attack on the intersection the company already
lost a big part of the initial 250 men.
The 502 PIR would never have guessed that German resistance at Best would become so intense. The reason for the German strength in Best,
was caused by the retreat of German forces coming in from the west of the Netherlands. The 15th German army was retreating from the Scheldt
estuary, accompanied by many small groups of battered divisions coming from Normandy. When operation Market Garden started, a lot of these
troops were located in between Boxtel and ‘s Hertogenbosch. Although most German divisions were decimated in Normandy, the German brass
organised the defense of the corridor quickly. They formed small fighting groups (Kampfgruppe) and sent them into action immediately.
At the time Company H made its way for Best on the 17th, a fighting force of about 1000 German soldiers were already in Best. Later during that
day, more enemy reinforcements were sent to Best, including the 59th and 245th Disivion and two SS police battalions.
Enemy troops made it extremely difficult for Company H to fullfil its mission of taking the bridge. The paratroopers of Company H retreated (white
line) from the crossing and took up position on the edge of the woods (point 4). An incident close to this position made the situation for Company
H even more precarious. Twelve trucks with about 200 enemy soldiers were coming from the direction of Boxtel, also bringing two 20mm guns
into the fight. The paratroopers had set up a perfect ambush situation to annihalate the convoy. A motorcyclist, who was driving a few hundred
yards in front, led the convoy towards the bridge at Best. One of the paratroopers opened fire on the motorcyclist and hit him. The motorcyclist
fell of his bike. The convoy halted immediately and formed a shooting line towards the paratroopers who were now faced with even more enemy
troops. Reports from Captain Jones reached the commander of third battalion, Robert G Cole. Although the reports were quite ‘positive’, Cole
didn’t trust the situation and sent the entire battalion to reinforce Company H. In the meantime Captain Jones had ordered Lieutenant Ed
Wierzbowski’s platoon to push through towards the bridge at Best. Wierzbowski’s platoon moved south through the forest, receiving enemy fire
every time they crossed a fire lane. Eventually they got to the bridge, leaving only 100 yards in between them and their objective. (point 5).
was caused by the retreat of German forces coming in from the west of the Netherlands. The 15th German army was retreating from the Scheldt
estuary, accompanied by many small groups of battered divisions coming from Normandy. When operation Market Garden started, a lot of these
troops were located in between Boxtel and ‘s Hertogenbosch. Although most German divisions were decimated in Normandy, the German brass
organised the defense of the corridor quickly. They formed small fighting groups (Kampfgruppe) and sent them into action immediately.
At the time Company H made its way for Best on the 17th, a fighting force of about 1000 German soldiers were already in Best. Later during that
day, more enemy reinforcements were sent to Best, including the 59th and 245th Disivion and two SS police battalions.
Enemy troops made it extremely difficult for Company H to fullfil its mission of taking the bridge. The paratroopers of Company H retreated (white
line) from the crossing and took up position on the edge of the woods (point 4). An incident close to this position made the situation for Company
H even more precarious. Twelve trucks with about 200 enemy soldiers were coming from the direction of Boxtel, also bringing two 20mm guns
into the fight. The paratroopers had set up a perfect ambush situation to annihalate the convoy. A motorcyclist, who was driving a few hundred
yards in front, led the convoy towards the bridge at Best. One of the paratroopers opened fire on the motorcyclist and hit him. The motorcyclist
fell of his bike. The convoy halted immediately and formed a shooting line towards the paratroopers who were now faced with even more enemy
troops. Reports from Captain Jones reached the commander of third battalion, Robert G Cole. Although the reports were quite ‘positive’, Cole
didn’t trust the situation and sent the entire battalion to reinforce Company H. In the meantime Captain Jones had ordered Lieutenant Ed
Wierzbowski’s platoon to push through towards the bridge at Best. Wierzbowski’s platoon moved south through the forest, receiving enemy fire
every time they crossed a fire lane. Eventually they got to the bridge, leaving only 100 yards in between them and their objective. (point 5).
