Operation Market Garden, the plan:
Below you find an overview map of Operation Market Garden. The map indicates the targets for the American 82nd and 101st and British 1st
Airborne Division.
Operation Market Garden took place from September 17 until September 26. Goal of the operation was to push through German lines from the
Belgian city of Neerpelt towards the Dutch city of Arnhem. Hereby crossing some major canals and rivers that held back the allied armies and
bypassing the German Siegfriedline. Once the allied armies reached Arnhem, they would be over the river Rhine, their last natural obstacle.
Once over the Rhine the allied armies would sweep East into Germany, thereby knocking out the German industrial heart in the Ruhr pocket
which would end the war before Christmas. British Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery is the creator of operation Market Garden.
Targets:
The 101st Airborne Division had to secure bridges over the river Dommel in Eindhoven, bridges over the Wilhelminacanal in Son and Best and
bridges over the Zuid-Willemsvaart and river AA in Veghel.
The 82nd Airborne Division had to secure a bridge over the river Maas in Grave, bridges over the Maas-Waal canal and the road bridge over
the river Waal in Nijmegen.
The 1st Airborne Division had to secure bridges over the river Rhine at Arnhem, a road bridge and a railway bridge.
While these targets were attacked and secured, British XXX-corps, consisting of infantry and armor, pushed up a two-way highway from the
Belgian city of Neerpelt, towards the main road bridge in Arnhem. The flanks of XXX-Corps were secured by VIII and XII Corps.
British planners thought the German army in the Netherlands was quite weak, mainly consisting of old men and kids. They thought XXX-corps
was able to travel the 60 miles (100 km) towards Arnhem in 2 days.
The 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were able to achieve their goals, although it took them more than two days. The 1st Airborne Division
landed right on top of the German 2nd SS Panzer Corps and the 9th SS Panzer Division, which were excellent outfits, waiting at Arnhem to
rest and refit. Just a small force of the 1st Airborne Division reached the bridge at Arnhem, but they were not able to hold it long enough.
XXX-corps also experienced more resistance on the highway towards Arnhem. The Germans quickly realised what the allies wanted to achieve,
and closed down the highway at different points near Sint-Oedenrode, Veghel, Nijmegen and Arnhem. Hereby preventing XXX-corps from reaching
the paratroopers at Arnhem.
Sadly the operation failed to reach its goals and took much longer then anticipated. Details of the operation can be found in the near future on
this website.
Below you find an overview map of Operation Market Garden. The map indicates the targets for the American 82nd and 101st and British 1st
Airborne Division.
Operation Market Garden took place from September 17 until September 26. Goal of the operation was to push through German lines from the
Belgian city of Neerpelt towards the Dutch city of Arnhem. Hereby crossing some major canals and rivers that held back the allied armies and
bypassing the German Siegfriedline. Once the allied armies reached Arnhem, they would be over the river Rhine, their last natural obstacle.
Once over the Rhine the allied armies would sweep East into Germany, thereby knocking out the German industrial heart in the Ruhr pocket
which would end the war before Christmas. British Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery is the creator of operation Market Garden.
Targets:
The 101st Airborne Division had to secure bridges over the river Dommel in Eindhoven, bridges over the Wilhelminacanal in Son and Best and
bridges over the Zuid-
The 1st Airborne Division had to secure bridges over the river Rhine at Arnhem, a road bridge and a railway bridge.
While these targets were attacked and secured, British XXX-
British planners thought the German army in the Netherlands was quite weak, mainly consisting of old men and kids. They thought XXX-
The 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were able to achieve their goals, although it took them more than two days. The 1st Airborne Division
landed right on top of the German 2nd SS Panzer Corps and the 9th SS Panzer Division, which were excellent outfits, waiting at Arnhem to
rest and refit. Just a small force of the 1st Airborne Division reached the bridge at Arnhem, but they were not able to hold it long enough.
XXX-
Sadly the operation failed to reach its goals and took much longer then anticipated. Details of the operation can be found in the near future on
this website.
