Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was the plan devised by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. After the Allied landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, the Allied forces advanced rapidly. By early September, the Allied armies had reached the Dutch border from Belgium. Since supplies were still being brought in from ports in Normandy, a suitable strategy was sought. Although the military leaders had different opinions on the strategy, Montgomery’s plan was eventually chosen.
Operation Market Garden had two main components: Market and Garden. Market referred to the airborne landings, and Garden was the ground offensive. In the Market part of the operation, parachutists were dropped near Eindhoven, Nijmegen, and Arnhem to capture and hold bridges until they could be relieved by the ground forces advancing from the Belgian-Dutch border towards Arnhem. The Garden part of the operation involved a ground army that was to advance along a narrow route to Arnhem and relieve the airborne troops at the various bridges. This ground force comprised over 22,000 vehicles and 50,000 men.
The plan had significant risks. The ground force had to advance along a narrow corridor, which posed a high risk of traffic jams—something that could be fatal for the entire operation. The ground forces were required to reach the airborne troops in Arnhem within 48 hours, as the parachutists were lightly armed and could only hold out for that long. Speed was therefore crucial, with almost no room for delays. Reconnaissance flights had indicated a strong German panzer division in Arnhem, equipped with tanks and experienced troops. This panzer division posed a serious threat to the lightly armed British parachutists, but these reconnaissance reports were deemed “inaccurate” and not pursued further. Additionally, the British parachutists had to land far from their target area because the ground close to the target was unsuitable for airborne operations, which put them at further risk.
Despite these risks, the operation was given the green light. The prospect of potentially ending the war before Christmas 1944 and saving many lives made the plan irresistible to the Allied high command, and Operation Market Garden commenced on September 17, 1944.
Upper left: The British 30th Corps, also known as XXX Army Corps, under the command of Lieutenant General Brian Horrocks, was tasked with relieving the airborne troops in Eindhoven, Nijmegen, and Arnhem. The 30th Corps was to advance from Joe’s Bridge just over the border in Lommel. The advance had to be made along a single narrow road with over 22,000 vehicles and 50,000 troops.
Left corner: On the heath near Arnhem, the British 1st Airborne Division, under the command of Major General Roy Urquhart, landed. The drop zones included Wolfheze, Oosterbeek, and Ede. The 1st Airborne Division’s mission was to capture and hold the bridge at Arnhem until they could be relieved by the 30th Corps advancing from the south.
Upper right: In the vicinity of Eindhoven, the American 101st Airborne Division, commanded by Major General Maxwell Taylor, landed. The drop zones included Best, Son, Sint-Oedenrode, and Veghel. The mission of the 101st Airborne was to capture the bridges over the River Aa and the Zuid-Willemsvaart near Veghel, the bridge over the Dommel at Sint-Oedenrode, and the bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal at Son.
Right corner: In Nijmegen, the American 82nd Airborne Division, led by Brigadier General James Gavin, landed. The drop zones included Groesbeek, Overasselt, and Grave. The 82nd Airborne’s mission was to capture the bridges over the Waal River at Nijmegen, the bridges over the Maas River at Grave, and at least one bridge over the Maas-Waal Canal. In addition to seizing the bridges, the 82nd Airborne was tasked with securing the elevated ground around Groesbeek.