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AIRBORNE ASSAULT
OPERATION OPERA

MARKET GARDEN

Launched in September 1944, Operation Market Garden was
the largest airborne assault to date, aimed at seizing tactical
objectives in the Netherlands. It might have shortened the
war; but its successes and eventual failure showed both TION MARKET GARDEN
the strengths and weaknesses of airborne forces.

In August 1944, British and American in heavy fighting, they succeeded in
airborne troops were placed under repelling German counterattacks
unified command as the First Allied but failed to take the vital bridge at
Airborne Army. General Bernard Nijmegen; meanwhile a second round
Montgomery of the British Army of airdrops and glider landings that
planned to use this force to open a should have brought reinforcements
path through the German-occupied was delayed by poor weather. The
Netherlands and into northern British corps successfully made contact
Germany. Airborne troops, both with 82nd Airborne on September 19,
parachute and glider infantry, were to but the bridge was not taken until the
seize and hold a series of bridges and next day, after a high-casualty river
canals to allow the British 30th Corps, crossing by troops in rowing boats.
advancing from the Allied front line,
to move toward the German border. BEST-LAID PLANS
The scale of the airborne operation These delays placed Britain’s First
was unprecedented.Taking off from Airborne Division, attempting to
England on September 17, the first take the final bridge over the Rhine
wave involved over 20,000 troops at Arnhem, in a desperate situation.
packed into more than 1,500 transport The paratroops had landed too far
aircraft and 500 gliders. Allied air from their target; with radio and
supremacy allowed this aerial armada navigation problems, they lost
to fly to its target areas in daylight, coherence in the advance toward
dropping parachutists and their Arnhem, and only one battalion
equipment with varied accuracy. reached the bridge. German counter-
The gliders, towed by “tug” aircraft, attacks, meanwhile, were ferocious.
also mostly landed safely. But once The presence of two SS panzer
on the ground, the airborne forces divisions in the area had been reported
were in a risky position. Although by intelligence sources before the
some heavy equipment was landed operation, but the information had
with them, they were unsupported been ignored: now, infantry divisions
infantry deep inside hostile territory. with only light artillery support
Once the enemy recovered from the found themselves fighting for their
surprise of the initial assault, the lightly lives against German tanks.
armed troops would have to resist The arrival of the Polish Parachute
counterattacks until the arrival of Brigade to reinforce the British was
the British corps’ tanks and artillery. delayed until September 21, and even
US 101st Airborne Division landed then they were dropped in the wrong
near Eindhoven, closest to the Allied place. After heroic resistance, the
front line. They quickly took four of battalion at the bridge surrendered,
the five bridges assigned to them and on the same day. On September 25,
were joined by the advancing British efforts turned to evacuating surviving
armored forces on September 18. soldiers across the Rhine. In total
US 82nd Airborne were assigned 2,398 were saved, but 1,485 had been
responsibility for seizing crossings of killed and 6,414 taken prisoner. The
the Maas and Waal Rivers. Engaged operation had failed.