Operation Market Garden

“A Bridge too far”

Jenna J., Isha J., Shirley H., Emma L.
 Thesis
The Allies’ ambitious goal to end the war by Christmas caused a lack of
British and American coordination which ultimately extended world war
II, costing thousands of soldiers’ Lives and starving countless dutch
citizens as a result of the Allied failure.
 Why is it called market garden?
Market Garden

Comprised of the airborne divisions, led by Comprised of the ground divisions, led by
British i aIRBORNE corps commanding Lieutenant General Brian g. Horrocks
lieutenant General Frederick Browning
 Where
➔ Operation market garden was primarily fought in the
netherlands (holland) and germany
➔ The allied powers were attempting to capture german
bridges over the lower rhine river
➔Germany launched counterattack at Arnhem
 Who
➔Operation was Devised by British Field Marshal Bernard
L. Montgomery
➔He promised gENERAL eISENHOWER THAT SUCCESS WOULD
END THE WAR BEFORE CHRISTMAS 1944
➔Allied powers vs nazi germany
 When
➔ Operation market garden began on september 17th,
1944
➔ Operation market garden ended on september 25th,
1944
➔Operation market garden lasted for 9 days
 sEPTEMBER 20, 1944 - US
sEPTEMBER 17, 1944 -
82nd Airborne and
British troops land in
arnhem Timeline of Events
British xxx corps capture
bridge in Nijmegen

sEPTEMBER 18, 1944 - sEPTEMBER 21, 1944 -

Germany counters in British paratroopers are
arnhem, Eindhoven attacked at north end
captured
 sEPTEMBER 22, 1944 -
sEPTEMBER 25, 1944 -
British tANKS’ surviving british
advancement is slowed
troops evacuate
by attacks

sEPTEMBER 23, 1944 -

POLISH CROSSING AT
ARNHEM FAILS
 Goals and leaders
Allies Axis
Gain entrance into the Ruhr Led by General kurt student of the
Airborne forces were tasked to create first parachute army
a “corridor” to allow the Repel allied attack
ground troops to pass
 Military Strategy
➔Created by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery
➔The 1st Allied Airborne Army would assist the British
Second Army
➔They would start at Meuse-Escaut Canal and make their
way towards the Ruhr
 Military Strategy (cont..)
➔They would then capture the 8 bridges at Eindhoven,
Nijmegen, and Arnhem
➔Airborne troops would be flown behind enemy lines to
capture the bridges
➔British tanks and infantry would then relieve the
airborne troops and cross the bridges
 Military Strategy (Cont..X2)
➔The goal was to get across one of the natural barriers
blocking the Allies from Germany
➔This was considered one of the boldest battle plans from
World War II
**Maps Provided By An Animated BBC Map**
Operation Market Garden Map/Plan:
Began September 1944
- German army retreating from France
- General Eisenhower (Sup.Com. Of
Allied) and British Field Marshall
Montgomery quickly decide to for a single
thrust across the Rhine River (the last natural
barrier before entering Germany!) in order
to surprise the retreating Germans
 The two phases of the Operation (market and garden)

Overall Plan involves:

- Drop US 101st Air. Division near Eindhoven (Netherlands)
- Drop US 82nd Air. Division near Nijmegen
- Drop British 1st Air. Division near Arnhem
** Air mission = to capture and hold the bridges (leading into
Germany) for 3 days while the ground forces arrive to Arnhem
- Ground FOrces: British 30th Corp. spearhead the narrow
Eindhoven-Nijmegen-Arnhem road and link up the 3 airborne
divisions
- Arrive at Arnhem on day 3
- Us 1st Army will then join British 30th Corp. using a pincer
First Lift (Sept 17-18)*Arnhem was guarded by 2 SS Panzer Divisions and
an INfantry Battalion (this was not known by the
Allies)
- September 17th pathfinder troops drop
in and secure the landing zones
- Later Heavy Bombing proceeds and 1st
Air. Division’s 320 gliders and 2,300
paratroopers drop in 8 miles from Arnhem
- BUT… 30th Corp.’s drive to reach
Arnhem is halted before they reach Eindhoven
 Attempt To CApture The BRidges (Sept 17)
- 1st Airlanding Brigade Squad. Joins 1st Battalion paratroopers To begin an offensive against
German 9th SS Panzer resistance
- Battalion 3 is held up in oosterbeek
- Battalion 2 manages to move east along the rhine and find the bridge into arnhem...but they
cannot cross due to german units guarding the other side. They have secured the north end of
the bridge.
 Battle for the Road Moving Out from
Bridge (Sept. 18th) the Drop ZOnes
- Company B and C of Battalion 2 arrive at the - 7 KSOB and Regiment 1 guard the original
secure north side, and hold off the german drop zones until the Germans overran them
battalion trying to cross at dawn. - South Staffords 2 and Battalion 11 join with
- Meanwhile Battalion 1 and 3 leave oosterbeek for Battalion 1 and 3 to plan an Arnhem attack
the bridge but end up dispersing. for the Next Morning (they want to Relieve
Battalion 2)
 More Attempts to Reach Defending the Drop
the Bridge (Sept. 19) Zones (Sept. 19)
-South Staffords 2 and other depleted units were Kosb 7 is left alone to maintain major
captured as they headed north while Battalion 11 is landing zone ‘L’. Difficulties regarding
wiped out. Meanwhile, Battalion 2 is struggling weather and logistics cause delay and supplies
to hold out at the bridge. are dropped in a german occupied zone.
 Defending The Bridgehead
Oosterbeek (Sept. 20) Collapses (Sept. 21)
30th Corps and Battalion 10 form a defensive After constant fire, Battalion 2 falls in the
perimeter around oosterbeek because Battalion 2 evening after having held the bridge for 4
cannot be Reached.Battalion 2 desperately holds out nights and 3 days. The Germans attack
and supplies are starting to run out. oosterbeek and the polish drop into Driel for
support.
 The Situation Worsens The Withdrawl/
(Sept. 22 -24) Evac (Sept. 25)
The 30th Corps. Finally arrive to aid the poles THe Germans and the Allies face off at oosterbeek until
and try to cross the river...but most groups are night arrives. The Allied 30th corps set up a barrage and
captured. Ceasefire on Sept. 24th allows 400 begin evacuation. 2,000 manage to cross the river to
wounded to evacuate. safety. 2,000 out of the starting 10,000 survive.
 Who Won and why
➔Allied powers were unsuccessful in the operation
➔The allies failed to cross the rhine river and could not
advance into germany
➔The failure of operation market garden ended allied
expectations of ending WW2 by christmas 1944
Effects of Operation Market Garden
➔The Allied Powers were stunned at their defeat and realized
the war might not be over as soon as they had previously
thought
➔Operation Market Garden could have potentially ended the
war 6 months earlier. However, since it failed thousands
more died
Effects of Operation Market GArden (Cont..)
➔Germans captured 6,000 soldiers
➔The Allies suffered casualties, leaving them at 25% of their
previous strength
➔10,000 men had gone into the Battle of Arnhem. By the
end of the battle, 1,200 were dead and 6,642 were injured
or missing
Effects of Operation Market Garden (Cont..X2)
➔The Parachute Division was decimated
➔The first and last battle to drop an army behind enemy lines
➔Led to the dutch winter hunger because the germans cut off
supplies
 Operation Market garden in action
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/videos/operation-market-garden/
 Works Cited
“BBC - History - World Wars: Animated Map: The Battle of Arnhem.” BBC News. BBC. Web. 23
Apr. 2017
"BBC - History - World Wars: The Battle of Arnhem (Operation Market Garden)." BBC News.
BBC, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.
Cooke, Tim, Sarah Halliwell, and Jim Harkness. The New Grolier Encyclopedia of World War II.
Danbury, CT: Grolier Educational, 2001. Print.
 Works Cited (cont..)
Keegan, John. The Second World War. New York: Penguin, 2005. Print.“
Operation Market Garden, 17-27 September 1944.” Operation Market Garden September 19-27
1944. Web. 23 Apr. 2017
 Works Cited (cont..X2)
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount
Montgomery."Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 02 June 2011.
Web. 24 Apr. 2017.
<https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bernard-Law-Montgomery-1st-Viscount-Mo
ntgomery>.
Tucker, Spencer, and Priscilla Mary. Roberts. Encyclopedia of World War II: A Political,
Social, and Military History. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2005. Print.
 Works Cited (cont..X3)
Watts, Tim. "Battle of Arnhem." World History: The Modern Era, ABC-CLIO, 2017,
worldhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/309464. Accessed 24 Apr. 2017.
 The End
Thanks For listening!