Arnhem 1944

by Chris Brown

Overview

The Battle of Arnhem is one of the most iconic Western front battles of the Second World War.

When we think of Arnhem, we think of a bridge too far and a sky full of parachutes dropping the Allies into the Netherlands. It was one of the most complex and strategically important operations of the war. Operation Market Garden was devised to give the Allies the opportunity to bypass the German Siegfried Line and attack the Ruhr. Paratroopers were dropped into the Netherlands to secure all the bridgeheads and major routes along the proposed Allied axis advance. Simultaneously, the 1st Airborne Division, supported by the Glider Pilot Regiment and Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade, landed at Arnhem. The British expected to sweep through and connect with the Arnhem force within a matter of days. However, things on the ground proved very different. The troops met resistance from pockets of SS soldiers and soon were overwhelmed. The Arnhem contingent was cut off from reinforcement and eventually forced to withdraw. The 1st Airborne Division lost three-quarters of its strength in the operation and did not see battle again.

Through quotes and maps, the text explores the unfolding action of the battle and puts the reader on the frontline. If you truly want to understand what happened and why — read the Battle Story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459734104
Publisher:	Dundurn Press
Publication date:	04/23/2016
Series:	Battle Story , #7
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Chris Brown holds a PhD in medieval military history from the University of St Andrews. He has designed and delivered numerous history and war studies courses for the OLL department at Edinburgh University. He has travelled extensively through Asia, Europe, the United States and North Africa studying battlefields from the middle ages to the 1960s.

Chris Brown holds a PhD in medieval military history from the University of St Andrews. He has designed and delivered numerous history and war studies courses for the OLL department at Edinburgh University. He has travelled extensively through Asia, Europe, the United States and North Africa studying battlefields from the middle ages to the 1960s.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 7

List of Illustrations 8

Introduction 11

Timeline 14

Historical Background 17

The Armies 27

The British 29

The Germans 54

The Strategy 58

The Days Before Battle 62

Planning the Landings 64

The XXX Corps' Plan 72

The Landings Commence 76

The Battlefield: What Actually Happened? 79

The Attack Commences - Day One 79

Appraising the Situation - Day Two 90

Opposition Increases - Day Three 102

Waiting for Reinforcements - Day Four 109

The Bridge is Lost - Day Five 113

No Way Across - Day Six 119

Under Fire - Day Seven 121

Operation 'Berlin' - Day Eight 123

After the Battle 124

The Germans 134

The Legacy 145

Orders of Battle 153

Further Reading 157

Index 158