Battle of Arnhem
The Battle of Arnhem, part of Operation Market Garden, took place from September 17 to September 25, 1944, during World War II. This military operation involved a significant airborne assault by 5,191 paratroopers from the British First Airborne Division, who aimed to seize a critical bridge over the Nederrijn River in Arnhem. The objective was to facilitate the advance of ground forces from the Thirtieth Tank Corps. However, the operation faced numerous challenges, including the distance from drop zones, communication issues, and unexpectedly strong German resistance, which prevented most Allied forces from reaching the bridge.
Colonel John Frost's Third Battalion managed to secure a foothold at the bridge but was ultimately surrounded and forced to surrender by September 21 due to fierce opposition from German troops. The battle concluded with a retreat ordered by Major General Robert Urquhart on September 25, resulting in heavy casualties; of the 10,005 Allied troops engaged, only 2,163 returned. The failure at Arnhem had significant implications, delaying the Allied advance into Germany and contributing to subsequent conflicts, such as the Battle of the Bulge. The Battle of Arnhem remains a pivotal moment in the narrative of World War II, illustrating the complexities and challenges of military operations.
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Battle of Arnhem
Type of action: Air battle in World War II
Date: September 17-26, 1944
Location: Arnhem, the Netherlands
Combatants: 9,005 British and 1,000 Poles vs. 10,000 Germans
Principal commanders:British, Major General Robert Urquhart; German, Lieutenant General Wilhelm Bittrich
Result: Allied failure to capture the bridge at Arnhem
On September 17, 1944, 5,191 paratroopers of the British First Airborne Division landed near Wolfheze with orders to capture the 2,000-foot-long bridge over the Nederrijn in Arnhem (Operation Market) in anticipation of General Brian Horrocks’s Thirtieth Tank Corps’ arrival (Operation Garden). The action was compromised because of the distance of the drop zones from the target, radio communication difficulties, and unexpected strong German resistance. As a result, only Colonel John Frost’s Third Battalion was able to reach the bridge.
Despite troop and supply reinforcements, Allied efforts to reach Frost’s bridgehead failed because of fierce opposition from Lieutenant Colonel Walter Harzer’s Ninth Hohenstaufen Division. Frost was forced to surrender on September 21. When Lieutenant General Wilhelm Bittrich’s Second SS Panzer Corps succeeded in containing the remains of the First Airborne Division near Oosterbeek and stopping Horrocks’s efforts to reach Arnhem from the south, Major General Robert Urquhart was ordered to retreat on September 25. Of the 10,005 Allied troops who fought at Arnhem, only 2,163 returned.
Significance
The failure of Arnhem postponed the Allied occupation of Germany and provoked the Battle of the Bulge.
Bibliography
Arnhem/Battle of the Bulge. Documentary. Time-Life Video, 1991.
A Bridge Too Far. Dramatic recreation. MGM/UA Home Video, 1996.
Frost, John. Nearly There: The Autobiography of John Frost of Arnhem Bridge. London: Leo Cooper, 1991.
Ryan, Cornelius. A Bridge Too Far. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1974.
Urquhart, Robert. Arnhem. New York: W. W. Norton, 1958.
Whiting, Charles. A Bridge at Arnhem. New York: Pinnacle Books, 1975.