22nd September 1944, the noose tightens around allied forces in Arnhem, Holland.

22nd September 1944, the noose tightens around allied forces in Arnhem, Holland.


After the successes encountered in the Normandy Breakout from July through August, it was believed that the German Army was a beaten foe and in retreat. 

As such, British General Montgomery lay forth a brazen plan to capture key bridges that would be required conquests for the final push into Germany, perhaps ending the war in Europe by Christmas of 1944.

 Montgomery relayed his plan and, following acceptance by Supreme Allied Commander in Europe -US General Dwight Eisenhower -put the plan into action. 


On September 17th - just seven days after the official approval, Operation Market Garden was set in motion.

The operation was to be made up of two distinct forces - the airborne elements (falling under the "Market" designation) and the ground forces (falling under the "Garden" designation). 

The airborne groups would be charged with seizing key bridges and choke points while the ground forces would be called to move Northwards and solidify any gains.

When enacted, Operation Market Garden would become the single most largest airborne operation in the history of war, encompassing some 34,600 men, 1,700 vehicles and about 260 artillery pieces dropped from the skies by glider or parachute. 

The plan would secure key routes and bypass the fabled Sigfried defensive line, allowing for unfettered access in a final push against German territory.

On the 22nd of September 1944, the situation for the patroopers attempting to capture the bridge at Arnhem had deteriorated.


General Sosabowski's Polish 1st Airborne Brigade leaped into action in an attempt to rescue the remaining British forces at Arnhem. 

Their drop zone was just southwest of Arnhem proper but their arrival did little to defuse the deteriorating situation - being held in check by a smart German defense that was attempting to keep the confined British from reaching the arriving Poles and alternatively keep the Poles buried along the river banks.

Some British forces were able to evacuate when XXX Corps was brought up for fire support to cover the escape route. 

Assault boats governed by British and Canadian troops were used to ferry the battered troops out of the area.

 On September 27th, the remaining Poles surrendered to the Germans - marking the end of Operation Market Garden.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS:US Army Master Sergeant Roddie Edmond.

Image
 RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS:US Army Master Sergeant Roddie Edmond. Here is America's only soldier to ever receive Israel’s highest honor conferred on non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.  77 years ago, facing the threat of immediate execution, he and his men displayed an act of courage and character that exemplifies what it means to take a stand against evil. US Army Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds, 422nd Infantry Regiment, 106th Infantry Division, the “Golden Lions”, was captured by German forces at the onset of the Battle of the Bulge.  A native of Knoxville, TN, Edmonds was 25 years old. He had only been on the front line for five days when his unit was overrun. Edmonds' captors marched him east where he was transferred to Stalag IX-A, a camp for enlisted personnel just east of Bonn, Germany.  As the senior noncommissioned officer at the camp, Edmonds found himself responsible for 1,275 American POWs. On January 27, 1945, the Camp Com...
Read more

🇺🇲WWII uncovered: Honoring the Service of First Sergeant Floyd Talbert of Easy Company♠️

Image
 🇺🇲WWII uncovered: Honoring the Service of First Sergeant Floyd Talbert of Easy Company♠️ Floyd Merrill Talbert, of  Kokomo, Indiana, enlisted in the U.S. Army on August 24, 1942 at Fort Benjamin Harrison, located in Indianapolis, Indiana.  He was assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division at Camp Toccoa under the direction of Captain Herbert Sobel. Talbert made his first combat jump on D-Day. While in Normandy, he was bayoneted by Pvt. George Smith, who mistook him for a German. Talbert had been trying to wake Smith while carrying a pistol, and wearing a German poncho.  Also, Talbert jumped in Operation Market Garden in Holland, and fought in the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne. Talbert had quickly risen through the ranks, making the rank of Company 1st Sergeant, he would later turn that rank in, when he thought he could do better to be with the men he had fought alongside of during the war, self-demoting to St...
Read more

🇺🇲 WWII uncovered: Three War Veteran: Colonel Ed McMahon of the US Marine Corps:

Image
 🇺🇲 WWII uncovered: Three War Veteran: Colonel Ed McMahon of the US Marine Corps: You may remember his signature line - "Heeeere's Johnny!! For nearly 30 years Ed McMahon was the co-host of the popular television series "The Tonight Show" with fellow World War II veteran Johnny Carson. While Johnny served in the Navy - Ed served with the US Marine Corps.  McMahon served with the Marines during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. According to the US Department of Defense: "In 1944, Ed McMahon was commissioned in the Marine Corps and earned his pilot's wings.  He became a Marine Corps test pilot and a flight instructor in F4U Corsair aircraft at Lee Field, in Green Cove Springs, Florida." "McMahon remained in the Marine Corps Reserve after the war and was recalled to active duty during the Korean War.  He was awarded six Air Medals for flying 85 combat missions over North Korea in an OE-1 unarmed observation aircraft." "Afte...
Read more

One day, a math teacher from Minnesota gave her students the following assignment:

Image
One day, a math teacher from Minnesota gave her students the following assignment:  One day, a math teacher from Minnesota gave her students the following assignment:  make a class list, think about what they like most about each of their classmates, and write down this quality next to their last name.  At the end of the lesson she collected the lists. It was on Friday.  Over the weekend, she processed the results and on Monday distributed to each student a piece of paper on which she listed all the good things that their classmates noticed in him. The guys were reading, and here and there a whisper was heard: “Is this really all about me? I didn’t know I was loved so much. They didn't discuss the results in class, but the teacher knew she had achieved her goal. Her students believed in themselves.   A few years later, one of these guys died in Vietnam. He was buried in his homeland, Minnesota.  Friends, former classmates, and teachers came to say goodbye t...
Read more

🇺🇲A Salute to Melvin E Biddle. Recipient of Congressional Medal of Honor and Hero of the Battle of the Bulge.

Image
🇺🇲A Salute to Melvin E Biddle. Recipient of   Congressional Medal of Honor and Hero of the Battle of the Bulge. Serving as lead scout during an attack to relieve the enemy-encircled town of Hotton, Pfc. Biddle aggressively penetrated a densely wooded area, advanced 400 yards until he came within range of intense enemy rifle fire, and within 20 yards of enemy positions killed three snipers with unerring marksmanship. Courageously continuing his advance an additional 200 yards, he discovered a hostile machinegun position and dispatched its two occupants.  He then located the approximate position of a well-concealed enemy machinegun nest, and crawling forward threw hand grenades which killed two Germans and fatally wounded a third. After signaling his company to advance, he entered a determined line of enemy defense, coolly and deliberately shifted his position, and shot three more enemy soldiers.  Undaunted by enemy fire, he crawled within 20 yards of a machinegun ne...
Read more

On this day 10th March 1945.

Image
On this day 10th March 1945. 67 Germans tunneled out of a prisoners of war camp at Bridgend, Glamorgan, Wales, United kIngdom; all were captured within a week, including two who were caught by an unarmed girl working with the Auxiliary Territorial Service. From the outset, those in charge at Island Farm were acutely aware of the risk of escape by the prisoners and the potential risks that an escape would pose. Sabotage of vital war work was feared as the camp was within a mile of the munitions factory which employed 39,000 and in the heart of industrial south Wales which was so crucial to the war effort. Their fears were well founded. In January 1945, a tunnel was discovered and though the camp commander and guards realised that it was likely to be a diversionary tunnel, they failed to find the other. It was through this second tunnel, with its entrance in Hut 9, that the officers made their escape in March 1945. On 10 March, the German soldiers gathered in the hut to make their wa...
Read more

They Started Beating Him From 6pm Till He Died At 10am The Next Day They Shaved His Hair- Source.

Image
They Started Beating Him From 6pm Till He Died At 10am The Next Day They Shaved His Hair- Source. As reported by The Punch News, the source from the university said, “They started beating him from 6 p.m. until he died at about 10 a.m. the next day. The incident happened at ‘Shepherd Inn’. It’s like a lodge or a hostel now. They also shaved the hair of the guy before beating him. The university spokesperson, Femi Atoyebi, said, “What actually happened is that the deceased was alleged to have stolen a mobile telephone, but instead of reporting the issue to the university management, the expelled students could not control their emotions. Their actions led to the unfortunate death of the student. The university has taken swift action by handing over all the students involved to the Nigeria Police Force for investigation, with the assurance that justice will be served
Read more

Sad Story Of African Powerful President Who Was Killed On Live TV Broadcasting.

Image
Sad Story Of African Powerful President Who Was Killed On Live TV Broadcasting. What makes watching a video of someone’s last moments different from reading about their murder? There is always something profound and heartbreaking about a dying person, no matter how many mistakes or sins they have made. We examine Mohammed Anwar el Sadat’s terrible murder in light of the aforementioned.As president of Egypt , Mohammed Anwar el Sadat was the one who was most closely guarded. In any case, he was guarded by at least four layers of security, including a group in charge of robbing the military during a parade of its armaments. But tragic events made him vulnerable, which led to his murder on October 6, 1981.The war between his country and Israel was ended by the Camp David Accords, which Sadat had signed three years earlier.  As a result, he infuriated his neighbors, who promptly removed Egypt from the Arab League. His crackdowns on Islamist organizations did not help, and he also aliena...
Read more

Perched atop the deck of a ship in the year 1910, a sailor shares a moment of companionship with the ship's cat and its tiny kitten.

Image
Perched atop the deck of a ship in the year 1910, a sailor shares a moment of companionship with the ship's cat and its tiny kitten. Throughout maritime history, ship's cats have been valued members of crews, providing both practical assistance and emotional support to sailors during their voyages. Beyond their role as cherished companions, these feline sailors played a crucial role in maintaining the ship's integrity and protecting its cargo. With their keen hunting instincts, ship's cats helped control the rodent population aboard, safeguarding vital supplies and equipment from damage. Their presence also brought a sense of comfort and camaraderie to sailors far from home, offering a brief respite from the rigors of life at sea. In this timeless scene, we glimpse the enduring bond between seafarers and their feline companions, a testament to the shared journeys and mutual reliance that defined life aboard the ship.
Read more

Goering, an early member of the Nazi Party, suffered injuries during a failed Munich beer hall raid in 1923, leading to long-term dependence on painkillers.

Image
On May 9, 1945, Hermann Goering, commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, president of the Reichstag, head of the Gestapo, prime minister of Prussia, and Hitler's designated successor, was captured by the American Seventh Army in Bavaria. Goering, an early member of the Nazi Party, suffered injuries during a failed Munich beer hall raid in 1923, leading to long-term dependence on painkillers. After Hitler came to power, Goering was instrumental in setting up concentration camps for political dissidents. Known for his lavish lifestyle, he often changed uniforms and displayed his decorations, jewelry, and stolen art. After ordering German Jews out of the economy after Kristallnacht in 1938, he began policies of confiscating Jewish property and businesses. Goering's inability to win the Battle of Britain and stop the Allied bombing of Germany reduced his standing within the party. His egotism and close association with Hitler further alienated him from his fellow officers. As the war ...
Read more