On this day in 1944, units of the 1st Airborne Army (1st British Airborne and 82nd & 101st US Airborne Divisions) began landing near Arnhem, Nijmegen, and Eindhoven to capture the bridges over which the advancing British Second Army - led by British XXX Corps - would advance into the German Reich.
It was a bold attempt to end the war by a rapier-like thrust into Northern Germany … and it might have succeeded if the weather had been better, XXX Corps hadn’t been held up by having to advance up a single road against determined German opposition, and two under strength SS Panzer Divisions hadn’t been recuperating in the Arnhem area.
In his memoirs, Montgomery expressed the opinion that Operation Market Garden had been 90% successful and that:
It was a bad mistake on my part – I underestimated the difficulties of opening up the approaches to Antwerp ... I reckoned the Canadian Army could do it while we were going for the Ruhr. I was wrong ... In my – prejudiced – view, if the operation had been properly backed from its inception, and given the aircraft, ground forces, and administrative resources necessary for the job, it would have succeeded in spite of my mistakes, or the adverse weather, or the presence of the 2nd SS Panzer Corps in the Arnhem area. I remain Market Garden's unrepentant advocate.
I’ve taken part in wargames that refought all or part of Operation Market Garden, and the results were always pretty close to what actually happened.
The operation did give rise to a memorable quote by General Horrocks, commander of XXX Corps:
Gentlemen, this is a story you will tell your grandchildren ... and mightly bored they'll be!
You say: "I’ve taken part in wargames that refought all or part of Operation Market Garden, and the results were always pretty close to what actually happened."
ReplyDeleteIt always strikes me as odd that wargamers marvel at the fact that their games correspond to the historical outcomes. But isn't that what the games are designed to do? ;-)
There is designer bias in many wargames if the range of outcomes (e.g. combat results) is take from the historical record. A strange self-referencing loop, so to speak.
Nevertheless, MG will remain one of these eternal "What if ... ?" campaigns of WW2.
Phil Dutre,
DeleteI think that most wargamers like to see their wargames turn out to have fairly accurate and historically correct results, although I have seen some that used rules that were so skewed that the end result was way off.
The main lessons that came out of the games that I took part in was that a swift German response to the landings - even if not conducted by two weakened Panzer Divisions - can stymie the British attempts to capture and hold the bridge at Arnhem, and that far too much was expected of XXX Corps trying to advance on such a narrow frontage.
All the best,
Bob
Ever since reading 'A Bridge Too Far' this has been a favourite campaign of mine ever since. I was so engrossed by it I would devour it on the beach whilst on holiday, much to my parents chagrin! 'It Never Snows In September' is even better IMHO.
ReplyDeleteSteve J.,
DeleteThose two books give an excellent background to the campaign, and are very useful starting points for the amateur military historian and wargamer.
All the best,
Bob
Have never heard of It Never Snows in September. Will look it up, thanks!
DeleteJennifer,
DeleteI gather that it might have recently been republished.
https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/It_Never_Snows_in_September.html?id=f4g9PgAACAAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y
All the best,
Bob
I recently listened to the We Have Ways podcast 75th anniversary special on Market Garden from 2019. I learnt a few things I don’t know before. It was an entertaining way to learn stuff as I painted.
ReplyDeleteNundanket,
DeleteI really ought to listen to that podcast. It sounds as if it was even better than the others I have heard.
All the best,
Bob
I can’t vouch for others. I’m not a big podcast listener, and WWII is not my core interest, but messrs Holland and Murray are both entertaining and informative.
DeleteNundanket,
DeleteI have heard some of the others, and you are right that Messrs Holland and Murray are very entertaining and informative, and get some great contributors to take part as well.
All the best,
Bob
"Market Garden" has been badly served by the title of Cornelius Ryan's book and the subsequent interpretation of it in the Hollywood extravaganza. For an operation designed to get across the Rhine, the bridge at Arnhem was never "too far"?
ReplyDeleteJeremy Ramsey,
DeleteOperation Market Garden was a gamble that might just have paid off if certain things had not gone wrong. Like so much in real life, each individual problem was not enough to stop it from being a success, but an accumulation of problems was. If it had succeeded and caused a collapse of German resistance in the west, it might well have resulted in a rather different balance of power in Europe.
All the best,
Bob
I've also gamed the Market Garden campaign on numerous occasions (computer, board and figure games). So far it is around 60:40 to the Germans. Hoping to do an Arnhem game in a couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteMartin Rapier,
DeleteI look forward to reading your battle report in due course.
All the best,
Bob