On this day in military history…
Operation Market Garden was one of the most ambitious Allied military operations of the Second World War. Devised in the later stages of the conflict, it was intended as a bold thrust into Nazi-occupied Netherlands, aimed at bringing the war to a swift end. The brainchild of British Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, the operation sought to bypass the heavily defended Siegfried Line by seizing a series of key bridges across major Dutch rivers and canals, culminating in the capture of the bridge over the Lower Rhine at Arnhem. If successful, it would allow Allied forces to pour into northern Germany and potentially bring about a quick German collapse.
The plan was divided into two major components. The airborne element, codenamed "Market," involved the largest airborne assault in history up to that time. Three airborne divisions would be dropped behind enemy lines to seize bridges and key terrain. These were the American 101st Airborne Division, the American 82nd Airborne Division, and the British 1st Airborne Division, supplemented by the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade. The ground offensive, "Garden," would be led by XXX Corps of the British Second Army, which was to punch through German lines from the Belgian border, advance along a single narrow highway, and link up with the airborne forces at each bridge in sequence—Eindhoven, Nijmegen, and finally Arnhem.
The operation commenced on September 17, 1944. Under brilliant autumn skies, nearly 35,000 paratroopers descended upon Dutch fields, canals, and roads. The airlift involved over 1,500 transport aircraft, primarily C-47 Dakotas, to drop the paratroopers, and around 500 gliders were used on the first day alone. In total, over 2,300 gliders would be used throughout the operation, carrying everything from troops and jeeps to anti-tank guns and artillery. The Americans landed near Eindhoven and Nijmegen. The British 1st Airborne, under the command of Major-General Roy Urquhart, was dropped near Arnhem, tasked with securing the most distant and strategically vital bridge. Initial landings went relatively smoothly, with many drop zones encountering light resistance. The paratroopers achieved some of their early objectives, but cracks in the plan began to emerge almost immediately.
One of the key issues was intelligence. Allied planners had underestimated German strength in the area. Recent SS Panzer divisions had been resting and refitting near Arnhem, including the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions. These were well-equipped, battle-hardened units, and their presence would prove decisive. The British paras, lightly armed and short on anti-tank weapons, were soon facing overwhelming armored resistance. Worse still, the drop zones for the British were located several miles from the bridge in Arnhem itself. By the time units from the 1st Airborne reached the town, German forces were already moving to block them.
A small force led by Lieutenant Colonel John Frost managed to seize the northern end of the Arnhem bridge. For several days they held it stubbornly against fierce German counterattacks. Cut off from reinforcements and supplies, low on ammunition, and with mounting casualties, the defenders became a symbol of tenacious resistance and extraordinary bravery. Throughout the town, isolated groups of British paratroopers fought bitterly, establishing defensive positions in buildings and gardens. Communications were unreliable, confusion reigned, and the promised link-up with XXX Corps was delayed due to stiff German resistance along the narrow route—the infamous single highway that became known as “Hell’s Highway.”
The British and American ground forces encountered unexpectedly fierce opposition. German units blew bridges, laid ambushes, and launched counterattacks. Delays mounted, and the timetable for reaching Arnhem fell apart. The paratroopers at Nijmegen, particularly the 82nd Airborne, had to perform a daring river crossing under fire in flimsy boats to secure their bridge. Despite this heroic effort, the delays meant that help came too late for those at Arnhem.
Back in the battered perimeter near the Arnhem bridge, the situation became desperate. The British 1st Airborne was surrounded and pounded by artillery and armor. Without adequate anti-tank weaponry, the paras resorted to PIATs (Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank), a cumbersome and short-range weapon. Though it had some success against lighter German armor, it was mostly inadequate against the Panthers and Tigers fielded by the SS divisions. Molotov cocktails, gammon bombs, and captured German weapons were also pressed into service. Against this overwhelming firepower, the paras showed remarkable resilience, holding out for days longer than expected.
Eventually, the operation was called off. In a nighttime evacuation across the Rhine under the cover of darkness, a fraction of the surviving British airborne troops were withdrawn. Of the more than 10,000 men of the 1st Airborne Division who landed near Arnhem, less than 2,000 returned. The division was effectively destroyed. In total, Allied forces suffered approximately 17,000 casualties across the operation, including killed, wounded, and missing. German losses were also significant, though smaller in comparison.
Despite the valor displayed, Operation Market Garden failed in its objectives. Arnhem was never fully captured, and the Allied advance stalled. The reasons for the operation’s failure were manifold. Chief among them was over-optimism in planning and a severe underestimation of enemy strength. Intelligence warning of German armored formations near Arnhem was downplayed or ignored. The plan hinged on everything going smoothly—on a long narrow route with no room for error. When things went wrong, the whole structure began to collapse.
Yet within the failure lay countless stories of heroism. The British paratroopers at Arnhem, hopelessly outgunned and surrounded, fought with extraordinary courage. Civilians in Arnhem and Oosterbeek also aided the paras, risking execution by sheltering wounded soldiers or relaying information. The American airborne forces, too, showed incredible daring, especially in the river assault at Nijmegen and in the stubborn defense of Eindhoven and the corridor.
Operation Market Garden remains one of the most controversial episodes of the war. A bold plan that might have shortened the war by months instead became a costly defeat. But its legacy is also one of resilience, bravery, and sacrifice. The men who fought at Arnhem and along the road to it are remembered not for the failure of the mission, but for the courage they showed in the face of impossible odds. Montgomery would later claim that Market Garden was “90% successful,” a statement met with mixed reactions. But those who were there knew better. They knew what was lost, what was endured, and how close they came—yet how far they ultimately were—from victory.
