Holland (Operation Market-Garden)

September 1944

     The date for Market-Garden was set for September 17, 1944. During Operation Market-Garden the First Allied Airborne Army was to jump into the Netherlands (Holland) and secure the land from Eindhower to Arnhem, then the British XXX Corp could advance to Ijesselmer (Zuider Zee). The main goal was to eventually cross the Rhine River and breach the German West Wall defense.

    Unlike the Normandy Invasion this jump was to take place in the daylight. The 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions of America, British 1st Airborne Division, 52nd Lowland Division, and 1st Polish Parachute Brigade were all set to jump. Due to a shortage in transport planes, only three of the divisions where able to jump. These three divisions where the 101st, the 82nd, and the British 1st Airborne Division.

    This time, although the planes received heavy antiaircraft fire, the pilots where able to keep formation and the 101st landed in the correct drop zones. Although they landed in the right drop zones, the ground was full of rocks and other hard materials that injure the paratroopers. 

 The objectives of the 101st where for the 506th PIR to secure the highway bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal, the 502nd to guard the drop zones for later use by the glider units and to capture the road bridges over the Dommel River in St. Oerdenrode, and for the 501st to gain control of the railroads and road bridges across the Willems Canal and the Aa River.  

    The 501st and the 502nd completed their missions with only minor difficulty, but the 506th had difficulty when the Germans blew the bridge over Wilhelmina Canal. Some of the 506th trooper's where able to cross the bridge before it was blown and where able to neutralize the enemy. A footbridge was constructed to provided passage for the rest of the 506th troops. British engineers later replaced the bridge. All of the objectives where completed but now all they had to do was keep "Hells Highway", as the road later became known as. 

    Though Market-Garden did not have it's original goal met, the success made the Allies a nice foothold for future missions. The "Screaming Eagles" where thought to be useful elsewhere so the British VII and XII Corps came into position along the highway. The division moved North to an area called "The Island." "The Island" was subject to numerous German attacks. The British Corps returned to England, shortly after the 101st assumed positions in the line. The 82nd joined the 101st on "The Island."

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