Market Garden

[Heliopause]

Last month marked the 70th anniversary of operation Market Garden. Today I found the time to see the 

former headquarters of British general Urquhart. This building is nowadays a museum.

An impression:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MarcoRossolini]

Good pics, thanks for this!

 

Looks very like what I remember from A Bridge too Far... Is it the same building or...?

[Finkeren]

Ah yes. The operation that once-and-for-all showed why large scale paratroop drops just don't work.

 

Respect for the fallen.

[DD_bongodriver]

Probably would have worked just fine if intelligence had really paid attention to the Panzer corp parked nearby, too much reliance placed on the arrival of 30 corps, so no I wouldn't say they just don't work, just have to use them properly, like taking a knife to a gunfight, knives work perfectly fine but no point drawing it if a gun is already pointed at you.

[Finkeren]

Well, if paratroops are the equivalent of a knife, then the huge operations during WW2 (Market Garden, D-Day, theparadrop across the Lower Dniepr, Crete etc) are the equivalent of a 2-handed sword. Big, clumsy with limited practical use and quickly made obsolete.

 

Even the most succesful paratroop operations during WW2 encountered massive difficulties and much higher casualties than expected. Crete was close to ending in disaster, the troop dropped for Overlord were scattered and far less effective than was planned. Market Garden and especially the drop across Dniepr were complete disasters.

[DD_bongodriver]

You need to get massive amounts of lightly armed troops into a forward operating area very quickly then it's an airborne assault you are wanting, as with everything......use with caution.

[Finkeren]

You need to get massive amounts of lightly armed troops into a forward operating area very quickly then it's an airborne assault you are wanting, as with everything......use with caution.

See that's the point: When do you ever want a large number of lightly armed troops spearheading an assault behind enemy lines? I can understand airborne assaults by small, specialised units with a limited goal, though even that can be risky to pull off (battle of Mogadishu) but as a central part of a large offensive operation involving thousands of paratroopers? The risk is enormous and the logistics nearly insurmountable.

 

I don't think it's a coincidence, that we haven't seen large paradrops in the wars since 1945. Even in todays asymetrical warfare, where even lightly equipped paratroopers can still outgun their opponents, the risk is just too great.

[DD_bongodriver]

 

 

that we haven't seen large paradrops in the wars since 1945

 

No, they invented the helicopter.

 

 

 

When do you ever want a large number of lightly armed troops spearheading an assault behind enemy lines?

 

When you want to quickly capture strategic positions and are expecting to be able to back up with heavier armaments shortly after.

[Heliopause]

Marcorosselini; it was this location I visited (not so far from the bridge but to much of a distance to make connection with the troops there)

 

 

I also visited the war graves not far from this location. Next to it one finds an air dispatch memorial:

 

 

 

 

 

[MiloMorai]

I would suggest this book for anyone interested in the battle,

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1848681097/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687622&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0752431870&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0TJS088VTXHC50N2TQS1

[Sokol1]

The "other side of the hill" - The german soldier perspective. Vey good.

 

http://www.amazon.com/It-Never-Snows-September-German/dp/1885119313

[TheBlackPenguin]

Probably would have worked just fine if intelligence had really paid attention to the Panzer corp parked nearby, too much reliance placed on the arrival of 30 corps, so no I wouldn't say they just don't work, just have to use them properly, like taking a knife to a gunfight, knives work perfectly fine but no point drawing it if a gun is already pointed at you.

 

Didn't intelligence report seeing armour in the region and it was over-ruled? How accurate was the film, "A Bridge too Far"?

[Trooper117]

hmm... I used to parachute into Ginkel Heath DZ every year on the anniversary.

Our Battalion would often stay at the old Luftwaffe base for the weekend and then fly back to the UK.

Done every conceivable battlefield tour there, the best being to take the 2nd Battalions route to the bridge... (carrying full equipment of course)...

[Heliopause]

 

 

Our Battalion would often stay at the old Luftwaffe base for the weekend and then fly back to the UK

 

airfield of Deelen perhaps or Soesterberg?

[Trooper117]

Yes, Deelen...

 

The Dutch would lay on transport into Arnhem in the evening so we could have a few beers with the locals...

Edited November 3, 2014 by Trooper117