operation Market garden

fly boy · 06-02-2008, 10:20 AM

i have read and seen what happend in market garden and My god that was the worst idea for the allies to think they could make the end of the war by dec25th 1944 might as well have just tryed to invade Japan in 42.

Thorlifter · 06-02-2008, 10:29 AM

The idea was fine. The intelligence was bad. "IF" the intelligence was accurate, the offensive would probably had succeeded.

Also remember, the assault was successful initially. Had the British been able to secure and hold Arnhem, the whole operation would have succeeded.

fly boy · 06-02-2008, 10:34 AM

oh yea i guess but the way it whent they might as when have invaded japan in 42

syscom3 · 06-02-2008, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fly boy

oh yea i guess but the way it whent they might as when have invaded japan in 42

Huh?

fly boy · 06-02-2008, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syscom3

Huh?

as in the amont of people the allies lost they might as thought to invade japan in early 1942

plan_D · 06-02-2008, 10:52 AM

"Had the British been able to secure and hold Arnhem, the whole operation would have succeeded."

The British 1st Airborne captured and held Arnhem longer than anticipated and all the men there fought with extreme determination and bravery. The plan did not just fail because the British failed to "secure and hold Arnhem".

Operation "Market Garden" failed for countless reasons, and the Americans were at fault too. First and foremost the lack of communication between commands and intelligence staff was a bad start; the intelligence was present from the outset but it wasn't taken onboard - and the true extent of the German presence wasn't realised.

Secondly there weren't enough aircraft for the drops to be made; the British drops at Oosterbeek were made in waves and the initial surprise was lost. The U.S. drops had all the aircraft required. The British drop at Oosterbeek was too far from the objective; and the paratroopers had to struggle on foot to Arnhem bridge. And I believe the U.S drop at Nijmegen was also made too far from that bridge.

Short range radios for the 1st Airborne left them out of contact for days.

The British XXX Corps were held back for confirmation of the drop, and then refused to make a night march on the first night. The Son bridge had been blown by the Germans when the U.S. 101st approached; this led the XXX Corps to slow down and then stop to repair the bridge.

XXX Corps then had to help the 82nd Airborne capture Nijmegen bridge. And then were held on the single road leading to Arnhem. Meanwhile British 1st Airborne clung onto their positions on the north side of Arnhem which they had captured on the 3rd day of the battle.

The American fliers were also partially to blame for not making the entire drop on the first day, despite having all the aircraft available for the U.S drops. One large drop on day one would have secured Nijmegen and, possibly, Son.

And finally, the skill and determination of the German defenders is always forgotten. The German defence was quick to apply pressure to the attacking paratroopers and there was a constant aggressive drive toward the landing zones. Without delay or meetings the average German soldier would head toward the firing and jump in the line against the Allied troops...

Kruska · 06-02-2008, 11:07 AM

And don't forget the FOG in England

= Quote from the movie A Bridge to Far

Regards
Kruska

Thorlifter · 06-02-2008, 11:30 AM

Thanks Plan_D. I always learn from you guys!

plan_D · 06-02-2008, 11:31 AM

Brig. General James Gavin: So that's it. We're pulling them out. It was Nijmegen.
Lt. Colonel J.O.E. Vandeleur: It was the single road getting to Nijmegen.
Lt. General Horrocks: No, it was after Nijmegen.
Lt. General Frederick "Boy" Browning: And the fog, in England.
Maj. General Stanislaw Sosabowski: Doesn't matter what it was. When one man says to another, "I know what let's do today, let's play the war game."... everybody dies

ccheese · 06-02-2008, 12:15 PM

Perhaps the best book on the subject is Corneluis Ryan's "A Bridge Too Far".
Excellent reading......

Charles

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 06-02-2008, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fly boy

as in the amont of people the allies lost they might as thought to invade japan in early 1942

You are kidding right?

Thorlifter · 06-02-2008, 12:30 PM

You can't compare the two Fly Boy.

I guess your point is Operation Market Garden was such a failure that they should have attacked Japan, which would have been an equal failure. But it's not. You can't compare a failed operation with the estimated 1,000,000+ dead with the invasion of Japan.

Also, the allies knew there would be catastrophic loses attacking Japan. They though Market Garden would succeed.

timshatz · 06-02-2008, 12:36 PM

Never quite bought the premise of the battle. Take the bridges and do an end run into Germany. Just didn't seem to add up.

syscom3 · 06-02-2008, 12:41 PM

It would have been interesting to see if Patton could have cracked the Seigreid line in Sept of that year IF he had been given the resources that went to Market-Garden.

Kruska · 06-02-2008, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thorlifter

You can't compare the two Fly Boy.

I guess your point is Operation Market Garden was such a failure that they should have attacked Japan, which would have been an equal failure. But it's not. You can't compare a failed operation with the estimated 1,000,000+ dead with the invasion of Japan.

Also, the allies knew there would be catastrophic loses attacking Japan. They though Market Garden would succeed.

1 Million+ dead, where did you get this figure? IMO those Japs were already militarily and industrial wise dead before even the A-bombs hit them.

Regards
Kruska