Text 22914, 42 rader
Skriven 2006-01-17 12:45:59 av Roy Witt (1:1/22)
     Kommentar till en text av Joe Delahaye
Ärende: Holland - No Canadaians.
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Operation Market Garden
British Field Marshal Montgomery This was an audacious plan concocted by
British Field Marshal Montgomery (picture left) that would be the first
major daylight air assault attempted by a military power since Germany's
attack on Crete. Similar to the Germans assault of four years earlier, the
Allies initial plan for September 17,1944 was to use the paratroopers and
glidermen of the 82nd and 101st U.S. Airborne Divisions and England's
First Airborne Division in a daring daylight drop into Holland. The
airborne Allied troops were to seize roads, bridges and the key
communication cities of Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem, thus cutting
Holland in half and clearing a corridor for British armoured and motorized
columns all the way to the German border.

The 101st mission was to secure the fifteen miles of Hell's Highway
stretching from Eindhoven north to Veghel. After less than three months in
England, the 506th was to make its second combat jump. This time the unit
was to land in Holland on DZ B, seize the Wilhemina Canal Bridges at Zon,
then move South and take Eindhoven with its four highway bridges over the
Dommel River. Shortly after 1315 hours on the afternoon of 17 September
1944, the entire regiment landed on one field, and the unit pushed south
to Zon with little difficulty.

Upon arriving at Zon, the 1st Battalion, led by Maj James L LaPrade, found
the two bridges had been blown when the leading group was within 50 yards
of securing it. Undaunted by this setback, Col Sink ferried his
Five-O-Sink troopers across the canal, however, the regiment was a day
late in arriving at its objective, Eindhoven. By noon on D plus 1, the
Eindhoven bridges were secured, and at 1830 hours, the British were able
to move an armored unit into the town. From D-Day until November, 1944,
the men of the 506th became familiar with such names as St Oedenrode,
Uden, Veghel, Koevering, Nijmegen, Opheusden and Randwijk, as they fought
from town to town and repelled every counter-attack the enemy launched.
The end of November found the unit at a former French artillery garrison
just outside the village of Mourmelon. Here they rested, reorganized and
received replacements.

http://www.ww2-airborne.us/units/506/506.html


Roy
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