Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation in World War II which took place in September 1944. It was an attempt to take bridges over the main rivers of the German-occupied Netherlands, enabling the Allies to advance into Germany without any remaining major obstacles.
The operation was successful up to the capture of the Rhine bridge at Nijmegen, but was overall a failure as the final bridge at Arnhem was not held, resulting in the destruction of the British 1st Airborne Division.
Background
After the breakout from Normandy in August, Allied forces had pushed back the German army hundreds of miles. By late August, the offensive halted as supplies ran low. Montgomery suggested an attack north to Arnhem to bypass the Siegfried Line and cross the Rhine. The plan was modified to use the 1st Allied Airborne Army to capture three important bridges.
The Plan
Market employed three airborne divisions: the US 101st took bridges at Son and Veghel, the 82nd took Grave and Nijmegen bridges, and the British 1st Airborne was to take the bridge at Arnhem. Garden consisted of the British 2nd Army's 30 Corps advancing north along Highway 69.
German Forces
Unknown to the Allies, the 9th SS and 10th SS Panzer divisions had been sent to rest and refit at Arnhem — 9,000 elite armored troops with heavy weapons. Additionally, 80,000 men from the 15th Army had escaped to the northwest of the attack route.
The Battle
On September 17, the airborne assault began. The 101st and 82nd achieved most of their objectives, but the 1st Airborne at Arnhem faced far heavier opposition than expected. Only a small force under Lt. Col. John Frost reached the bridge. After nine days of fierce fighting, the surviving paratroopers were evacuated on the night of September 25. As one general had predicted: "It looks like you're going a bridge too far."