Battle for Arnhem.... (2 Viewers)

[panda1gen]

Continued from #1950......

131 Brigade eventually assembled on the northern outskirts of St Oedenrode. The 1st/7th Queens,




... supported by 5/Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, were to strike north on the eastern side of the road. The plan was for them to join 1/502 PIR at Koevering.




At the same time, 8/Hussars were to support 1st/5th Queens in a north-westerly advance to Schijndel.




Both advances made slow progress, as at least two 88mm guns were still in position to stop them.




Additionally, Panzerjäger were repeatedly encountered on the western flank.

 

[panda1gen]

Nevertheless, by late afternoon, 1st/7th Queen’s and 5/Inniskilling Dragoon Guards Group were able to move alongside 1/502 PIR as planned.






With sufficient combat power now assembled, significant progress was made against Kampfgruppe Jungwirth ...




... and a link up was made with 506 PIR to the east of the road.




However, in the gathering dusk, C Squadron 5/Inniskilling Dragoon Guards Group came under fire from American anti-tank guns. As the two forces were now approaching each other from the opposite direction, this incident prompted General Taylor to draw operations to a close for the night.

 

[panda1gen]

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/131st_Infantry_Brigade_(United_Kingdom)

https://www.britishmilitaryhistory....s/124/2019/05/7-Armoured-Division-1944-45.pdf

http://www.desertrats.org.uk/units.htm

http://www.desertrats.org.uk/orginfantry.htm#17Queens

https://dbpedia.org/page/131st_Infantry_Brigade_(United_Kingdom)

https://queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/short_history/sh05.shtml

http://www.desertrats.org.uk/WarDiaries/5th_RIDG/5th_RIDG1944.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_Royal_Inniskilling_Dragoon_Guards

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8th_King's_Royal_Irish_Hussars

https://www.qrhmuseum.com/roll-of-honour-8th-hussars

https://www.tracesofwar.com/docs/wardiary.asp?menu=1&docid=249

 

[panda1gen]

The operations towards Schijndel mounted by the 1st/5th Queens and 8/Hussars Group,








although slow,




prevented von der Hydte from responding to Major Jungwirth’s appeal for support. Major Jungwirth complained:

‘The right flank of our left neighbour [6 Fallschirmjaeger Regiment] is now at least two kilometres behind. Request action soonest from our left neighbour to restore the link with Koevering.’

 

[panda1gen]

25-26 September 1944 – 506 PIR Attacks From the North

The next plan was for an attack south on the night of 24/25 September. Assembly for this required the foot-sore paratroopers to perform yet another march. The 101st’s divisional history records:



‘At 0300 the 506th with the 321st [Artillery] and Battery B of the 81st was ordered back down from Uden to attack and clear the highway. Moving through the heavy rain of that night, the weary men passed Veghel.’

Whilst the 506 PIR concentrated south of Veghel, at around 06.00 hours the 101st Airborne’s Reconnaissance Platoon located the enemy positions.

They achieved this with help from 2/HCR’s armoured cars.




According to 44/RTR they established that,

‘the enemy were astride the road in battalion strength, with four or five tanks and self-propelled guns and that the road itself was mined’.

 

[panda1gen]

Colonel Sink’s plan was for H Hour at 08.30.

506 PIR was to attack southwards along the road on a narrow (two battalion) frontage, with tank support, towards Major Jungwirth’s Kampfgruppe.




The unit after-action report described the initial stages of the battle:

‘The attack jumped off at 0830 with 3rd Battalion leading [east of the road], with one-half squadron of tanks attached and 1st Battalion following to the right [west] rear. 2nd Battalion was in reserve. At 1130 the 3rd Battalion was held up so the 1st Battalion was needed to protect the right flank of the regiment …’




During the three hours between H Hour and 11.30 hours, the infantry made slow progress in the early morning mist and rain, which prevented accurate artillery and tank fire support.




Spandaus and German tanks firing from positions well concealed in the edge of the small woods covered the open ground that the Americans had to cross and brought the attack to a halt.




First Lieutenant Andros recalled:

‘The landscape was very flat and the enemy had some good grazing fire set up and you couldn’t move over the ground. That grazing fire was really low. The musette bag on my back had the top ripped off by machine gun fire.’

The divisional history recalls how,

‘The 3rd Battalion had to halt and dig-in, and then the 1st’.