Battle for Arnhem.... (13 Viewers)

[panda1gen]

As 1st Airborne struggled, to their south, units of the 101st sent to take Best the day before, were forced to yield to German counter-attacks during the morning.






British tanks arriving during the day helped push back the Germans by late afternoon.




Later a small force of Panther tanks arrived at Son and started firing on the Bailey bridge.




These too were beaten back by anti-tank guns that had recently landed and the bridge was secured.

 

[panda1gen]

German commanders meet, for once they look more cheerful.

 

[panda1gen]

The Panthers had been forced to withdraw, but were still a threat and in the area (see from around page 76 on this thread).

 

[panda1gen]

Meanwhile, the Germans were pressing 1st Airborne hard, the armoured vehicles were a particularly difficult problem for the lightly armed paras ....

 

[panda1gen]

The paras could not find a way around or through the defensive line the Germans had time to create, thus stopping them from reaching Frost at the bridge.







The Airforce refusal to drop them nearer the bridge was proving costly.

 

[panda1gen]

To return to the battle in the woods ...

Ref: Arnhem - 1944: The Airborne Battle by M. Middlebrook

Corporal Harry Dicken, at Battalion HQ, describes how Lieutenant-Colonel Smyth responded to a message that a column of enemy vehicles was approaching from the direction of Arnhem:






"We were told - Battalion HQ at least - to line the road to ambush them but not to fire until ordered.

The enemy stopped short of the wood, spread out and began to plaster us with every weapon they had.








I was about ten yards from Colonel Smyth in this action; I was the only one left at HQ in the Intelligence Section, the others having been sent forward to find out what was happening.

From my position I could see across the road to a two-storey pumping station with a tiled roof. While we were looking in this direction, there was a double explosion, and the tile roof lifted, and over a period of almost a minute the tiles cascaded to the ground".

Colonel Smyth drily remarked, 'The landlord won't like that'.

 

[panda1gen]

Ref: Arnhem - 1944: The Airborne Battle by M. Middlebrook

The battalion's 3-inch mortars came into action and were successful in dampening the German opposition, but only for as long as their ammunition lasted.




Permission had meanwhile come from Brigade HQ for one company to attempt a much wider flanking movement. This was A Company, now led by its second in command, Captain Lionel Queripel, because the company commander was still south of the Rhine after his parachute aircraft had been shot down.

Exact details of the company's progress are not easy to establish; there is no written report, and not one officer of the company survived the next few days. Two men have provided personal accounts.

Corporal 'Ginger' Elliott says that much of the company was inactive on the north side of the road for so long that he was able to obtain some water from Dutch people at the pumping station and make a brew of tea.

Private 'Jacko' Jackson, who should have been in detention in England for twice going absent in one week but had been allowed to come on the operation through the good offices of Captain Queripel, tells how he went on a three-man patrol further along the road led by Sergeant 'Tex' Banwell ...




... discovered five tanks, two supply trucks and two fuel tankers in a compound beyond the pumping station.






... and only narrowly escaped from a German patrol which nearly cut them off.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Fantastic photos as usual, Kevin!

 

[panda1gen]

Fantastic photos as usual, Kevin!

Thanks Louis, glad you like them.

XXX Corps needed to hurry ...




The Germans were starting to close in on 1st Airborne, weakened in the recent attacks.

 

[panda1gen]

Captain Queripel later ordered a company attack which met heavy opposition, and little progress was made. Queripel was slightly wounded in the face and personally carried a wounded sergeant back across the main road.




That was the last purely offensive British action of the Battle of Arnhem. All attacks carried out during the remainder of the battle were counter-attacks to regain lost defensive positions.

 

[panda1gen]

Ref: Arnhem - 1944: The Airborne Battle by M. Middlebrook

It was probably early afternoon, certainly before 3.0 p.m. The 10th Battalion's casualties during that frustrating five-hour action had not been heavy. About twelve men had been killed; the wounded were nearly all treated and evacuated safely by the Battalion MO, Captain Gareth Drayson, known to his friends as 'Gremlin', but he would be killed later in the day.




The King's Own Scottish Borderers around Johannahoeve Farm and LZ-L, on which a landing by gliders carrying Polish anti-tank guns was expected during the day, and the minor units of Hackett's brigade also had a relatively quiet morning.

All suffered from the wide-ranging German fighter strafing, but there were few casualties.

 

[villagehorse]

The continual use of the JG Hougoumont buildings, makes me wish I had not parted with them. They make for great scenes Kevin. Robin.

 

[panda1gen]

The continual use of the JG Hougoumont buildings, makes me wish I had not parted with them. They make for great scenes Kevin. Robin.

Many thanks for your comment Robin.

I don't have many buildings so they are used a lot, I have loved John's work, not just his buildings, for twenty years or so, they do really help. Many are that old. I shoot in direct sunlight where possible, he used (is it colour fast?) paint that resists sun damage and fading, so they are quite well preserved despite a lot of use. Others I have bought recently seem to fade quite quickly.




My Hougoumont buildings are about ten years old.




From what I have seen of your posts, you still make tremendously varied dios of a high standard. I didn't get the Falklands sets so have particularly enjoyed your theme on that. All the best, Kevin.

 

[Desertkiwi]

Enjoying the mixing up of various brands and scenery.

 

[panda1gen]

Enjoying the mixing up of various brands and scenery.

Thanks, I am glad you like it.

A bit different, XXX Corps scene ...

 

[panda1gen]

Ref: Arnhem - 1944: The Airborne Battle by M. Middlebrook

6 Brigade HQ was dug in among some trees near the railway line; Lieutenant George Paull's 17-pounder anti-tank troop was nearby, its four guns looking out over the open ground ...




the 6-pounder anti-tank guns were all with the battalions.




The headquarters staff was functioning normally, and Hackett was probably enjoying deploying his brigade, at least until news of the reverses to his two parachute battalions arrived.






The sappers of the 4th Parachute Squadron were located near the railway line between Brigade HQ and Wolfheze. The squadron was providing the rear protection for the brigade, because all British troops had now left Wolfheze, but there was no danger from that direction during the morning.

Brigade HQ received visitors during the morning when Lieutenant-Colonels Charles Mackenzie and Robert Loder-Symonds were sent by Major-General Urquhart, newly escaped from Arnhem, to visit Hackett and request him to come to Divisional HQ if he could get away; otherwise Urquhart would come to see Hackett later.




'Shan' Hackett was delighted that Roy Urquhart was back in command of the division; he had clearly found it irksome to work under Brigadier Hicks. He says:

'My feelings were that Roy was back and a firm hand was in charge at last. Things were looking tidier. I had no quarrel with the conduct of operations now.'

 

[panda1gen]

Ref: Arnhem - 1944: The Airborne Battle by M. Middlebrook

Hackett did not feel able to leave his headquarters as the morning progressed and news from his forward battalions worsened, and at 1.30 p.m. Roy Urquhart arrived to see him. An important discussion took place. The situation had deteriorated drastically since the 'things looking tidier' optimism of mid-morning.




156 Battalion's attack had failed with heavy loss.




The 10th Battalion was pinned down and unable to make progress.




The KOSB were still required to protect the glider landing zone.



The glider lift was late.




In short, the 4th Parachute Brigade had run out of steam and there were no fresh troops available to continue the attempt to move into Arnhem against an obviously powerful German defence.

 

[panda1gen]

Ref: Arnhem - 1944: The Airborne Battle by M. Middlebrook

Hackett suggested cutting his brigade's losses north of the railway in case the Germans counter-attacked and it was decided that the 4th Parachute Brigade would disengage and move to the south of the railway preparatory to mounting a fresh attack into Arnhem from there. There were two main problems: the need to protect the landing zone for the glider landing and the high railway embankment running between the brigade and Oosterbeek which only had two proper crossing points for vehicles and guns.

The first was at Oosterbeek Hoog Station, which at this time was already probably held by the Germans.




The second was Wolfheze Station, which was abandoned and soon likely to be occupied by the Germans.




One of those crossings had to be captured. Urquhart said that he would instruct Brigadier Hicks to secure the Oosterbeek Hoog crossing with troops from Oosterbeek, but in fact, Hicks arrived during the discussion and confirmed that he would carry out that task. Hackett's staff prepared the orders for the 10th and 156 Battalions to start their withdrawal.




The KOSB would have to remain where they were until the gliders arrived.

Roy Urquhart climbed up the railway embankment and slid down the other side to his jeep. It was only the width of that railway line that separated the 4th Parachute Brigade from the comparative safety of Oosterbeek.




There is evidence that neither of those senior officers realized yet the parlous situation of the whole division, not just the temporary danger to Hackett's brigade.




The divisional war diarist made an entry at 1.30 p.m. that,

later, if possible, 4 Para Bde should make contact with 11 Para Bn and occupy high ground NORTH of railway 7178'.7

(Headquarters 1st British Airborne Division War Diary, Airborne Forces Museum, File No. 42).