A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan - Alberto R

 


Arnhem stands out as one of the most extensively documented battles of the Second World War, and it's not surprising given the crazy events it contains.

The airborne operations, executed by the British 1st Airborne at Arnhem, the US 82nd Airborne at Nijmegen, and the US 101st Airborne at Eindhoven, represent the most ambitious airborne and maybe also military undertaking in military history. Involving a stunning 35,000 parachute and glider troops, it also featured an armored advance by Brian Horrocks’ XXX Corps (30th corps), amphibious assaults on major rivers, a massive air-resupply effort, repeated air-to-ground rocket strikes, and fierce German counterattacks led by elite SS units.


The Operation Market Garden plan's distinctive aspect relies on the precision and timing of all aspects of the operation to ensure one aspect does not affect the other. Another noteworthy feature is how the plan gained momentum, evolving into an unstoppable force, even in the face of intelligence revealing the arrival of the 9th and 10th SS Panzer divisions at Arnhem. The approaching panzer (tank) divisions were a huge threat to the parachute divisions, as they were behind enemy lines and had very little to fend off tank attacks. It solely relied on Horrocks XXX Corps to break through the German lines in the Netherlands and link up with the American and British troops to provide support and a stronghold in the Netherlands.


British intelligence officer Major Brian Urquhart warned about tanks in the woods and they were dismissed, with a senior staff officer attributing his concerns to nervous exhaustion and hysteria induced by overwork. Urquhart was eventually sent home on the eve of the attack due to being perceived as a nuisance around headquarters. This represents the British's confidence in their plan and disregard for anything that might mess up a plan so delicate and precise as this one.


The Operation ultimately failed as XXX Corps failed to reach Arnhem before the British 1st Airborne Division was overrun by German forces. The combined negligence of the arriving  9th and 10th SS panzer divisions and the overambitious parachute landings deep behind enemy lines led to the failure of the operation. This was a big book to read and requires dedication. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in World War Two, especially in airborne operations. There were many things I did not mention in this blog for the sake of not boring you, but I highly encourage you to research on your own.


Final score 9.5/10

Comments

  1. AnthonyFebruary 4, 2024 at 8:32 AM

    Hi Alberto! I see you have a passion for WW2 books. Could you elaborate more on why you gave this book this rating? Cool blog!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Muhammad IftikharFebruary 4, 2024 at 10:20 PM

    Hello Alberto! This is a great review, and I find it quite interesting how the British Officer refused to believe that there could be any mishaps with his plan. I guess Karma got him as the German forces ended up winning this battle. Great stuff Alberto!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lucas BraunFebruary 18, 2024 at 1:52 PM

    Hi Alberto, it is interesting that the British thought that the could drop people on the enemy side of the line with little defence and think that they would win.

    ReplyDelete

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