The Royal Air Force and Operation Market Garden: Chapter 5
22 to 26 September: Der Hexenkessel [Witches’ cauldron]/The Cauldron
The attack to seize the Arnhem bridges having failed, the task falling to the troops remaining at the landing areas was solely to defend themselves and hang on until British Army XXX Corps could reach and cross the Lower Rhine to relieve them.
Tuesday 26 September D+9
|
Plan |
Achieved |
| Market Garden should have concluded so no drops envisaged | No activity |
Overnight 25/26 September, the battered remnants of the 1st Airborne Division crossed from the north bank to the south bank of the Lower Rhine.
Market Garden was over.
Oude Kirk [Old Church] – assembly point for evacuation night 25/26 September: Author
Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, Valkesnwaard – XXX Corps casualties
Monday 25 September D+8
| Plan | Achieved |
| Market Garden should have concluded so no drops envisaged | Last resupply to Arnhem undertaken by seven Dakotas of 575 Squadron from Brussels. No signs from ground. All four damaged by flak. |
Arnhem
During this period, 1st Airborne Division was being compressed into a smaller and smaller area centred on the Hartenstein Hotel in Oostebeek and down to the north bank of the Lowe Rhine. German heavy armour and artillery outgunned the paras with their dwindling supplies of ammunition, food and medical supplies. However brave and tenacious, a paratrooper is no match for heavy armour.
Cauldron shrinking: 20 September 2359 hrs CAB 44/254
Ever tighter: 25 September 1400 hrs CAB 44/254
Last stand: evening, 25 September CAB 44/254
XXX Corps
Little progress was made from Nijmegen towards the Arnhem Bridge. However, at 0100, an attempt was made to force a crossing into the Oosterbeek enclave. Heavy German resistance limited the British crossing to just 300 men, and at heavy cost.
2TAF reported armed reconnaissance largely ineffective due to poor visibility. Only 156 ground attack sorties across whole region.
Sunday 24 September D+7
| Plan | Achieved |
| Market Garden should have concluded so no drops envisaged | No England-based supply flights. Four Dakotas went to Arnhem from Brussels but saw no signs at the drop points so returned. All damaged by flak. |
Air activity
Typhoon support for 1 A/B and medium bombers attacked targets in general Arnhem area. Spitfires and Mustang providing top cover. CASEVAC flights continued from 2TAF airfields in Belgium.
83 Group continued ground support of XXX Corps and Casualty Evacuation (weather permitting!) Spitfire servicing.
Arnhem
Condition of 1 A/B now increasingly desperate as perimeter continually shrinking. 150 Polish troops and very modest supplies transferred across river to 1 A/B.
Mustang IV
Medical Orderlies – trained at RF Hendon
XXX Corps
Still facing stiff German resistance and unable to reach Arnhem bridge or reinforce and resupply 1 A/B across Rhine. They had, though, connected with the Poles at Driel on the south bank.
Saturday 23 September D+6
| Plan | Achieved |
| Market Garden should have concluded so no drops envisaged Last resupply missions from England. | 123 aircraft dropped supplies but intense German activity and inability to communicate with the transports meant that very little reached 1A/B. Six were lost and sixty-three (more than half) damaged by flak. 575 Squadron arrived in Brussels. |
Air activity
83 Group (2TAF) very modest activity: only 48 close support missions
38 Group all flights cancelled by weather
46 Group All gliders delayed from Grantham since 19 September were able to be despatched to American forces only; the Operations Record Book mentions 47 of 50 Dakotas reaching the Arnhem Landing Zone. But by now this was no longer controlled by 1 A/B.
Waco/Hadrian gliders had folding noses for ease of exit
Arnhem
Condition of 1 A/B continued to deteriorate in face of intense German attacks and lack of resupply. The area defended continued to shrink, leading to both sides describing it as a ‘Cauldron’ [Der Hexenkessel [witches cauldron]
Hamilcar glider with nose door open for vehicle discharge
British Army XXX Corps
Heavy fighting continues south of Lower Rhine in bad tank country. In addition to pressing north towards Arnhem, XXX Corps had to protect the flanks of the territory occupied north of the start line. XXX Corps had extended 50 miles northwards but the salient was only some 20 miles wide and in places, the main highway was only a handful of miles from German forces, who made strenuous efforts to break the supply line and cut off XXX Corps’ fighting ‘head’ from its supply line ‘tail’. At times, there were temporary breaks which had to be reopened.
Friday 22 September D+5
| Plan | Achieved |
| Market Garden should have concluded so no drops envisaged. | All transport sorties cancelled by bad weather in England. |
Air activity
Virtually all British air operations cancelled by bad weather, although 2TAF flew 500 sorties.
Horsa cockpit: Author at de Havilland Aircraft Museum
Arnhem
The Polish soldiers south of the Rhine relieved some of the pressure on 1 A/B as the Germans moved to block the Poles from crossing the river. In Oosterbeek, 1 A/B was being pressed into reducing area, centred on the Hartenstein Hotel, which was where the Headquarters had been established [and which is now the excellent Airborne Museum]. Increasing use was being of heavy panzers, against which paratroopers had little defence.
British Army XXX Corps
Finally, advance elements of British Army XXX Corps reached the Poles on the south bank but attempts to cross the Rhine at night failed.
Author’s Note: RAF Museum has very kindly provided access to documents and photographs but the views expressed herein are the author’s alone.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READING
- 2nd Tactical Air Force: Volume Two Breakout to Bodenplatte, Christopher Shores and Chris Thomas: Classic/Ian Allan 2004
- A Bridge Too Far cinema film directed by Joseph Levene, directed by Richard Attenborough Released by United Artists 1977
- A Bridge Too Far, Cornelius Ryan; Hamish Hamilton 1974
- Airborne Operations Air Historical Branch Air Ministry 1951
- Battle for Arnhem Pitkin Guide
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- D-Day Atlas, Charles Messenger; Thames & Hudson 2004
- Holts Battlefield Guides: Market-Garden Corridor; Tonie and Valerie Holt Leo Cooper in association with Secker and Warburg 1984
https://history.army.mil/books/70-7_18.htm - Overlord, Max Hastings; Michael Joseph 1984
- RAF Historical Society Journal 40 2007
- Slag om Arnhem/Theirs is the Glory’ filmed 1945 distributed by Airborne Museum Hartenstein, Oosterbeek, Netherlands
- The National Archives
AIR 25/586 Operations Record Book 38 Group
AIR 25/589 Operations Record Book 38 Group Appendices
AIR 25/649 Operations Record Book 46 Group
AIR 25/655 Operations Record Book 46 Group Intelligence Appendices
AIR 25/705 Operations Record Book 83 Group: Appendices
AIR 37/1249 21ST ARMY GROUP: Operation “Market Garden”
CAB 106/962 Report on operation “Market Garden”, the airborne operations at Arnhem 1944 Sept.
WO 171/118 21 Army Group Report: Appendix S Air targets
WO 171/118 G. (Ops.) with Apps. K.M.N.S. (“Operation Market Garden”)
WO 205/1126 Operation Market Garden
WO 205/623 21 Army Group “Operation Market Garden
WO 205/623 Operation Market Garden: reports, correspondence, lessons learned
WO 205/693 Operation Market Garden: reports and instructions
