The cargo of the SS
The night was marked by the renewed outbreak of violence. One after another, in consecutive waves, the German units were launched to attack the positions defended by the British.
The arms that the British soldiers had proved insufficient to halt the German advance. Still, in unequal combat, the Germans eventually lost 22 armored cars.
Caught by the Germans, General Urquarth - hidden for 40 hours on a farm inside the German lines - has been unable to coordinate and participate in one of the most critical and decisive phase of the battle.
Later, already installed in the Hartenstein Hotel - which was headquartered in command of the troops - took Urquarth finally aware of the plight that they lived in the front. To make matters worse, the second assault wave arrived four hours late and was spread over too wide an area. And as if that was not enough, the paratroopers were forced to defend themselves from attacks by enemy tanks providing only small arms.
Tuesday the scenario became even more complicated. Frost still waiting for the reinforcements needed to win the bridge only the fog that was felt prevented the transport of the Polish Brigade to Arnhem. Urquarth in turn was deprived of supplies.
Given this grim scenario, Urquarth, aware that his forces were hopelessly lost, would ultimately make a decision that was so difficult as inevitable: to terminate the activities of conquest of the bridge, turning back the remaining battalions of his division until Hartenstein, leaving isolated men of the 2nd Battalion. In contrast, the return of these battalions would defend Hartenstein until the arrival of ground forces.
Tragedy in Arnhem
The men of the 2nd Battalion were exhausted. Wednesday, three days after they arrived in Arnhem, the chances of survival were slim to none. The German tanks crossed the bridge freely, forward time and again against the British positions which, at 21, would give final.
The reinforcements would arrive only at the end of the day. After a hard battle with German troops, two hundred men of the Polish Brigade arrived in Driel, and shortly after, crossing the river and join with the British paratroopers. On the following morning, a British cavalry unit connects to part of the airborne forces exhausted and ground forces.
On Saturday and Sunday, with the situation of men Urquarth getting worse from hour to hour, the British infantry reached the opposite bank to that in which they were paratroopers, completely deprived of means of subsistence and defense. The order for withdrawal of troops was given on the morning of September 25. On the evening of that day began the Berlin operation. Rows of soldiers, completely exhausted, walked quietly to the river, boats being collected by the British Second Army. It was over Operation Market Garden.
For the history was one of the most glorious pages of the British Army, written by men of the 1st Airborne Division. Done that, however, were not sufficient to prevent the failure of Operation Market-Garden.
Urquarth forces were virtually annihilated: the more than 10,000 soldiers who fought at Arnhem returned just over 2,700. On the German side, despite having run the battle in your favor, the casualties were also heavy, having lost over 10 days of fighting that lasted about three thousand men.
Once the battle, the Germans withdrew all civilians from Arnhem, leaving this town completely deserted Dutch.
The english version of this article will be available soon. In the meanwhile, the text above was the result of a Google translation from portuguese version to english.
