By the beginning of September 1944, British, American and other allied forces advancing rapidly from the Seine, had liberated most of France and Belgium. After a short pause for re-organisation, they were ready for further advances by the middle of that month. Field-Marshal Montgomery felt that a pencil-like thrust northward through Holland and then eastward into Germany, by outflanking the Siegfried Line and striking along the main route to Berlin across the plains of Northern Germany, offered excellent prospects of bringing the war to an early end. The first step was to secure the crossings of the rivers Rhine, Waal and Maas in the general area Grave, Nijmegen and Arnhem. To achieve this he decided to lay a carpet of airborne troops, who would seize and hold the crossings over these rivers and facilitate the advance of the Second British Army northwards. To the British First Airborne Division was allotted the task of capturing intact the bridges at Arnhem and establishing a bridgehead round them so that formations of the British Second Army could pass through without delay on their advance northwards. The crossings at Nijmegen and Grave were to be taken by the 82nd American Airborne Division and those between Grave and Eindhoven by the 101st Airborne Division.

Field-Marshal B.L. Montgomery

Allied situation: September 1944

On September 4 1944, Hitler made Field-marshal Walther Model commander of "B" Army. When Model had arrived he was facing huge difficulties. His army was split in two by the Allies. One half, the 15 th Army was located south of " The Westerschelde " making an effort escaping to Brabant. The other half, the 17th Army, was set-back to Maastricht and Aken by the American Army. Between the two Army's lies a gap of 120 km. Through this gap German soldiers and collaborators were escaping Northward in panic. Model was a master in defensive actions. He had to save the Western front. By acting fast the German flee was stopped. The 15th army succeeded in escaping to Brabant, closing the gap. Now a strong defensive line was established again. The 9th SS "Hohenstaufen" and the 10th SS "Frundsberg" armoured-divisions were called back by Model from Luik, to take a rest in the quiet surroundings of Arnhem and catch up from their heavy exertion in the Normandy. The tanks were hidden in the wooded terrain, repairs were mad and the divisions supplied. Commanding-officers were stationed in several places around Arnhem. Model himself in Oosterbeek, the village where the heaviest fighting would be taking place later. In Wolfheze (the landing-zone) an SS training bataljon was formed . Now, a heavy concentration of various units were stationed in the Arnhem area.

Feldmarschall Walther Model

Axis situation: September 1944

The front-line as it was just before the start of Market Garden.

Along the Dutch-German border from Belgium to Nijmegen, lies the strong German defense-line, " The Siegfriedline ".

It is clear to see Montgomery wants to bypass this line in order to go around it and move on to the industrial heart of Germany, The Ruhr-area. By taking this objective Germany would soon be defeated.

It also shows a weak point. The large distance wich the groundforces had to move, in order to reach the main objective "Arnhem bridge". They had to travel a long small single road. (Hells Highway)

This Internet-site is dedicated to all men and women participating in this heroic battle. For those who are interested and for the young generations all over the world.