"A
Bridge Too Far"
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The "Market-Garden" operation was meant to get quickly into "Ruhr Gebiet", the heart of German industry. The Aliance Headquarters expected that German defense would collapse and it would result in its capitulation possibly in 1944. The operation combined the 2nd British Army attack and the 1st Airborne Army assault whose task was to prepare the crossing on the marching track of the army. |
| The task of the Polish Brigade was to support the 1st British Airborne Division in the catch of the enemy crossing the Rhine river in the Arnhem area, which constituted its forthest exposure. |
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The operation started on the 17th September 1944 when two American and one British airborne divisions were assaulted. The British and the Polish took the hardest work - not only they were the last to wait until the armoured units' arrival - but also after being dropped they had to face two German SS armoured divisions. The Germans did not possess their full potential but due to their heavy equipment they represented fatal danger to the lightly-equipped parachuters. | ||
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| Due to difficult weather conditions, the first assault of the Polish gliders was executed only in the 2nd and 3rd day of the operation. The losses were substantial. The Polishmen joined the British division in its fight against much greater potential of the enemy. The parachuters were transported to the area of fight only on the 21st September. |
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Unfortunately, they were dropped on the other bank of the Lower Rhine in the Driel area and not directly in the landing place of their proceeding colleagues. In that time there were no more possible crossings and therefore the soldiers organised defence in Driel trying - at all cost - to cross the river and join the group of defensing parachuters. The crossing appeared succesful only for aproximately 250 soldiers on the 23rd/24th September. All boats were lost. |
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| Unfortunately, it did not change in any respect tragic situation of the British division and a part of the Polish Brigade. As the losses were gigantic and there were no chances to keep tha gained positions due to the overwhelming superiority of Germans, the British Headquarters ordered units' evacuation from the northern Rhine bank on the 25th September. The retreat of the British division remainings shielded by the Polish units bridgeheaded on the both river banks was organized in the night. At down on the 26th September the last Polish parachuters swam back on the southern Rhine bank. |
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| Despite the great engagement and devotion of units that took part in the operation, particularly the 1st British Airborne Division, the battle of the most important crossing on the Rhine river was lost. During fights in the Arnhem area, the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade lost 23% of its potential. After the battle, its units were transported by the sea to the Great Britain. They were replaced there. |
