Arnhem: Another glorious failure in our history

Well, I, and others more qualified than me, might describe the Arnhem operation as "a glorious failure" but there is no shame in it.  All nations have their military disasters to place alongside their glorious victories!  Even so, the Arnhem attack was, without doubt, a disaster, not just because it was defeated on the field of battle but also, and perhaps more so, because a victory would have had unbelievably superb ramifications for Europe at the end of the war.  Victory at Arnhem would have allowed the allies to reach Berlin way before the Russians arrived there and slammed down their 'iron curtain'.

So, a brilliant concept from the very top, and a tremendously hard-fought, vicious battle at the bottom but, alas, it was, so to speak, the 'middle-management' where things went disastrously wrong.  The idea of an armoured division advancing some 75 miles up a single highway surrounded on both sides by flood-land must have struck some commanders and staff officers as being completely bonkers!  Alas, this all occurred as Montgomery, usually a brilliant tactician, was at the very peak of his inflated and almost mad, egocentric self-certainty!  He would brook no opposition to his plan.  Even so, the 'middlemen', both the various Generals and not least some of the Air Force commanders should have stood up to him.

Well, it's all 'blood under the bridge' now but it should not stop us from saluting the memories of some exceedingly tough and courageous soldiers who made the greatest sacrifice on our behalf.

"Utrinque Paratus"

 

 

Comments

[Glesga]

David, apparanty the radio coms were not working. The British Legion are trying to contact veterans but most of them must have passed away.

[Edward Spalton]

Churchill reportedly said of Montgomery “ in defeat, unbeatable” “ In victory unbearable”
I think he was in the latter mode in the run-up to Arnhem.

[David Duff]

You're right, Jimmy, the coms were bad but the main faults were of a much higher nature.

[Loz]

Ignoring the existence of 2x SS Panzer divisions outside Arnhem and going ahead with the plan anyway is wot done for it.

If they hadn't been there the plan would have worked. 1st airborne would have hung on long enough for XXX Corps to reach them.

SoD

[Loz]

Baskeyfield was in charge of two 6 pounder anti–tank guns defending a T junction on the Benedendorpsweg, the southernmost road between Arnhem and Oosterbeek. Baskeyfield's guns faced up the Acacialaan, which joined the Benedendorpsweg from the north, and covered the likely enemy approach along this road and from open ground to the north east. His right flank – to the east – was covered by another anti-tank gun commanded by Lance-Sergeant Mansell.

In an initial German assault, Baskeyfield and his gun crews destroyed two tanks and a self-propelled gun as they advanced down the Acacialaan. Baskeyfield allowed the armour to come within 100 yards of his positions before ordering his crews to fire, while paratroopers of the 11th Battalion in nearby houses dealt with attacking infantry. In the course of this action, Baskeyfield's crew was killed or wounded and Baskeyfield himself was badly injured. However he refused to be evacuated and in a later German attack he worked his gun alone, loading, laying and firing it himself. He fired round after round until enemy fire put his gun out of action, and crawled to the second gun, whose crew had similarly been disabled. From here he engaged another self-propelled gun, dispatching it with two rounds, but was killed shortly afterwards by fire from another German tank.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Baskeyfield

SoD

[JK]

https://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2019/09/fullbore-friday_20.html

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