Twice as many casualties as D-Day

Rating: 10/10 (12 November 2005)

The above is from the back of a similar book about the Battle of Arnhem called A Bridge At Arnhem. It was the biggest blunder ever. The ironic thing about it is this: The plan wasn't conceived by a general known for his bold strokes of genius like James Gavin. Who conceived of this ill-conceived plan? Back on September 10, 1944, the top Allied commanders met at SHAEF headquarters. It had been conceived of by none other than General Montgomery as a means to end the end the war. The plan, code-named Operation Market Garden, was to drop paratroopers in broad daylight. A big mistake. It should have been done in the pre- dawn darkness. Some have argued that the British didn't inform the Dutch Resistance. Why? When it was already compromised by the Germans? Did the planning overlook the ferry that ran daily on the Lower Rhine? Probably yes. The Germans knew about it and they weren't about to give up The Netherlands without a fight. The Allies' drop zones, (DZ's), were two miles from their destinations. Why? What was the purpose? To seize three bridges. The Grand Prize was the bridge at Arnhem itself but the British First Airborne, under the command of General Roy E. Urquhart, the commander of the British First Airborne, was supposed to hold the bridge for seven days until they were relieved by XXX Corps. But XXX Corps never arrived, because it had been effectively stopped by the Germans. What was General Browning's reaction to the failure of Market Garden? "I think we may have gone a bridge too far. Hence, the title of the book, and movie.