Artikel Operatie Anger

Operation “Anger”: The Little Known Canadian Victory at Arnhem in 1945 by Captain S.F. King, CD A note from the Managing Editor: story in that battle has never been fully Grave, Nijmegen and Arnhem. Over the last several years, a number of described nor reflected in the unit’s Battle Running in a straight line, south to regiments have received battle honours Honours. Captain Sanchez King, a north, these towns dominated the vital that were not previously granted due to member of The Princess Louise Fusiliers, bridge crossings of the several water oversight or ignorance of a unit’s has spent several years attempting to obstacles that could halt any armoured operational record. For example, in the prove that The Princess Louise Fusiliers advance. The plan called for the 101st 1990s a staff officer at the Directorate of were eligible for the “Arnhem 1945” US Airborne Division to capture History and Heritage discovered that an award. Facing many research challenges Eindhoven and several bridges to the honour had not been given to the Lincoln and some mild opposition to the entire north. The 82nd US Airborne Division and Welland Regiment as no one had project, Captain King’s determination would secure the towns and bridges of noticed that the official list was printed did not waiver and the fruits of his work Grave and Nijmegen. Thus secured, a on both sides of the document! Awarding culminated in the award of “Arnhem path would be created for Horrocks’ honours becomes even more difficult when 1945” to his regiment in 1999. armour heavy forces. The key, however, a regiment such as The Princess Louise Congratulations are due to Captain was the bridge at Arnhem. Without it, Fusiliers never fought as a battalion and King for his skilful research, Allied forces could not make their provided company level support to the perseverance and steadfastness and to swing into the heart of Germany. The infantry brigades of the 5th Armoured The Princess Louise Fusiliers for this task of capturing Arnhem would be Division. While the role of the 11th distinct honour. The article below tells assigned to the 1st British Airborne Independent Machine Gun Company the story of the battle fought by The Division, with the 1st Polish (The Princess Louise Fusiliers) in the Princess Louise Fusiliers and others Independent Parachute Brigade Group battle of Arnhem was not pivotal, its in 1945. under command. 1 Initially, the plan was almost rnhem . The name instantly that if the war were to end quickly, the universally opposed. In late August, conjures up images of British Allied armies would have to reach the with the campaign in Europe stalled, and Polish parachutists industrial heartland of Germany. The General Eisenhower was forced to y at Arnhem in 1945 A engaged in a doomed but focus of the Allied advance was to cut agree with Montgomery’s plan. After heroic struggle against overwhelming off the retreating German forces in several false starts, Market Garden was enemy forces. At the same time, one northern Holland and to swing set for mid-September. might think of the Arnhem Bridge, so eastward into the Ruhr Valley. Field crucial to the Allies efforts to end the war Marshal Bernard Montgomery believed The airborne drops commenced by the end of 1944. These images are well that to achieve this goal, a bold plan was on September 17th. In short order, the formed in the popular culture of military required. He had one. 82nd and 101st Divisions were able to history largely due to Cornelius Ryan’s achieve their objectives. At Arnhem, epic book, A Bridge Too Far , and the film Montgomery’s plan, which would however, things did not go so well for of the same name. The glory and tragedy be named “Market Garden,” looked the British. From the beginning, the of the first battle of Arnhem tend to great on paper. The “Market” part British paratroops were hampered by overshadow the efforts of Canadian and of the operation British ground troops, some six months was a massive The Battle of Arnhem 1945 is not later, to liberate this important Dutch airborne assault town. The Battle of Arnhem 1945 is not to be carried generally the subject of historical generally the subject of historical analysis out by the Allied analysis or dramatic retelling. or dramatic retelling, but, as with many First Airborne Canadian battles of the Second World Army. The “Garden” operation poor communications. It took two days War, it certainly deserves at least a casual consisted of ground forces, primarily to drop all the 1st Airborne Division’s examination. the tanks of Lieutenant General Brian troops, and they found themselves Horrocks’ XXX Corps, racing to link heavily engaged by greater than After the invasion of Normandy in up with the glider and para troops. The expected numbers of enemy troops. June 1944, Supreme Headquarters Dutch towns selected as targets for the Only a small force, based on the 2nd Allied Expeditionary Forces realized airborne assaults were Eindhoven, Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, Operation Operation “Anger”: The Little Known Canadian Victor Volume 4, No. 4 ◆ Winter 2001 - 2002 49 made it into Arnhem and the vital The main channel of the Rhine comes conducted in three phases. First, 56 bridge. Under the command of up from the southeast to a point, sixteen Infantry Brigade Group was to conduct Lieutenant-Colonel John Frost, this kilometres east of Nijmegen, where it the assault crossing of the Neder Rijn group gallantly held out for nine days. By the time that XXX Corps, slowed The Princess Louise Fusiliers [came] under command by boggy terrain and of the 49th Division Machine Gun Battalion … narrow roads, reached the Arnhem Bridge, the Germans were firmly in control. Market splits into the Waal and the Neder Rijn. west of Arnhem, secure a limited Garden had failed, and with it, hope for The Neder Rijn runs northwestwards bridgehead and clear the southern a quick victory faded. 2 toward Arnhem, and the Ijssel River sector of the town. Next, 146 Infantry splits off just above the city. The Neder Brigade Group was to pass through 56 By March 1945, the situation in Rijn turns westward past Arnhem. North Brigade and enlarge the bridgehead. Holland had changed considerably. The of Arnhem, the land rises to a height of Finally, the 147 Infantry Brigade Group port of Antwerp had been liberated, and approximately 100 metres above sea would secure the high ground west of the hard fought battle of the Scheldt level, but along the channels of the Rhine Arnhem. 7 Estuary had been won. In the east, the and up the Ijssel, the countryside is a Netherlands was free of the German network of canals and irrigation ditches. 4 Support for the operation was army. In the western region of Holland, considerable. Under command was an however, the German army remained Part of the grandly titled Festung assortment of engineer units, entrenched, and pressure on the Allies Holland (Fortress Holland), the area amphibious vehicle units (including from the Dutch government in London around Arnhem, was defended by the both Buffaloes and DUKW amphibious was mounting. The Dutch wanted the German 346th Division, consisting of vehicles) and two Canadian units, the Netherlands liberated at the earliest the 858th Grenadier Regiment and 11th Canadian Armoured Regiment possible opportunity, whereas Montgomery miscellaneous units, including a (Ontario Regiment) and the 11th wanted to destroy the German army in divisional Battle School. The exact Independent Machine Gun Company the field and felt that liberating western strength and composition of the (The Princess Louise Fusiliers). 8 For the Holland would divert scarce resources German forces at Arnhem were not operation, the Ontario Regiment was to from this task. The Germans would known, so little would be left to chance. 5 support the brigades in the assault, withdraw soon enough, he reasoned. while The Princess Louise Fusiliers (PL Initial planning for the operation Fus) were to be under command of the Pressure from the Dutch continued against Arnhem had been underway 49th Division machine gun battalion, to increase, and the enemy, not subject since late March. The I Canadian Corps 2nd Battalion, Kensington Regiment. 9 to Montgomery’s wishes, failed to plan was to secure the “Island” south of withdraw. On April 5th, Montgomery the Neder Rijn. Known as Operation In support were several Canadian directed General Crerar’s First “Destroyer,” this was to take place in units including the artillery groups of the Canadian Army to make one of its corps early April. Once 5th Armoured First Canadian Army and 5th Armoured 10 available to commence the methodical secured the “Island”, the 49th Division, as well as the 1st and 10th Field clearing of western Holland. This task under the command of Major-General Squadrons, Royal Canadian Engineers. fell to I Canadian Corps under S.B. Rawlins, would conduct the assault The Royal Navy was to provide the 552 Lieutenant-General Charles Foulkes. on Arnhem. Once the British troops Landing Craft Flotilla and the Royal Air Foulkes’ corps included the 5th had secured the bridgehead, 5th Force would provide air support in the Canadian Armoured Division, recently Armoured would push through and form of Spitfires and Typhoons. 11 Preparations for Operation “Anger” In the western region of Holland, however, included the creation of one rather the German army remained entrenched … unique structure; Canadian engineers had prefabricated a Bailey pontoon bridge upstream at Doornenberg and arrived from Italy, and the British 49th make a dash for the Dutch town of had floated it to a waiting position near (West Riding) Division.

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