The 1st Parachute Army ( German : 1. Fallschirm-Armee ) was formed in September, 1944, comprising 30,000 men.
107-455: 1st Parachute Army [REDACTED] 9th SS Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen" 4,600 combined allied aircraft Luxembourg The Netherlands Belgium France Britain 1941–1943 1944–1945 Germany Strategic campaigns Chronology of the liberation Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation during the Second World War fought in
214-750: A "single thrust" forward into Germany, but each man saw himself as the leader of a single thrust. Montgomery said the allied strategy should be "one powerful full-blooded thrust across the Rhine and into the heart of Germany backed by the whole of the resources of the Allied Armies". Such a policy would relegate Bradley's American armies to a "purely static role". On his part, Patton said that with 400,000 gallons of gasoline he could be in Germany in two days. War planners saw both men's proposals as tactically and logistically infeasible. While agreeing that Montgomery's drive towards
321-420: A British officer – Browning in particular – be appointed its commander. Browning for his part decided to bring his entire staff with him on the operation to establish his field HQ using the much-needed 32 Airspeed Horsa gliders for administrative personnel, and six Waco CG-4 A gliders for U.S. Signals' personnel. Since the bulk of both troops and aircraft were American, Brereton, a U.S. Army Air Forces officer,
428-477: A co-pilot but would instead carry an extra passenger. Because the C-47s served as paratrooper transports and glider tugs and because IX Troop Carrier Command would provide all the transports for both British parachute brigades, this massive force could deliver only 60 percent of the ground forces in one lift. This limit was the reason for the decision to split the troop-lift schedule into successive days. Ninety percent of
535-418: A collection of anti-aircraft batteries and a mix of 25 self-propelled guns and tank destroyers . Kriegsmarine and SS units were also allocated to Student's command, and Hitler had promised Model that 200 Panther tanks would be sent straight from the production lines; he also ordered all Tiger tanks , Jagdpanther self-propelled guns, and 88 mm guns that were available in Germany to be transferred to
642-548: A defence against what Wehrmacht intelligence judged to be 60 Allied divisions at full strength, although Eisenhower possessed only 49 divisions. Model set out to stop the Allied advance. The German 719th Infantry Division , part of LXXXVIII Corps, was dispatched south to the Albert Canal and Model requested reinforcements from Germany, stating that he would require 25 infantry divisions and six armoured divisions to hold; he envisioned
749-670: A harbor, housing and industry near the Pius park and street was approved in April 1920. It seems that celebrations for the opening of the harbor were included in those for the 25th anniversary of Queen Wilhelmina 's reign in August 1923. These included a gondola tour from the Quay at Lijnsheike to Piushaven. Construction of the section east of Tilburg started in the east, at the Zuid-Willemsvaart , because that
856-428: A limited airborne coup de main operation that was to be launched on 2 September 1944. Comet envisioned using British and Polish airborne forces to capture several bridges en route to the Rhine. However several days of poor weather and Montgomery's concerns over increasing levels of German resistance caused him to postpone the operation and then cancel it on 10 September. Montgomery replaced Comet with Market Garden,
963-790: A line stretching from Antwerp via Maastricht to Metz and from there to follow the line of the Albert Canal to the Meuse and the Siegfried Line. Meanwhile, Colonel General Kurt Student , commander of the Fallschirmjaeger , the German airborne forces, received orders from Alfred Jodl , Chief of the Operations Staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht , to immediately move from Berlin and proceed to
1070-404: A lock stair and bayonet lock. East of the new Lock III, a facility would be built where ships of Class IV could turnabout. The economy of scale would make water transport cheaper, travel time on the canal would decrease by 30 minutes, and the ultimate goal was to remove trucks from the roads. Work started in 2013, and was expected to be finished in 2016. Sluis III was built according to plan, and
1177-439: A long column like that in a single thrust you'd have to throw off division after division to protect your flanks from attack. Nevertheless, Eisenhower consented to Operation Market Garden, giving it "limited priority" in terms of supplies – but only as part of an advance on a broad front. Eisenhower promised that aircraft and trucks would deliver an additional 1,000 tons of supplies daily to Montgomery for Market Garden. Eisenhower
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#17328451187161284-466: A lot of water for use by the emerging Tilburg industry. A facility would have to be made to discharge this water towards the Meuse. The plan took into account that making a canal from Tilburg to the Oude Maasje (Meuse) was much more costly, because of the greater difference in height. However, this could be done at a later time. In July 1869 the provincial government allowed 1,500 guilders to investigate
1391-755: A more ambitious plan to bypass the West Wall or Siegfried Line of German defenses by hooking around its northern end and securing a crossing of the Rhine River, thereby gaining a path to the Ruhr. Another factor was the existence of V-2 sites in the Netherlands which were launching rocket strikes on London . On 10 September Dempsey, the British Second Army commander, told Montgomery that he had doubts about this plan. Montgomery replied that he had just received an order from
1498-529: A plan for a canal from the Zuid-Willemsvaart over Tilburg to Dongen or 's Gravenmoer . This was a plan by the then chief engineer, but the investigation was to include Van de Griendt's plan. In 1873 a commission for construction of the Tilburg canal made a report. It could not make a specific plan, because the municipalities along the canal were not prepared to give enough funding. In 1876 the commission sent in
1605-552: A proper troop experience... his staff was superficial... Why the British units fumble along... becomes more and more apparent. Their tops lack the know-how, never do they get down into the dirt and learn the hard way." Garden consisted primarily of XXX Corps and was initially spearheaded by the Guards Armoured Division , with the 43rd Wessex and 50th Northumbrian Infantry Divisions in reserve. They were expected to arrive at
1712-542: A report for a small canal from the Zuid-Willemsvaart to Tilburg, which would cost 750,000 guilders. In July 1876 a decision was postponed, and in July 1877, the provincial government refused to contribute the 250,000 guilders needed as her contribution to the canal. In 1876 the provincial Waterstaat of North Brabant began to operate. F.C. Bake from the Staatsspoorwegen became its head and chief engineer. In April 1878 Bake and
1819-445: A reserve. Near Eindhoven and Arnhem a number of scratch formations were being assembled. Several SS units, including an NCO training battalion and a panzergrenadier reserve battalion, were being prepared to enter combat and Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine personnel were being grouped into Fliegerhorst and Schiffstammabteilung formations. There were also a number of training battalions that were being equipped, several depot battalions from
1926-507: A section east of the Voldijk by hand. It was rumored that the constructor of the almost complete Mark Canal got the order. On 2 December 1914 Lock II (near the Voldijk) and the double lock Lock III were tendered, together with digging a projected stretch of the canal in Tilburg municipality. The contract was won bij J.P. Broekhoven from Hengelo for 1,038,000 guilders. The tendered section of the canal
2033-458: Is 68 kilometers long. The section from Geertruidenberg southward to Lock I in Oosterhout is suitable for ships of up to 135 * 11.5 * 3 m ( CEMT class Va). The section from Lock I in Oosterhout to Lock II at the western border of Tilburg is suitable for CEMT IV limited to 90 * 9.60 * 2.70 m. East of Lock II Tilburg, the canal still has it old dimensions. The section of from Tilburg to
2140-471: Is where the water was. On 29 April 1916 Lock V, just west of Lieshout was tendered. On 25 October 1916 the canal section from the Zuid-Willemsvaart till the Breugelsche Beek (just east of Son ) was tendered. In June 1917 the section from the Breugelsche Beek till the eastern border of the municipality of Best was tendered. In October 1917, the connecting section from the eastern border of Best till
2247-570: The Amertak was opened in 1993. It runs from Statendam to the Amer, and replaced the Donge route. By 1986 the Zuid-Willemsvaart and Wilhelmina Canal south of Oosterhout were in bad shape. The province noted that only ships of up to 600 tons could use the canals, and these could only be loaded to half capacity. The province therefore urged that these canals would be upgraded for ships of 1,350 tons. In November 2007
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#17328451187162354-546: The Beatrix Canal , is suitable for ships of up to 650 tons capacity (CEMT II), but is only 2.30 m deep on average, and even only 1.90 m deep at some point. Therefore, CEMT II ships on this section are not fully loaded and maximum dimensions are 63 * 7.20 * 1.90 m. Here average width of the canal is 25–30 m. East of the Beatrix Canal conditions are better again. In recent years improvements have been made to
2461-509: The Breda–Eindhoven railway connected Tilburg to Breda, and in 1865 to Eindhoven. At about that time the textile industry of Tilburg was booming, and used an enormous amount of coal. In April 1869 J. van de Griendt proposed a canal from the Zuid-Willemsvaart to Tilburg. It was to start between locks 5 and 6 or 6 and 7, and to take its course along Sint-Oedenrode , Liempde , Moergestel and Oisterwijk to Tilburg. It could easily transport
2568-570: The German-occupied Netherlands from 17 to 25 September 1944. Its objective was to create a 64 mi (103 km) salient into German territory with a bridgehead over the Nederrijn (Lower Rhine River), creating an Allied invasion route into northern Germany. This was to be achieved by two sub-operations: seizing nine bridges with combined US and British airborne forces ("Market") followed by British land forces swiftly following over
2675-451: The Ministry of Transport and Water Management , North Brabant province and Tilburg municipality signed an agreement. The objective was to make the canal up to Tilburg suitable for ships of CEMT class IV. In order to achieve the objective, the canal level would be raised, Lock II would be demolished, and a new Lock would be built next to Lock III, because Lock III is a listed construction as
2782-699: The Nieuwe Waterweg (25 million), the North Sea Canal (12.5 million), and the Nieuwe Merwede (20.5 million) to be of national interest, but that the result was that North Brabant had to pay for these, but got nothing in return, not even 2 million for the canal. Van den Biesen then suggested that he might take a principal stand, and vote against all other projects if Brabant got nothing. The name Wilhelmina Canal dates at least to April 1901. In 1903 Minister Johannes Christiaan de Marez Oyens made some changes to
2889-556: The Panzer Division Hermann Göring and various artillery, anti-aircraft, and field police units scattered throughout the north of the Netherlands. Rundstedt and Model suspected that a large Allied offensive was imminent, having received many intelligence reports that described a 'constant stream' of reinforcements to the right wing of the British Second Army. Anthony Blunt is accused of passing information from MI5. The senior intelligence officer of Army Group B believed
2996-668: The Red Ball Express , from makeshift ports in Normandy . A potential solution to the logistics problem was to capture a large port more accessible to the advancing allied armies. On 4 September, Montgomery's troops did just that, capturing the massive port of Antwerp in Belgium virtually intact, but the Scheldt Estuary leading to it and preventing its use was still under German control. Neither Eisenhower nor Montgomery initially made opening
3103-567: The 101st, 82nd and 1st Airborne Divisions and the Polish Brigade. 14,589 troops were landed by glider and 20,011 by parachute. Gliders also brought in 1,736 vehicles and 263 artillery pieces. 3,342 tons of ammunition and other supplies were brought by glider and parachute drop. To deliver its 36 battalions of airborne infantry and their support troops to the continent, the First Allied Airborne Army had under its operational control
3210-645: The 14 groups of IX Troop Carrier Command, and after 11 September the 16 squadrons of 38 Group RAF (an organization of converted bombers providing support to resistance groups) and a transport formation, 46 Group . The combined force had 1,438 C-47/Dakota transports (1,274 USAAF and 164 RAF ) and 321 converted RAF bombers. The Allied glider force had been rebuilt after Normandy until by 16 September it numbered 2,160 CG-4A Waco gliders, 916 Airspeed Horsas (812 RAF and 104 U.S. Army) and 64 General Aircraft Hamilcars (large cargo gliders). The U.S. had only 2,060 glider pilots available, so that none of its gliders would have
3317-462: The 85th Infantry Division, which had suffered heavy casualties during the retreat from Normandy, he had assumed command of the remnants of the 84th and 89th Infantry Divisions en route. Initially ordered to take his command to the Rhineland for rest and reinforcements, Chill disregarded the order and moved his forces to the Albert Canal, linking up with the 719th; he also had "reception centres" set up at
Operation Market Garden - Misplaced Pages Continue
3424-408: The Allied airborne divisions, meaning that the leading formation of each corps would face the airborne assault — these being 7th Parachute Division and 84th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) . After their retreat to the Rhine both divisions were under-strength and did not number more than 4,000 men each, with 84th Infantry Division supported by only 50 or so medium artillery pieces. In the final days of
3531-599: The Allied breakout from Normandy and the closure of the Falaise Pocket , the allied armies pursued the retreating German army, expelling it from nearly all of France and Belgium. On 1 September, the Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower took over command of ground forces, while continuing as Supreme Commander. Montgomery resented this change, although the US and UK had agreed to it before
3638-509: The Arnhem thrust. Thereafter it was given first priority." Eisenhower proposed a "broad front strategy" in which the allied armies of Montgomery in Belgium and Bradley further south in France advanced in parallel on a front several hundred miles wide into Germany. Montgomery – and Bradley's aggressive subordinate, George S. Patton – both desired a concentration of forces,
3745-570: The British and Polish paratroopers managed to avoid capture by the Germans and were sheltered by the Dutch underground until they could be rescued in Operation Pegasus on 22 October 1944. Historians have been critical of the planning and execution of Operation Market Garden. Antony Beevor said that Market Garden "was a bad plan right from the start and right from the top". The Germans counter attacked
3852-492: The British government that the V-2 launch sites around The Hague should be neutralised and that the plan must therefore proceed. That same day, angered by Eisenhower's reluctance to give his plan the priority he desired, Montgomery flew to Brussels to meet him. Montgomery tore a file of Eisenhower's messages to shreds in front of him, argued for a concentrated northern thrust, and demanded priority in supplies. So fierce and unrestrained
3959-534: The Donge's confluence with the Amer . Stretching along Oosterhout and Tilburg it reached the Zuid-Willemsvaart 4 km north of Helmond. Locks I to V divided it in six pounds or levels. The lowest pound was in open connection with the sea and tides . Its level varied from 1.14 m above Amsterdam Ordnance Datum (AOD) till 0.37 m below at ebb. In Oosterhout, Lock I was a staircase lock gekoppelde Schutsluis , basically two locks in line, which allowed to bridge
4066-672: The First Parachute Army passed to General der Fallschirmtruppe Alfred Schlemm , who opposed the Canadian First Army during the Battle of the Reichswald . The Canadian First Army and Lieutenant-General William Hood Simpson ’s U.S. Ninth Army compressed Schlemm’s forces into a small bridgehead on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Wesel. On 10 March 1945, the rearguard of the 1st Parachute Army evacuated their bridgehead, destroying
4173-537: The German resistance had broken. Most of the German Fifteenth Army in the area appeared to be fleeing from the Canadians and they were known to have no Panzergruppen . It was thought that XXX Corps would face limited resistance on their route up Highway 69 and little armour . Meanwhile, the German defenders would be spread out over 100 kilometres (62 mi) trying to contain the pockets of airborne forces, from
4280-620: The Heersdijk (just east of Oorschot) was tendered. In December 1917 the connecting section between the Heersdijk and the Beerse Heide (east of Haghorst) was tendered. On 24 July 1918 the section from the Emmerseweg in Haghorst (location of Lock IV) till Nieuwe Leij in Tilburg was tendered together with final section from the Meuse till Tilburg. On 1 July 1921 the section from the Zuid-Willemsvaart to
4387-643: The Maas-Scheldt and Albert Canals. The right wing of the Army would be the assault force, composed primarily of armoured units, which would force a crossing of the Maas and attempt to break through to the Ruhr industrial area near Roermond. The left wing would cover the Army's northern flank by moving up to the Waal near Nijmegen and isolating the German 15th Army situated on the Dutch coast. 1st Parachute Army Its first commander
Operation Market Garden - Misplaced Pages Continue
4494-508: The Mark Canal was. This is still in use. On 15 May 1912 the section from the Donge to the Koningsdijk and its quay was opened. The Mark Canal, which connected Breda to the Meuse, came next. In 1911 there was a 310,000 guilders budget for the Mark Canal from Oosterhout to the river Mark . In October 1912 the (since replaced) lock at the eastern end of the Mark Canal, south of the Koningsdijk,
4601-543: The Netherlands, especially around Arnhem. Brereton's experience with tactical air operations judged that flak suppression would be sufficient to permit the troop carriers to operate without prohibitive loss. The invasion of Southern France had demonstrated that large scale daylight airborne operations were feasible. Daylight operations, in contrast to those in Sicily and Normandy, would have much greater navigational accuracy and time-compression of succeeding waves of aircraft, tripling
4708-423: The Netherlands, where he would collect all available units and build a front near the Albert Canal, which was to be held at all costs. This front was to be held by the new First Parachute Army , a euphemistic name for a paper formation. Its units were scattered throughout Germany and the Netherlands and consisted either of units in the process of being formed or remnants cadred by survivors of previous units. Though
4815-419: The Netherlands. On 4 September he recalled Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt , who had been in retirement since Hitler had dismissed him as Wehrmacht Commander-in-Chief West on 2 July, and reinstated him in his former command, replacing Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model , who had taken command just 18 days previously and would henceforth command only Army Group B. Rundstedt immediately began to plan
4922-804: The Nijmegen salient but failed to retake any of the allied gains. Arnhem was finally captured by the Allies in April 1945, towards the end of the war. Highway 69 (later nicknamed "Hell's Highway") leading through the planned route was two narrow lanes, partly raised above a surrounding flat terrain of polder or floodplain . The ground on either side of the highway was in places too soft to support tactical vehicle movement and there were numerous dikes and drainage ditches. Dikes tended to be topped by trees or large bushes, and roads and paths were lined with trees. In early autumn this meant that observation would be seriously restricted. There were six major water obstacles between
5029-503: The Normandy invasion. He had been the commander of ground forces and the change resulted in his former subordinate, Omar Bradley , becoming his equal. Montgomery continued to command the 21st Army Group, consisting mainly of British and Canadian units. By late August the allied armies were running out of petroleum gasoline. Several allied divisions and corps were forced to halt their advance temporarily to replenish supplies. To Eisenhower fell
5136-459: The Piushaven, and made a small demonstration with some rowing boats. In August 1925 there was a 1,500 m swimming event finishing at the harbor, and a water polo match. Rowing matches soon followed. The canal was also important for long distance skating in the area. Speelland Beekse Bergen and Safaripark Beekse Bergen were created in the 1960s. Their origin lies in the sand extraction in
5243-595: The Second Army in the south to Arnhem in the north. The rout of the Wehrmacht during July and August led the Allies to believe that the German army was a spent force unable to reconstitute its shattered units. During those two months the Wehrmacht had suffered a string of defeats with heavy losses. Between 6 June and 14 August it had suffered 23,019 killed in action, 198,616 missing or taken prisoner and 67,240 wounded. Many of
5350-459: The Second Army would launch an offensive in the direction of Nijmegen, Arnhem and Wesel with a primary objective of reaching the industrial area along the Ruhr river. He was convinced that airborne troops would be used in this offensive but was unsure where they would be deployed, suspecting areas along the Siegfried Line north of Aachen or possibly even near the Saar. Second Army would assemble its units at
5457-504: The USAAF transports on the first day would drop parachute troops, with the same proportion towing gliders on the second day (the RAF transports were almost entirely used for glider operations). Brereton rejected having two airlifts on the first day, although this had been accomplished during Operation Dragoon, albeit with slightly more daylight (45 minutes) and against negligible opposition. 17 September
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#17328451187165564-471: The Voldijk, about 5 km east of Dongen was tendered. On 12 March 1917 this section was opened till the quay of Dongen. World War I would speed up the section from Dongen to Tilburg, because there was a lot of unemployment. In September 1914 the government therefore asked for an extra 500,000 to speed up the Wilhelmina Canal. Shortly after, the government asked 5 contractors to make a bid for digging
5671-622: The West. On 5 September, Model's forces were bolstered by the arrival of the II SS Panzer Corps , which consisted of the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions under the command of Lieutenant General Wilhelm Bittrich . The Corps had been reduced to approximately 6,000–7,000 men, 20–30% of its original strength in the course of continuous action since late June including in the Falaise pocket ; losses in officers and NCOs had been especially high. Model ordered
5778-819: The XXX Corps' jumping-off point and the objective of the north bank of the Lower Rhine River: the Wilhelmina Canal at Son en Breugel 100 feet (30 m) wide; the Zuid-Willems Canal at Veghel 80 feet (20 m); the Maas River at Grave 800 feet (240 m); the Maas-Waal Canal 200 feet (60 m); the Waal River at Nijmegen 850 feet (260 m); and the Rhine at Arnhem 300 feet (90 m). The plan
5885-406: The area. The little lake at the center of the recreational area is in direct connection to the Wilhelmina Canal. Just north of the Beekse Bergen, a section of the canal was widened to create the Watersportbaan Tilburg . This is the second Dutch especially created water for rowing regattas. By 1982 only a couple of ships a week entered the Piushaven in Tilburg. This started a discussion about using
5992-415: The blunder could have happened was started. To make matters worse, construction of the new Lock II was prohibited due to the nitrogen crisis . On 20 April 2022, construction of the new Lock II was postponed until further notice. The Wilhelmina Canal was very important for the development of water sports in Tilburg. In April 1925 the new Tilburgse Watersportvereniging Wilhelmina opened her Pavilion at
6099-412: The bridge behind them. Schlemm was wounded in an air attack on his command post at Haltern eleven days later and on 20 March 1945, command passed to General Günther Blumentritt . Just before Operation Varsity , First Parachute Army had three corps stationed along the river; Of these formations, II Parachute Corps and LXXXVI Corps had a shared boundary which ran through the proposed landing-zones for
6206-412: The bridges ("Garden"). The airborne operation was undertaken by the First Allied Airborne Army with the land operation by the British Second Army , with XXX Corps moving up the centre supported by VIII and IX Corps on their flanks. The airborne soldiers, consisting of paratroops and glider-borne troops numbering more than 41,000, were dropped at sites where they could capture key bridges and hold
6313-485: The bridges crossing the Albert Canal, where small groups of retreating troops were picked up and turned into ad hoc units. By 7 September the 176th Infantry Division , a Kranken division composed of elderly men and men with various medical complaints, had arrived from the Siegfried Line and elements of the First Parachute Army began to appear. At this stage the Army consisted of approximately seven Fallschirmjaeger regiments composed of some 20,000 airborne troops along with
6420-419: The bridges north of Eindhoven at Son and Veghel. The 82nd Airborne Division , under Brigadier General James M. Gavin , would drop northeast of them to take the bridges at Grave and Nijmegen and the British 1st Airborne Division , under Major-General Roy Urquhart , with the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade , under Major General Stanisław Sosabowski , attached, would drop at the extreme north end of
6527-407: The canal did not lead to a boom in shipping. Overall, the canal did not lead to the expected benefits. By 1925 the Wilhelmina Canal and Mark Canal both had about 10,000 ships of about 1,000,000 tons capacity passing their locks at Oosterhout. About 7,000 ships of 825,000 tons passed Lock III, and probably continued to Tilburg. At Lock V only 2,400 ships of 306,000 tons passed. This could be compared to
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#17328451187166634-427: The canal from there till the Amer for ships of more than 1,000 tons. The new lock that replaced the old Lock I was built west of it, on a new section of the canal, just west of where the eastern lock of the Mark Canal used to be. A replacement for the old lock at the end of the Mark Canal was built about 500 m to the northwest. In Spring 1977 these works were officially opened for shipping. After these improvements,
6741-401: The canal in Tilburg was the Piushaven (Pius Harbor) just south east of the city center. On 24 July 1918 construction of two sections was tendered. The first was that between the Tilburg-Loon op Zand road and the Nieuwe Leij, and included a side canal towards Tilburg proper. The other section stretched to Haghorst . The side canal would lead to Tilburg's inland harbor Piushaven. The plan for
6848-404: The canal. The section from Oosterhout to Dongen faced a particular challenge. It was dug upstream to a place without surface water. The water would therefore have to be pumped upstream. In December 1913 the (since replaced) double lock "Lock I" south of the Koningsdijk was tendered. Construction of Lock I started in April 1914. Later in April 1914, construction of the section between Lock I and
6955-402: The canal. That year, 3,394 ships offloaded 605,033 tons in Tilburg. Of this, sand amounted to 238,518 ton, gravel amounted to 146,158. Other goods were ammunition, lime , gasoline , timber , fodder , fuel oil . tarmacadam , trees, brick, fertilizer, etc. Only 74 ships loaded goods in Tilburg. In 1962 a plan was made to replace Lock I and the eastern lock of the Mark Canal, and to upgrade
7062-512: The connection from the Beatrix Canal to the Zuid-Willemsvaart, so that long combinations, and eventually CEMT IV ships can use this section. Here maximum ship dimensions are 110 * 6.70 * 3 m. Whatever the eventual form of the canal, the primary reason to dig it was to connect Tilburg to the Dutch system of inland waterways. By the end of the 18th century, Tilburg was the biggest town of the Meierij van 's-Hertogenbosch , but all transport to and from Tilburg took place over unpaved roads. In 1863
7169-421: The first section of the canal was tendered. This stretched from the Donge to the Koningsdijk in Oosterhout, and included dredging the Donge. The lowest bid was by H.G. den Hartog from The Hague for 258,900 guilders. In mid March 1910 the workers were constructing sheds. They would start digging in April. In October 1910 Den Hartog also got the order to construct a quay Los- en Laadplaats , just north of where
7276-573: The formations the Wehrmacht had at the beginning of the Normandy campaign had been annihilated or reduced to skeleton formations by the end of August. As the German armies retreated towards the German frontier, they were often harried by air attacks and bombing raids by aircraft of the Allied air forces, inflicting casualties and destroying vehicles. Attempts to halt the Allied advance often seemed fruitless as hurried counter-attacks and blocking positions were brushed aside and at times there seemed to be too few German units to hold anywhere. By early September
7383-697: The harbor master of Tilburg put passage on the Wilhelmina Canal at 10,000 ships and over 2,000,000 tons. He thought that the maximum draft for ships on the canal should be increased to 2.20 or 2.30 m. Ships of 600 tons could then make better use of their capacity. He thought that there was nothing to indicate that an upgrade to accommodate ships of 1,500 tons was necessary. In 1963 1,930,000 tons passed Lock I, 1,387,000 tons passed Lock IV, and 2.286,000 tons passed lock V, compared to 3,211,000 tons at Sluis 0 and 4,827,000 tons at lock 13. That year both canals had been blocked by ice for about 70 days. Data from 1963 shows that most ships mainly transported bulk cargo on
7490-448: The industrial district of the Ruhr in Germany should have priority, Eisenhower still thought it was important to "get Patton moving again". This strategy was contested by Montgomery, who argued that with the supply situation deteriorating, he would not be able to reach the Ruhr, but "a relocation of our present resources of every description would be adequate to get one thrust to Berlin". Montgomery initially suggested Operation Comet ,
7597-413: The intended drop zones. Eisenhower believed that the use of the airborne forces might provide the push needed for the allies to cross the Rhine. The plan of action consisted of two operations: Market would employ four of the six divisions of the First Allied Airborne Army. The U.S. 101st Airborne Division, under Major General Maxwell D. Taylor , would drop in two locations just north of XXX Corps to take
7704-461: The minister. On 11 May 1905 the law for the canal was approved by the House of Representatives. In spite of the non-committal character of the law, the government started to delimit the future course of the canal in July 1906. Soon after, 500,000 guilders for the canal were added to the 1907 budget. By May 1907 a detailed map of the section in Tilburg was published. In these years a lot of time and money
7811-491: The municipalities of Breda, Tilburg and Oosterhout were planning a canal from Eindhoven via Tilburg to the Amer. This was the first plan that resembled the current Wilhelmina Canal. In 1889 the need for canal was again discussed in the provincial government. The chief engineer of Waterstaat came up with a plan in June 1890. It had the same size as the Zuid-Willemsvaart, and would start there between locks 6 and 7. The description of
7918-467: The need to prepare for the first drop by bombarding German flak positions for half a day and a weather forecast on the afternoon of 16 September (which soon proved erroneous) that the area would have clear conditions for four days, so allowing drops during them. After one week preparations were declared complete. The planning and training for the airborne drops at Sicily and Normandy had taken months. One United States Air Force historian noted that 'Market'
8025-425: The number of troops that could be delivered per hour. The time required to assemble airborne units on the drop zone after landing would be reduced by two-thirds. IX Troop Carrier Command's transport aircraft had to tow gliders and drop paratroopers, duties that could not be performed simultaneously. Although every division commander requested two drops on the first day, Brereton's staff scheduled only one lift based on
8132-431: The plan was 4,512,000 guilders. The plan came to nothing, primarily because the national government did not want to execute it. The province thought it too risky to do it on her own, also because the maintenance would then also become a provincial task. The discussion centered on whether the canal was a local interest, or a national interest. In the senate Jacob van den Biesen noted that the government thought projects like
8239-487: The plan, leading to a significant increase in cost. On 9 February 1904 the provincial government of North Brabant voted to contribute 2.5 million guilders to construction of the canal by the national government. In November 1904 a law to construct the canal was sent to the House of Representatives, but it soon became clear that this law would only lead to actual construction of the canal if funding became available. The people of North-Brabant thought that they had been fooled by
8346-514: The port of Antwerp a top priority and Antwerp was not used by allied supply ships until 28 November after the Battle of the Scheldt . The allied failure to win access quickly to the port of Antwerp has been called "one of the greatest tactical mistakes of the war". Winston Churchill later acknowledged that "clearing the Scheldt Estuary and opening the port of Antwerp had been delayed for the sake of
8453-661: The quay in Lieshout was opened. On 9 January 1922 the section from Lieshout till the Double-beam drawbridge in the Kwadeweg at the hamlet Stad van Gerwen was opened. On 22 May 1922 the section from this bridge till a like bridge south of Breugel was opened. On 4 April 1923 the last sections of the Wilhelmina Canal were opened. In 1925 the canal started at the Donge in Statendam, 5 km from
8560-442: The rise to the +5 m AOD level of the next pound. In Tilburg, Lock II was a regular lock that lifted to +7.5 m AOD. About four kilometers to the east came the staircase lock Lock III, which lifted to +12.5 m AOD. East of Tilburg was Lock IV in Haghorst, which lifted to +14.76 m AOD. Lock V only closed in exceptional circumstances. The passage width of the locks was 7.5 m, and they were 65 m long. The canal
8667-422: The route, capturing the road bridge at Arnhem and the rail bridge at Oosterbeek . The 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division would be flown to the captured Deelen Airfield on D+5. The First Allied Airborne Army had been created on 16 August as the result of British requests for a coordinated headquarters for airborne operations, a concept approved by General Eisenhower on 20 June. The British had strongly hinted that
8774-407: The section east of Tilburg closely resembles the canal as it would later be built. There was also a variant in which the section between Tilburg and the Zuid-Willemsvaart would be narrower, i.e. only 6 m wide at the bottom of the canal. The plan for the locks foresaw a lock with a double set of gates near the Zuid-Willemsvaart, to this lock could also operate if the level of the Zuid-Willemsvaart
8881-436: The situation seemed dire, the German front was starting to form into what Robert Kershaw terms "a crust". Leadership, initiative, and a good staff system were beginning to create an organised push-back out of the initial chaos. On 4 September, the 719th infantry division began to dig in along the Albert Canal and was soon joined by forces under the command of Lieutenant General Kurt Chill . Although Chill only officially commanded
8988-421: The situation was beginning to change. Some 65,000 troops of the German Fifteenth Army were extricated from the area with 225 guns and 750 trucks by a flotilla of commandeered freighters, barges and small boats. From there they moved to the Netherlands. Adolf Hitler began to take a personal interest in the apparent disintegration of Army Group B , which comprised the German armies in northern France, Belgium, and
9095-415: The south before they reached the Rhine. The British 1st Airborne Division was unable to secure the bridge and was withdrawn from the north side of the Rhine after suffering 8,000 dead, missing, and captured out of a complement of 12,000 men. When the retreat order came there were not enough boats to get everyone back across the river. The Germans subsequently rounded up most of those left behind, but some of
9202-400: The south end of the 101st Airborne Division's area on the first day, the 82nd's by the second day and the 1st's by the fourth day at the latest. The airborne divisions would then join XXX Corps in the breakout from the Arnhem bridgehead. Four days was a long time for an airborne force to fight unsupported. Even so, before Operation Market Garden started it seemed to the Allied high command that
9309-409: The task of responding to competing demands for fuel and other supplies for the armies under his command. There was no shortage of fuel in the makeshift ports in Normandy; the difficulty lay in transporting sufficient quantities from Normandy to the armies in Belgium and northern France. Most arrived at the front in five gallon jerry cans after being transported hundreds of kilometres by trucks, known as
9416-412: The terrain until the land forces arrived. The land forces consisted of ten armoured and motorised brigades with a similar number of soldiers. The land forces advanced from the south along a single road surrounded by flood plain on both sides. The plan anticipated that they would cover the 103 km (64 miles) from their start to the bridge across the Rhine in 48 hours. About 100,000 German soldiers were in
9523-591: The time of Operation Market Garden, the 10th SS Panzer Division had an approximate strength of 3,000 men; an armoured infantry regiment, divisional reconnaissance battalion, two artillery battalions, and an engineer battalion, all partially motorised. However, Bittrich said after the war that he only had five tanks at Arnhem. Other formations were appearing to strengthen the German defences. Between 16 and 17 September, two infantry divisions from Fifteenth Army assembled in Brabant, under strength but well-equipped and able to act as
9630-491: The traffic at Sluis 0 and Lock 13 at the Zuid-Willemsvaart. Sluis 0 had 21,000 ships of 4,000,000 tons and Lock 13 12,250 ships of 3,300,000 tons. In time business on the Wilhelmina Canal increased. In 1929 almost 2,000,000 tons passed Lock I. Passage at Lock V increased to about 1,000,000 tons, compared to a slight decrease at Lock 13. In 1936 1,162,000 tons passed Lock I, and 545,000 passed lock V, compared to 2,406,00 tons at Sluis 0 and 2,169,000 tons at lock 13. In 1960
9737-442: The two divisions to rest and refit in "safe" areas behind the new German line; these areas coincidentally were to be Eindhoven and Arnhem. The 10th SS Panzer Division was to be restored to full strength in order to provide an armoured reserve and thus the 9th SS Panzer Division was ordered to transfer all of its heavy equipment to its sister division; it was intended that the 9th would then be transported to Germany for replenishment. At
9844-423: The vicinity to oppose the allied offensive. It was the largest airborne operation of the war up to that point. The operation succeeded in capturing the Dutch cities of Eindhoven and Nijmegen along with many towns, and a few V-2 rocket launching sites. It failed in its most important objective; securing the bridge over the Rhine at Arnhem . The Germans slowed and then halted the armoured brigades advancing from
9951-541: The war, command passed once more to Student (10 April) and finally to Erich Straube . Wilhelmina Canal The Wilhelmina Canal is a canal in North-Brabant , Netherlands . It connects Tilburg to the Meuse, and continues to the east to connect to the Zuid-Willemsvaart north of Helmond . The Wilhelmina Canal runs from the Zuid-Willemsvaart in Laarbeek to the Amer (Meuse) just west of Geertruidenberg and
10058-576: Was Colonel General Kurt Student , the Wehrmacht ' s airborne pioneer. During the Allied Operation Market Garden , Student's men delayed the Allied advance across the south of the Netherlands. The 30,000 soldiers were likely the only combat-ready reserve forces in Germany at the time. However, few of the Army's units or personnel were paratroopers. Student was transferred to the Eastern Front, and on 18 November 1944, command of
10165-482: Was 25 m wide at the surface. For the lowest pound this was 30 m. At the bottom width was 15 m and 16 m. Depth was 2.30 m below canal level. For the tidal pound, this was -3 m AOD. It meant that the canal was suitable for 500 tons ships, the lowest pound for 700 tons ships. The entire Wilhelmina Canal was opened for shipping on 4 April 1923. The cost had risen from an estimated 7.5 million guilders to 24 million on completion. The opening of
10272-444: Was Montgomery's language that Eisenhower reached out, patted Montgomery's knee, and said, "Steady, Monty! You can't talk to me like that. I'm your boss." Eisenhower allegedly told Montgomery why a "single thrust" toward Berlin was not feasible: What you're proposing is this – if I give you all the supplies you want, you could go straight to Berlin – right straight (500 miles) to Berlin? Monty, you're nuts. You can't do it... If you try
10379-616: Was also under pressure from the United States to use the First Allied Airborne Army as soon as possible. After Normandy, most of the airborne forces had been withdrawn to England, re-forming into the First Allied Airborne Army of two British and three US airborne divisions and the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade. Eighteen airborne operations had been proposed, then cancelled, when the rapidly moving Allied ground forces overran
10486-416: Was finished by 2017. A major problem was then discovered: the lower water level on the higher side of the canal pound would most probably lead a much lower groundwater level in the Tilburg district Reeshof . Houses could then start to sag. In December 2017 the governments then decided to rebuild Lock II instead of simply demolishing it. It was a blunder of about 70 million euros. An investigation of how
10593-560: Was for airborne forces to seize bridges across all these obstacles nearly simultaneously – any failure to do so would result in delay or defeat. In case bridges were demolished by the Germans, XXX Corps had plans to rebuild them. To this end, a vast quantity of bridging material was collected, along with 2,300 vehicles to carry it and 9,000 engineers to assemble it. Although the area is generally flat with less than 30 feet (9 m) of variation in altitude, Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks , commander of XXX Corps, recalled that "The country
10700-460: Was lower. Regular locks would lift 2.5 m. Two double (sequential) locks would lift 5 m. A significant change from the 1877 plan was that the canal would end at Oosterhout instead of at the Moerdijk. This had to do with the Amer becoming more navigable in the meantime. The plan was signed by engineer Schevichaven. A letter by chief engineer Bake was attached to the plan. The estimated cost for
10807-425: Was named by Eisenhower on 16 July and appointed by SHAEF on 2 August. Brereton had no experience in airborne operations but had extensive command experience at the air force level in several theaters, most recently as commander of Ninth Air Force , which gave him a working knowledge of the operations of IX Troop Carrier Command . Market would be the largest airborne operation in history, delivering over 34,600 men of
10914-402: Was on a dark moon and in the days following it the new moon set before dark. Allied airborne doctrine prohibited big operations in the absence of all light, so the operation would have to be carried out in daylight. The risk of Luftwaffe interception was judged small, given the crushing air superiority of Allied fighters but there were concerns about the increasing number of flak units in
11021-480: Was probably that which was between the two locks, or the section stretching to the road from Tilburg to Loon op Zand. In late June 1915 D. van der Zee was appointed as extraordinary overseer for construction of the section from Lock III till that road. On 14 February 1919 the section between Dongen and the Tilburg quay at the Lijnschestraat (now IJsselstraat), east of Lock III was opened. The projected end point of
11128-495: Was spent on buying, and where necessary disappropriation, of grounds for the canal. In November 1908 the disappropriation law for the canal was treated in the House of Representatives. Overall construction was slow. In 1911 there was a budget of 750,000 guilders. Of this sum 600,000 was spent on disappropriation, and only 75,000 were spent on construction. It led to another heated debate in The Hague. On 8 December 1909 construction of
11235-413: Was tendered. The government gave the lock at the Mark Canal the dimensions 65 * 15 m, with a passage width of 7.50 m. This was enough for two ships of 60 * 7 * 1.90 m and better than agreed upon with North-Brabant. In October 1913 construction of the Mark Canal itself was tendered for 734,400 guilders. On 4 October 1915 the Mark Canal was opened. Ships of 60 * 7 * 2.10 m were allowed on
11342-436: Was the only large airborne operation of the war in which the USAAF "had no training program, no rehearsals, almost no exercises, and a... low level of tactical training." Gavin had doubts about the plan. In his diary he wrote, "It looks very rough. If I get through this one I will be very lucky." He was also highly critical of Browning, writing that he "... unquestionably lacks the standing, influence and judgment that comes from
11449-508: Was wooded and rather marshy, which made any outflanking operation impossible." Two important hill areas, 300 feet (90 m) high, were some of the highest ground in the Netherlands: one northwest of Arnhem and one in the 82nd Airborne Division's zone, the Groesbeek ridge. Seizure and defence of this elevated terrain was considered vital to holding the highway bridges. In August 1944, following
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