Today, we take a look at the events that transpired on the third day of Operation Market Garden - September 19th.  Stay tuned with us all week as we detail the history of Market Garden and release exclusive brand new screens from Hell's Highway each day.

The following information is quoted from an article written by Retired Colonel William Wilson that originally appeared in the September 1994 issue of World War II.  Thanks to Colonel John Antal, US Army Ret. (our military and authenticity advisor) for making this information available.

^{In the night of 19 September 1944, the center of Eindhoven was bombed by 85 bombers of the Luftwaffe.  More than 200 people were killed.}

A Bridge Too Far:  

" At 6:45 the following morning, the British Guards Armored Division thudded
across the bridge. The 36 hours lost by the British armor may have been the
main cause of the annihilation of the British airborne division that was trying to
hold at Arnhem. British Lt. Gen. Frederick Browning of tactical command told
General Montgomery before the operation, "I think we may be going a bridge too
far."

Meanwhile, the British 1st Airborne Division across the Lower Rhine River at
Arnhem was desperate. The British had landed in an area where there were
more German troops than in all the American areas to the south. The 9th and
10th SS Panzer divisions were refitting in Arnhem and were deployed
immediately against the British. German reinforcements came in faster than the
British airborne reinforcements, which were delayed by bad weather. British
supplies were accidentally paradropped into enemy hands, and they had not
been able to seize the bridge that would give them contact with the south bank of
the river.

The airborne landings in Holland did not come as a complete surprise to the
German high command, whose members knew that the Allies had large numbers
of airborne forces to be committed. The Germans, however, had expected the
airborne landings to be close to a coastal area for easy link-up with amphibious
force operations. They were mildly shocked by the events of September 17, but
they immediately saw the significance of the Rhine crossing in the north and
each day took more extensive countermeasures.

The airborne landings had been made in the sector of the First German
Parachute Army, and that formidable force went into immediate action. On the
second day, an armored brigade and two Volksgrenadier divisions started for the
corridor. The German strategy was to contain its base and cut the road as soon
as possible. "

 ^{A Dutch commando transporting 101st Airborne troops during the fighting outside Eindhoven.}

Timeline of September 19, 1944: 

• Units of the 101st sent to take Best the day before found
  themselves facing a renewed attack that morning and gave
  ground. However, as more British tanks arrived the Germans
  were beaten off by late afternoon. Later a small force of
  Panthers arrived at Son, seemingly out of nowhere, and
  started firing on the Bailey bridge. These too were beaten
  back by anti-tank guns that recently landed, and the bridge
  was secured.
  

• The British Paratroopers attempting to reach the men
  isolated on the bridge in Arnhem meet heavy resistance and
  retire, having suffered severe losses, from Arnhem to
  Oosterbeek.

• The attempted supply by air near Arnhem fails and a similar
  operation near Groesbeek and Son is hindered by bad
  visibility.

• By 6.15hrs the 33 meters-long Bailey bridge built over the
  Wilhelmina Canal in Son is finished and the army can continue
  its advance.

• The Germans near Son were fighting the American para's of
  101stAirborne Division. They were told that a new German
  tank unit would attack from the east. But nothing had
  happened. The German general Poppe who commanded 59th
  infantry division, was disappointed. His division only had
  attacked and had lost 1700 men as prisoners. No wonder, the
  British had come with their Cromwell tanks. But where are
  our Panthers? In the afternoon of 19th September von
  Mahltzahn studied the map. He commanded his tanks to
  advance to the bridge in Son. There were several possibilities
  to reach the bridge, but he decided to use the channel dike.
  It was very difficult for the tank drivers to maneuver over
  that small dike, but there was no choice. The commander of
  this group of Panther tanks was lieutenant Brockdorff -
  Ahlefeld. Through his binoculars, he saw tanks, trucks on the
  road to Nijmegen. He also saw British soldiers smoking
  cigarettes, sitting on the ground, drinking a cup of tea. No
  one had noticed the Panthers! Incredible. A complete
  surprise. Vorwärts männer! One by one the Panthers turned
  left. On their right, there was the Wilhelmina channel and on
  their left there were trees and bushes. They were driving on
  the dike and there was no protection, no turning back and no
  choice. A real risk. It is 17.00 hour afternoon.

• Market Garden is now way behind schedule. In the afternoon,
  the Guards Armored Division reaches Nijmegen but cannot
  continue because the bridge over the River Waal is not yet
  captured.

• At 19.10hrs, the Luftwaffe starts bombing Eindhoven. 227
  people are killed and hundreds are wounded.

• The British tanks reached Grave near Nijmegen and made contact with 82nd. Airborne Division. Then, they halted because of 10th SS tank division and the bridge over the river Waal that had to be crossed.

This is the third shot of five exclusives that will be released on Gearboxity this week.  If you sign up for our mailing list (on the top left of the main page), you'll receive an extra exclusive screenshot this Friday, so sign up now!

Further Resources:

A video about this day in Market Garden can be seen by clicking this link .  Gearboxity also offers the words of veteran Ed Peniche in our exclusive video series , and a briefing of Operation Market Garden from the Colonel.  For further reading, see:
A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan, The Epic of the 101st Airborne by
David J. Phillips, and Hell's Highway by George Koskimaki.