With Germany being pushed back across Europe, the Allied forces looked to press their advantage with Operation Market-Garden, a massive airborne assault that, if successful, could have shortened the war in the West considerably.
The ground advance consisted of an armored thrust by the British XXX Corps, while the US 82nd and 101st US Airborne Divisions secured the bridges at Eindhoven and Nijmegen, and the British 1st Airborne Division and Polish 1st Airborne Brigade were tasked with seizing the final bridge at Arnhem to secure the route.
What they did not realize was that the 9.
SS and 10.
SS-Panzer Divisions were nearby, ready to reinforce the local garrison and fend off the Allied assault.
Focusing on the role played by these British and Polish troops, Ken Ford examines Operation Market-Garden in its entirety, from the early planning through to the early setbacks and eventual catastrophic conclusion.
About the Author: Ken Ford trained as an engineer and spent 30 years in the telecommunications industry before becoming a full-time military historian.
He is the author of over 30 books on World War II.
Ken lives in Southampton.
Graham Turner is a leading historical artist.
He has illustrated titles for Osprey, covering subjects from the dress of the 10th-century armies of the Caliphates to the daily life of the British Redcoats.
The son of the illustrator Michael Turner, Graham lives in Buckinghamshire, UK.
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Osprey Publishing (uk) Operation market-garden 1944 (2): the british airborne missions/ken ford
