Operation Berlin (Arnhem rescue)
Encyclopedia
Operation Berlin was a night-time evacuation of paratroopers of the British 1st Airborne Division
trapped in German occupied territory north of the Lower Rhine
in the Netherlands
. The aim of the operation was to safely withdraw the remnants of the division who were surrounded on three sides by superior German forces and in danger of being encircled and destroyed. The operation successfully evacuated approximately 2,400 men and effectively ended Operation Market Garden
, the Allied plan to cross the Rhine and end the Second World War by the end of the year.
, an attempt by the British 2nd Army to bypass the Siegfried Line
and advance into the Ruhr
, Germany’s industrial heartland. The operation required the First Allied Airborne Army
to seize several bridges over rivers and canals in the Netherlands. This would allow General
Brian Horrocks'
XXX Corps to advance up an 'airborne corridor' and cross the Lower Rhine
at Arnhem. It was hoped that the British would be across the Rhine in 2–4 days.
The task of securing the Arnhem road bridge fell to the British 1st Airborne Division
who dropped on the area on 17 September. However they encountered far more resistance than had been expected , including the II SS Panzer Corps
. Only a small force under Lt Colonel John Frost
were able to reach the bridge and were overwhelmed after four days. The rest of the division withdrew to the town of Oosterbeek
where they established a defensive position with their backs to the river, in the hope that when XXX Corps arrived they would be able to cross and establish a bridgehead
there. The 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade landed south of the river on 21 September, but did not have the equipment to cross the river and assist the British. Meanwhile, XXX Corps' advance had been severely delayed and lead elements did not make contact with the Poles at Driel
until the 22 September.
Roy Urquhart
, commander of the 1st Division, originally requested that the 1st Polish Brigade to cross the river and enter their positions on the night of the 21 September. However neither unit had any access to boats and so the Poles withdrew into Driel for the night, setting up a hedgehog defence
. Lead elements of XXX Corps reached Driel the following day, but at the same time the Germans formed a blocking line to the west to prevent an Allied advance on the road bridge.
During the day the 1st Division sourced six rubber boats and again requested the Poles attempt to cross. That night (the 22nd) the plan was put into operation, but the tow rope designed to pull the boats across snapped, and the oars were too small to row against the river's current. 55 men crossed and only 35 were able to reach the British positions.
On the 23rd the 43rd Wessex Division arrived in strength and offered assault boats for the Poles. Unfortunately these arrived late and the Poles, unfamiliar with the craft, were only able to put 153 men across the river - less than a quarter of the hoped for reinforcement.
On the 24th, Horrocks himself visited the Polish positions to asses the situation. That afternoon a conference was held at Valburg
to discuss how best to relieve the 1st Airborne. Major General Ivor Thomas
of the 43rd (Wessex) Division outlined a plan to put across a battalion of his division and one of the Polish battalions - to the fury of their commander Major General Stanisław Sosabowski. Despite this it seems that Horrocks realised the futility of the paratroopers position and preliminary plans were drawn up for their withdrawal.
That night's attempt to cross the river was disastrous. Insufficient boats arrived for both battalions and so only the 4th Battalion The Dorsetshire Regiment made the attempt. Unfortunately their crossing led into prepared German positions and of the 315 men who crossed before daylight, over 200 were captured. Two men who did reach the Airborne forces carried copies of the withdrawal plan for Urquhart's consideration.
Urquhart's plan called for small groups of men to thin out and span the Oosterbeek perimeter. Then, under cover of night, the main bulk of the force would slip across the river. The remaining defenders would slowly withdraw and soon they too would make it across the Rhine. To trick the Germans into thinking that the British were still fighting, radio traffic was planned to continue heavily and artillery would bombard the eastern shore of the Rhine to trick the Germans into thinking that there would be another landing to the east. Meanwhile, the division would go by boat across the Rhine to the village of Driel
held by the Poles. The wounded would all be left behind to be cared for by the Germans.
Another part of Urquhart's plan called for the 4th Dorsets Battalion of the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division to be deployed across the Rhine prior to the British retreat. These forces would open up the base of the Oosterbeek Perimeter and prevent it from being bottled-up by the Germans while the 1st Airborne crossed to safety.
British 1st Airborne Division
The 1st Airborne Division was a division of the British airborne forces during the Second World War. The division was formed in 1941, after British Prime Minister Winston Churchill demanded an airborne force...
trapped in German occupied territory north of the Lower Rhine
Lower Rhine
The Lower Rhine flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The main branch is called the Waal which flows from Nijmegen to meet the river Meuse; after which it is called Merwede...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The aim of the operation was to safely withdraw the remnants of the division who were surrounded on three sides by superior German forces and in danger of being encircled and destroyed. The operation successfully evacuated approximately 2,400 men and effectively ended Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
, the Allied plan to cross the Rhine and end the Second World War by the end of the year.
The Battle of Arnhem
In September 1944 the Allies launched Operation Market GardenOperation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
, an attempt by the British 2nd Army to bypass the Siegfried Line
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
and advance into the Ruhr
Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany , a right tributary of the Rhine.-Description:The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet...
, Germany’s industrial heartland. The operation required the First Allied Airborne Army
First Allied Airborne Army
The First Allied Airborne Army was an Allied formation formed on 2 August 1944 by the order of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force. The formation was part of the Allied Expeditionary Force and controlled all Allied airborne forces in Western...
to seize several bridges over rivers and canals in the Netherlands. This would allow General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Brian Horrocks'
Brian Horrocks
Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks, KCB, KBE, DSO, MC was a British Army officer. He is chiefly remembered as the commander of XXX Corps in Operation Market Garden and other operations during the Second World War...
XXX Corps to advance up an 'airborne corridor' and cross the Lower Rhine
Lower Rhine
The Lower Rhine flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The main branch is called the Waal which flows from Nijmegen to meet the river Meuse; after which it is called Merwede...
at Arnhem. It was hoped that the British would be across the Rhine in 2–4 days.
The task of securing the Arnhem road bridge fell to the British 1st Airborne Division
British 1st Airborne Division
The 1st Airborne Division was a division of the British airborne forces during the Second World War. The division was formed in 1941, after British Prime Minister Winston Churchill demanded an airborne force...
who dropped on the area on 17 September. However they encountered far more resistance than had been expected , including the II SS Panzer Corps
II SS Panzer Corps
The II SS Panzer Corps was a Nazi German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II.- Formation - Kharkov :...
. Only a small force under Lt Colonel John Frost
John Dutton Frost
Major General John Dutton Frost CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DL was a British airborne officer best known for being the leader of the small group of airborne forces that actually got to Arnhem bridge during the Battle of Arnhem...
were able to reach the bridge and were overwhelmed after four days. The rest of the division withdrew to the town of Oosterbeek
Oosterbeek
Oosterbeek is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is located in the municipality of Renkum, about 5 km west of Arnhem.The oldest part of the village of Oosterbeek is the Benedendorp , on the northern bank of the river Rhine...
where they established a defensive position with their backs to the river, in the hope that when XXX Corps arrived they would be able to cross and establish a bridgehead
Bridgehead
A bridgehead is a High Middle Ages military term, which antedating the invention of cannons was in the original meaning expressly a referent term to the military fortification that protects the end of a bridge...
there. The 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade landed south of the river on 21 September, but did not have the equipment to cross the river and assist the British. Meanwhile, XXX Corps' advance had been severely delayed and lead elements did not make contact with the Poles at Driel
Driel
Driel is a town in the municipality of Overbetuwe, approximately four kilometers southwest of Arnhem on the south bank of the Rhine, in the Netherlands.-History:...
until the 22 September.
Efforts to relieve the 1st Division
Major GeneralMajor General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Roy Urquhart
Roy Urquhart
Major General Robert "Roy" Elliott Urquhart, CB, DSO was a British military officer. He became prominent for his role commanding the British 1st Airborne Division during Operation Market Garden.-Early career:...
, commander of the 1st Division, originally requested that the 1st Polish Brigade to cross the river and enter their positions on the night of the 21 September. However neither unit had any access to boats and so the Poles withdrew into Driel for the night, setting up a hedgehog defence
Hedgehog defence
In warfare, the hedgehog defence is a military tactic for defending against a mobile armoured attack, or blitzkrieg. The defenders deploy in depth in heavily fortified positions suitable for all-around defence. The attackers can penetrate between these "hedgehogs", but each position continues to...
. Lead elements of XXX Corps reached Driel the following day, but at the same time the Germans formed a blocking line to the west to prevent an Allied advance on the road bridge.
During the day the 1st Division sourced six rubber boats and again requested the Poles attempt to cross. That night (the 22nd) the plan was put into operation, but the tow rope designed to pull the boats across snapped, and the oars were too small to row against the river's current. 55 men crossed and only 35 were able to reach the British positions.
On the 23rd the 43rd Wessex Division arrived in strength and offered assault boats for the Poles. Unfortunately these arrived late and the Poles, unfamiliar with the craft, were only able to put 153 men across the river - less than a quarter of the hoped for reinforcement.
On the 24th, Horrocks himself visited the Polish positions to asses the situation. That afternoon a conference was held at Valburg
Valburg
Valburg is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is located in the municipality of Overbetuwe, about 10 km northwest of Nijmegen.Valburg was a separate municipality until 2001, when it became part of Overbetuwe....
to discuss how best to relieve the 1st Airborne. Major General Ivor Thomas
Gwilym Ivor Thomas
General Sir Ivor Thomas GCB KBE DSO MC was a British Army General during World War II.-Military career:Thomas was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1912 and served in World War I....
of the 43rd (Wessex) Division outlined a plan to put across a battalion of his division and one of the Polish battalions - to the fury of their commander Major General Stanisław Sosabowski. Despite this it seems that Horrocks realised the futility of the paratroopers position and preliminary plans were drawn up for their withdrawal.
That night's attempt to cross the river was disastrous. Insufficient boats arrived for both battalions and so only the 4th Battalion The Dorsetshire Regiment made the attempt. Unfortunately their crossing led into prepared German positions and of the 315 men who crossed before daylight, over 200 were captured. Two men who did reach the Airborne forces carried copies of the withdrawal plan for Urquhart's consideration.
The Plan
At a conference between Miles Dempsey, Frederick Browning, and Brian Horrocks, it was decided that the British needed to be immediately evacuated from Arnhem.Urquhart's plan called for small groups of men to thin out and span the Oosterbeek perimeter. Then, under cover of night, the main bulk of the force would slip across the river. The remaining defenders would slowly withdraw and soon they too would make it across the Rhine. To trick the Germans into thinking that the British were still fighting, radio traffic was planned to continue heavily and artillery would bombard the eastern shore of the Rhine to trick the Germans into thinking that there would be another landing to the east. Meanwhile, the division would go by boat across the Rhine to the village of Driel
Driel
Driel is a town in the municipality of Overbetuwe, approximately four kilometers southwest of Arnhem on the south bank of the Rhine, in the Netherlands.-History:...
held by the Poles. The wounded would all be left behind to be cared for by the Germans.
Another part of Urquhart's plan called for the 4th Dorsets Battalion of the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division to be deployed across the Rhine prior to the British retreat. These forces would open up the base of the Oosterbeek Perimeter and prevent it from being bottled-up by the Germans while the 1st Airborne crossed to safety.