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Siegfried Line campaign
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====Market Garden==== {{main|Operation Market Garden}} The first operation of the [[Rhineland]] campaign, ''Market Garden'', was commanded by Montgomery and was to secure a bridgehead over the Rhine in the north, at [[Arnhem]], which would outflank the Siegfried Line. ''Market Garden'' had two distinct parts. ''Market'' was to be the largest airborne operation in history, dropping three and a half divisions of American, British, and Polish paratroopers to capture key bridges and prevent their demolition by the Germans. ''Garden'' was a ground attack by the [[Second Army (United Kingdom)|British Second Army]] across the bridges. It was assumed that the German forces would still be recovering from the previous campaign and opposition would not be very stiff for either operation. If successful, the Allies would have a direct route into Germany that bypassed the main German defenses and also seize territory from which the Germans launched [[V-1 (flying bomb)|V-1s]] and [[V-2 rocket|V-2s]] against [[London]], Antwerp and elsewhere. General Eisenhower approved ''Market Garden''. On September 10 he gave supply priority to the 21st Army Group and decided to divert the [[First United States Army|U.S. First Army]] to the north of the [[Ardennes]] to stage limited attacks to draw German defenders south, away from the target sites. [[File:Final briefing.jpg|thumb|American paratroopers receive a final briefing from their commanding officer before emplaning, 17 September 1944]] The operation was launched on 17 September. At first, it went well. The U.S. [[101st Airborne Division|101st]] and [[82nd Airborne Division]]s took their objectives at [[Eindhoven]], [[Veghel]] and [[Nijmegen]]. However, the 82nd failed to capture its main objectives, the Nijmegen bridges, and instead its commander focused on the Groesbeek Heights. Although their landings outside Arnhem were on target, the [[1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|British 1st Airborne Division]] landing zones were some distance from Arnhem bridge and only on the north side of the river. Problems arose when the British 1st Airborne Division lost vital equipment—jeeps and heavy anti-tank guns—when gliders crashed. There had also been a severe underestimation of German strength in the area. To make matters worse, poor weather prevented aerial reinforcements and drastically reduced resupply. German resistance to the forces driving to Arnhem was highly effective, and a copy of the Allied battle plan had been captured. In the end, ''Market Garden'' was unsuccessful. Arnhem bridge was not held and the British paratroops suffered tremendous casualties—approximately 77% by 25 September. The failure of the 82nd to capture the Nijmegen bridges in a coup de main meant that the British ground forces meant to relieve the 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem were delayed for 36 hours, as the Guards Armoured Division, despite arriving in Nijmegen ahead of schedule, was forced to pour its forces to capture the bridges, instead of simply moving across, as had been planned.<ref name=montys_men_384/> The allies managed to hold on to the salient in early October by [[Battle of the Nijmegen salient|repelling a German counter offensive]].
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