Operation Market Garden Day 3

Market Garden Day three, where two Tiger Is from schwere Panzer Ersatz-und Ausbildungs-Abteilung 500 arrive.

After nine long hours of work on the Bailey Bridge at Son had been completed, the Daimlers of 2^nd Household Cavalry were up and over the misty Wilhelmina Canal at dawn, reaching Grave, 24 miles away, by 0825. The Grenadier Guards Group, crossing the Mass-Waal Canal near Molenhoek, arrived a further ninety-five minutes later, with the rest of the Guards Armoured Division moving along what would be called the Airborne Corridor. To assist 101^st Airborne with its role in protecting its portion of the Corridor, the 15^th/19^th Hussars Group were assigned under the command of the 506^th PIR to expand the defence of Eindhoven.

The arrival of Panzer Brigade 107, commanded by Major Freiherr von Maltzahn, on the 19^th from the southeast was a dangerous threat to the Operation as it represented a potent force as it comprised: 36 Panthers, a Panzergrenadier Batailion, 11 Panzerjäger IV in a Panzerjager Kompanie, and lots of Flak vehicles. By mid-afternoon, several Panthers were engaged by Cromwells from B Squadron 15^th/19^th Hussars, who were supporting paratroopers from Captain Winters’ Easy Company, just outside Neunen, east of Eindhoven. They, of course, would later be immortalised in the book and TV series Band of Brothers. B Squadron reputedly lost four Cromwells but repulsed the German manoeuvre, pushing them back northwards towards the Wilhelmina Canal and St. Oedenrode.

Not to be put off, Major von Maltzahn then launched a reconnaissance in force towards Son orientated from the east along the Wilhelmina Canal in the late afternoon. Leading with Grenadiers from 59 Infanterie Division and supported by Panthers, they attacked across the flat, sandy but boggy terrain east of Son, with the objective being the destruction of the newly erected Bailey Bridge. Unfortunately, a 21^st Anti-Tank Regiment RA truck was hit and set alight whilst crossing in convoy, but the German attackers were met by a hail of fire from an ad hoc force from the 101^st, whose automatic weapons, 57mm anti-tank guns, and Bazooka teams halted the counterattack in its tracks.

One Panther was penetrated and set alight on the tow path within sight of the bridge by a 57mm anti-tank gun. A second Panther met a similar fate, this time from a Bazooka team, which also set the tank alight as the German attack stalled, withdrawing as darkness descended.

Even stragglers suffering from mechanical issues were employed, with Sergeant McCrory’s slow moving Irish Guards Sherman assisting glider infantry to repel an attack, knocking out three 2cm Flak guns and a concealed gun position that had pinned the glider troops down just north of St. Oedenrode.

Back to Arnhem and the next assault against Frost’s 2^nd Battalion holding the bridge. This time the airborne soldiers would be engaged by six Panzerkampwagen IIIs (Ausf G and Ms) and two IVs of Panzer Kompanie Mielke, Panzer Ersatz Regiment 6, the armoured support for KG Knaust, attacking from the industrial area to the east of the bridge at dawn. Approaching the east side of the bridge ramp, both Panzer IVs were engaged by 6-pdr anti-tank guns and knocked out, with the second Panzer suffering three consecutive hits and catching fire as it moved within 100 yards of the ramp. Following up, the Panzer IIIs advanced more cautiously, knocking out one of the 6-pounders and engaging a key defensive building occupied by Frost’s men, which linked the east and west sides of the British positions. The Panzers would fire at these houses over the next couple of days.

Further to the west, 1^st Battalion positions near the river were also being engaged from the flanks and by the remnants of Graebner’s armoured force firing across the river from the brickworks. By the end of the morning, 1^st Parachute Brigade was effectively sealed off. Unfortunately for the British, the arrival of the independent Sturmgeschütze Brigade 280, consisting of seven StuG IIIs and three 10.5cm StuH, along with supporting Panzer grenadiers, would prove to be a game changer, allowing the Germans to stand off and pulverise the British positions. The South Staffs, the only Airlanding battalion to make it through to Arnhem, would bear the brunt of this attack.

The evening saw no let-up for the defenders either, as two newly arrived Tiger Is from schwere Panzer Ersatz-und Ausbildungs-Abteilung 500 deployed from the north of the ramp with supporting SS-Panzergrenadiers. Captain Mackay, A Troop 1^st Parachute Squadron RE, recalls their arrival:

‘I heard the sound of heavy engines. Into view rolled two Tiger tanks. They covered each other up on the ramp, shelling the west side of the street. When the leader got within 30 yards of the school, it turned its enormous gun on us. There were two appalling explosions, and the whole north-west corner of the school was blown away. The Tiger now changed to armour-piercing shot and let go of two rounds. These shots went right through the first floor under my feet and knocked a four-foot hole through eight walls. The whole building shook, and a little more of this and the whole school would be reduced to a pile of rubble. We remained in our positions on the first floor, and thanks to the Tigers, we now had plenty of loopholes. As long as the houses around us kept burning, we could hold our own.’

However, the Tigers weren’t having it all their own way, as PIAT bombs were launched and a 6-pdr gun engaged them, scoring direct hits to the turret and main gun on Leutnant Knaack’s Tiger, badly wounding him and another crewman, forcing the attack to stall and withdraw. Further attacks against the Van Limburg Stirum School would continue throughout the night.

Battles involving other elements of 1^st Airborne Division were also occurring to the east of the landing grounds as they battled to join 1^st Parachute Brigade in Arnhem but were repulsed by the increasingly heavy German attacks.