Narrative of the Operation - RAF Starts

D-day to D plus 1.--The first blow in cooperation was struck by the RAF Bomber Command the night of 16-17 September. The four airfields at Leeuwarden, Steenwijk-Havelte, Hopsten, and Salsbergen, from which fighters were in a position to attack the transports and gliders, were bombed by 200 Lancasters and 23 Mosquitoes, which dropped some 890 tons. The same command bombed a flak position at Moerdijk with 54 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitoes, dropping 294 tons. Two Lancasters were lost. Results in all 5 instances were reported to be good. A small force of 6 B-17's the next morning bombed the Eindhoven airfields with good results.

D-day weather was favorable. Overland fog at English bases cleared by 0900 and the stratus at 800 feet by 1030. Over the North Sea the weather was fine, and, though there was  5/10 to 8/10 cloud over the Continent, the bases were above 2,500 feet and visibility was 4 to 6 miles.

In the hour and one-half from 1025 to 1155 Sunday morning, 17 September, the greatest troop carrier fleet in history took off. Approximately one-half of 3 divisions became airborne. Elements of the British 1st Airborne Division and corps headquarters, with their equipment, were lifted from the Newbury region by 145 United States parachute aircraft and 354 British and 4 American gliders towed by 358 British tugs. The troops of the American 101st Airborne Division, coming from the same area, were transported in 424 United States parachute aircraft and 70 United States gliders towed by American tugs. From the vicinity of Grantham came elements of the United States 82d Airborne Division in 480 United States parachute aircraft and 50 American gliders towed by United States tugs. The total force, including the pathfinder aircraft that led the way to each drop and landing zone being used that day, was made up of 1,544 airplanes and 478 gliders. The streams of aircraft converged toward East Anglia and passed over the North Sea. At the coast 2 trains were formed. The planes carrying the British 1st Division and the United States 82d Division followed a route over the Dutch island of Schouwen to the IP at Boxtel, where a turn to the left brought tem to their drop zones and landing zones. The planes of the 101st Division followed a southern route over friendly territory from Ostend to the IP at Gheel, where they also turned left to their objectives.

Air cooperation was of four kinds: fighters provided escort and withdrawal cover; fighters  provided an umbrella cover over the drop and landing zones; fighters undertook antiflak patrol; bombers attacked flak positions.

Since the northern route lay over enemy territory from the coast to the objectives, whereas the southern course did so only after the initial point, most of the antiflak operations were along the northern route.

A force of 821 B-17's of the Eighth Air Force dropped 3,139 tons on 117 flak positions with 43 good, 24 fair, and 50 poor results. They were escorted by 153 P-51's. In a daylight mission 85 Lancasters and 15 Mosquitoes of the RAF Bomber Command bombed 3 coastal defense batteries in the Walcheren area, dropping 533 tons with good results. Escort was provided by 53 Spitfires.

A force of 550 Eighth Air Force P-47's, P-38's, and P-51's performed escort and antiflak patrols. ADGB contributed 371 Tempest, Spitfires, and Mosquitoes on the northern route, allocated in the ratio of about 60 per cent to escort and 40 per cent to antiflak patrols. The Ninth Air Force gave umbrella cover over the drop and landing zones with 166 fighters.

What may be regarded as air cooperation with the airborne troops on the ground, rather than with the operation itself, was given by 84 Mosquitoes, Bostons, and Mitchells of 2d TAF, which attacked barracks at Nijmegen, Cleve, Arnhem, and Ede. Three aircraft were lost on these missions.

The thorough coverage of flak positions was very successful. Not only were land batteries knocked out, but several flak ships and barges off the Netherlands islands were smashed. No British troop carrier aircraft or gliders were lost, but 35 American troop carrier aircraft and 13 American gliders were destroyed.

Luftwaffe reaction to this great airborne operations was hesitant. (In a later section of this booklet the over-all enemy air reaction is discussed.) Approximately 18 Focke Wulf 190's, which engaged one group of Eighth Air Force fighters near Wesel, were the only enemy aircraft encountered. Of these, 7 were shot down for the loss of 1 United States fighter. Most of the other losses of the cooperating air forces were to flak. Losses for the day: Air Defense of Great Britain, 0; Ninth Air Force, 1; Eighth Air Force fighters, 17; Eighth Air Force bombers, 2.

The 2 great trains of transports and gliders bearing the airborne forces reached their drop and landing zones on schedule. In all, 335 British aircraft with 323 gliders, 1,044 American aircraft, and 108 United States gliders got to their objectives. The drops were reported to be excellent, the planes flying low and in close formation to put their paratroops exactly into the prescribed zones. Gliders also were seen to make their landing well, and the fields were rapidly cleared for the following aircraft.

Those elements of the 101st Division which dropped and landed between Veghel and Eindhoven  very quickly consolidated their position. By nightfall the divisional headquarters had been st up in St. Oedenrode, and Veghel to the north and Zon to the south had been occupied by small detachments. Another force was pushing southwestward toward Best. The bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal south of Zon was found destroyed but a crossing was soon made on an improvised bridge, and by last light this force reached Bokt.

The Guards Armoured Division was pushing up from the south against stiff resistance. Jumping off at 1400, by nightfall they held Valkenswaard, 6 miles below Eindhoven. The next morning resistance was encountered at Aalst, which was by-passed to the west. Junction was made with elements of the 101st Division at 1100 in the village at Nieuw Acht, northwest of Eindhoven. By noon the 101st had occupied Eindhoven and the Guards Armoured were in the southern outskirts. The latter entered the city during the evening.

Initial success also fell to the elements of the 82d Division with which General Browning's corps headquarters landed. By the first evening the bridges over the Maas at Grave and over the Maas-Waal Canal at Heumen had been taken intact, while the high ground southeast of Nijmegen was occupied, as well as that south and southwest of Groesbeek. One force had pushed into the city of Nijmegen and approached the south end of the road bridge over the Waal, taking 100 prisoners. Corps headquarters was established just south of Nijmegen. The bridge over the Maas-Waal Canal at Hatert was found damaged and that at Malden had been blown up by the enemy.