Narrative of the Operation:
Enemy Strikes Back

The German forces in the Reichswald to the east soon made their presence known and the following morning a severe counterattack was launched from this direction. A call for air power to aid in dealing with this threat was sent out, and a force of 97 Spitfires and Mustangs of 2d TAF was dispatched to the area.

Meanwhile, under increasing German pressure on Nijmegen from the east, the troops which had approached the south end of the bridge across the Waal were forced by afternoon to retire to the center of the city. During the day of 18 September many more prisoners were taken, the total by night being 1,000.

The British 1st Airborne Division, dropped and landed wet of Arnhem, ran into stern resistance almost immediately. The 1st Parachute Brigade succeeded in reaching the north end of the road bridge over the Neder Rijn, but was unable to wrest it from German forces at the south end.

D plus 1 to D plus 2.--The second air lift went in on D plus 1. It had been planned to use both northern and southern routes again, but it was decided to send the planes in by the northern route only because rain and thick cloud were spreading northward across Belgium toward the area of operations. The take-off was between 1000 and 1100 under 5/10 to 8/10 cloud with bases between 2,000 and 3,000 feet, but conditions improved as the North Sea was crossed, and over the target areas the weather was clear.

The force dispatched, in both aircraft and airborne troops, was similar to that sent out on D-day. The headquarters of the Polish Brigade and resupply for the British parachute aircraft. Troops of the 1st Division went in 299 British gliders towed by British tugs. The American forces were transported in gliders, since all parachute units had gone in on D-day. The 82d and 101st Divisions employed 904 American tugs and gliders. Of the total force of 1,356 planes and 1,203 gliders, 1,306 of the former and 1,152 of the latter reached the drop and landing zones. Two British tugs and 2 British gliders were lost, along with 20 American aircraft and 19 American gliders. Later in the day 252 Eighth Air Force B-24's were dispatched to drop supplies to the airborne troops; 246 of them dropped 782 tons with good to excellent results. They were protected by 183 P-47's, P-38's, and P-51's of the Eighth Air Force. Thirteen bombers were lost to flak.

The escort for the troop carriers was provided by Air Defense of Great Britain and the Eighth Air Force. These forces also dispatched fighters to strafe and knock out flak positions, 277 Spitfires, Tempests, Mustangs, and Mosquitoes of the former and 415 P-47's and P-51' of the latter being employed in these operations. Enemy reaction was much stronger than on the preceding day; Eighth Air Force fighters encountered some 90 Messerschmitts. Losses in escorting fighters to all causes were: Eighth Air Force, 28; ADGB, 6.

As the D plus 1 reinforcements were arriving in the area of the 101st Division, elements of that organization and of the Guards Armoured Division were pushing northward. The bridge at Zon was rapidly repaired to carry tanks. By 0830 on the morning of 19 September the Guards reached Grave, where junction with the 82d was made. By 1800 the advance armoured elements were crossing the Maas-Wall Canal. By 1415 the XXX Corps commander had joined General Browning at his headquarters south of Nijmegen. Troops of the 82d Division were still in the center of town. There was continued pressure from the vicinity of the Reichswald, and Groesbeek was being shelled. Because of this a message was sent back requesting that the gliders land in Zone "O" to the west  of Nijmegen on D plus 2. Before the junction with the Guards, the  504th Infantry Parachute Regiment had captured the bridge over the Maas-Waal Canal south of Neerbosch.

The situation of the British 1st Airborne Division deteriorated between the air missions of D plus 1 and D plus 2. The 1st Parachute Brigade held a position near the north end of the road bridge, but became completely isolated and was subject to severe attack. Later the 1st Air Landing Brigade was almost cut off near the river bank south of Verbrink. The rest of the division was engaged in heavy fighting west of Arnhem.