Operation Market Garden September 1944

Following the successes of the airborne troops dropped during the D-Day landings, a larger airborne force was assembled for drops across the Netherlands near the German border. Operation Market Garden consisted of two distinct actions: Market, which involved airborne troop drops; and Garden, which would involve British armoured troops moving into the area via road. The bridges at Arnhem and Nijmegen were vital objectives of the operation that would be key to the success of Allied ground movements following the attack. Following initial success of the airborne drops on 17 September, German armoured units moved in and halted Allied efforts to take the bridges at Arnhem and Nijmegen. The airborne forces, dropped further north near Arnhem, were isolated from the intended backup that would be provided by the ground troops held up near Nijmegen. Nijmegen Bridge was eventually taken on 20 September but Allied momentum ground to a halt as German reinforcements arrived.