Comments by "Nick Danger" (@nickdanger3802) on "Who to Blame? John Frost on Operation Market Garden's Failure WW2" video.

  1.  @BaronsHistoryTimes  1st Parachute Brigade (BG Lathbury, 2,212 men) and 1st Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron (181 men) were the only units tasked with taking and holding the three bridges and the ferry on day one. The rail bridge (four miles/six k from LZ-Z) was demoed and the center section of the pontoon bridge and the ferry had been moved away from Arnhem, probably after the pre landing air raid a few hours earlier. Arriving in jeeps, about eight hours after landing 740 men (one third of 1st PB) captured one lightly defended end of the last intact bridge after 9th SS Panzer Recon Batt used it to advance to Nijmegen. Pegasus Archive, on line
    3
  2. 19 September From the Imperial War Museum: "...and Allied re-supply drops - on which 1st Airborne was dependent - were now landing on ground re-taken by the Germans." https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-story-of-operation-market-garden-in-photos
    3
  3. A. They were guarding Brownings' HQ and the glider landing zone for the next drop. 2. They took the bridge at Grave, the longest bridge in Europe and ten miles from the Waal bridges, in the first few hours. III. 406 Infantry Div. (Ersatz) 2,300 Germans with 5 armored cars and 3 half tracks with quad 20mm. D. XXX Corps arrived at GRAVE at 0820, 13 driving miles from the Waal bridges. 5. When XXX Corps arrived at Grave they had averaged a little over one mile per hour. If they had continued at that pace they would have arrived at Arnhem bridge at around 0420 on the day Frosts' men ran out of ammo and had no control of the bridge. VI. There were 88mm and 20mm AA and about 550 rear echelon troops and one Luftwaffe (HG) company at the bridge before 9th SS Panzer arrived after driving over the bridge 1st AB had not yet captured. 7. Around 0630 day two all forces not engaged had to retake the Heights for that days landing. The 406 Div. was retreating as the gliders landed around them and that was not the only battle. map Nijmegen day one https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d1/fa/bb/d1fabb09d7b032564d98331e871cf633.jpg
    3
  4. Bad Breaks for 1st AB As I understand it 1st AB commander knew nothing of airborne operations. Browning, commander of all airborne forces on the ground, had failed jump training and had never commanded airborne in combat and took 36 gliders (one battalions worth) for his HQ to Nijmegen, even though it would be redundant after XXX Corps made contact. The bombing of the anti aircraft and barracks at Arnhem alerted the SS, already in Oosterbeek for more training, which set up a blocking line, road blocks and ambush's BEFORE the landing took place. "Special jeeps" were difficult to unload from damaged gliders (jeeps in Waco gliders usually unloaded themselves by bouncing the pilot and copilot out of the way). Center pontoon removed from one bridge, another bridge was blown up. 1st AB radios did not work properly from the beginning. Two US Army radio teams were unable to contact tactical air support and were destroyed before they could be repaired, follow on air drops could not be contacted on 1st AB radios. Commanding general and two other high ranking officers were cut off and surrounded for 36 hours. Of the 10,000 men landed at Arnhem no more than 800 made it to the bridge. On the plus side the north end of one bridge was lightly defended. So it's obvious it's the Yanks fault. photo jeep being off loaded from damaged Waco glider https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7012/6467975859_2ebf803b5c_b.jpg
    3
  5. Heer (army) and Luftwaffe forces at River Waal bridges PRIOR to the arrival of 9th SS on the 17th. "... a weak company strength NCO training school, some three companies of Landesschutzen (older soldiers employed as guards) from 6/Erzatz Battalion, 406th Division, railway guard and police reserve companies. The first additions were a company of infantry from the Hermann Goering Training Regiment which happened to be passing through Nijmegen ..." "... 88mm (4th Company , 572 Heavy Flak Battalion) and 20mm anti-aircraft guns ..." pages 131-132 NIJMEGEN US 82nd Airborne & Guards Armoured Division, Pen & Sword Books Limited, South Yorkshire. A 1944 Heer security PLATOON had forty six men and four MG's
    3
  6. Arnhem 1240 First AB lands near Arnhem, some units within three miles of the rail bridge. 1800, over five hours later the Germans send the 9th SS Panzer recon battalion over Aenhem bridge to Nijmegen and do not reinforce the few guards on the bridge. 2000 The first 1st AB elements arrive at bridge. "around 2045hrs" Brigade HQ group arrive almost doubling the number of men at the bridge. 2200 Attack with flame thrower sets paint and ammo stores on fire igniting the paint on the bridge making it impassable until the next day. p. 48-49 OPERATION MARKET-GARDEN 1944 (2) The British Airbourne Missions Ken Ford
    3
  7. When XXX Corps arrived at GRAVE at 0800 on day three, and supposedly back on schedule, it had averaged just over one mile per hour. If it had maintained that pace it would have arrived at Arnhem bridge on the morning of the day Frosts' men ran out of ammo and lost control of the north end of the bridge. In this video XXX Corps advance is recreated and they arrive at Driel on the 21st. Tank Convoy | Operation Market Garden 75 | The Tank Museum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKY6ms6V2FI
    3
  8. "The weekly (Nazi) newsreel … began with ... the Dieppe raid, using a map taken from a captured officer to explain the British plan and execution of the raid … " page 9/7, column 3 https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1667&context=cmh
    3
  9.  @TheImperatorKnight  Like 1st AB stuck to the plan by not taking one bridge (out of three) until 2000 and with around 800 men? The only high ground between two river valley's and also the glider landing zone for the next lift less than 24 hours away ...and the place Browning had picked for his HQ, brought in by 36 of 1st AB's gliders.
    3
  10. Until the wicket gets sticky, then they seem to find a way out, like Crete.
    2
  11.  @johnburns4017  At 0:40 of this video.
    2
  12. 1.10 map Nijmegen day one https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d1/fa/bb/d1fabb09d7b032564d98331e871cf633.jpg
    2
  13.  @johnburns4017 " 9,000 sappers with 5,000 vehicles full of bridging equipment." Do you really believe XXX Corps had 5,000 vehicles just for bridging equipment? The bridge at Grave was as long the bridges over the Waal.
    2
  14. A CMP truck/lorry is 5.18 m long. A column of 5,000 would be 16 miles/25 k long. One fourth the distance of XXX Corps intended route. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Military_Pattern_truck
    2
  15. How many men were supposed to advance to Arnhem? How many bridges was 1st AB supposed to capture?
    2
  16.  @TheImperatorKnight  On 17 September 2019 the Tank Museum ran a convoy from Joe's Bridge to Driel. It arrived at Driel on the 21st, day five. at 10.09 Tank Convoy | Operation Market Garden 75 | The Tank Museum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKY6ms6V2FI
    2
  17. Map Nijmegen day one https://www.flamesofwar.com/Portals/0/all_images/Historical/MarketGarden/Market-Garden-History-08.jpg
    2
  18. Unbiased? XXX Corps arrived at GRAVE at 0820 on day 3 and "back on schedule" having averaged just over one mile per hour. Grave is 25 miles from Arnhem. If XXX Corps had maintained that pace it would have arrived at Arnhem bridge on the morning of the day Frosts' men ran out of ammunition. current map Grave to Arnhem https://www.bing.com/search?q=grave%20netherlands%20to%20arnhem&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&pq=grave%20netherlands%20to%20arnhem&sc=0-27&sk=&cvid=404950F1DFC34B0CA1AEEDB0C81DC599
    2
  19. The 9th SS Panzer recon battalion would have remained north of Nijmegen instead of being mostly destroyed in Arnhem and 10th SS Panzer would still be between Nijmegen and Arnhem on a single road surrounded by mud. polder  All polders will eventually be below the surrounding water level some or all of the time. Map Nijmegen day one https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d1/fa/bb/d1fabb09d7b032564d98331e871cf633.jpg
    2
  20. The first bridge too far. 1st AB in Sicily, 1943. http://www.pegasusarchive.org/sicily/frames.htr
    2
  21. Map Nijmegen Day one https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6a/5c/de/6a5cde8f149179bb749b61c2b92bb3e3.jpg
    2
  22. Summary of British Airborne operations on D Day https://www.dday-overlord.com/en/d-day/air-operations/commonwealth
    2
  23. "one mile an hour" Jagdtiger (and German airborne) Ambush - Ardennes 1944 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOAfIXy-Pgc
    2
  24. AIRCRAFT AND TANKS FOR RUSSIA. "He told us that the united Governments of Britain and U.S.A. have sent to Russia up to December 31, 1942, 5,800 tanks and 4,630 aeroplanes. Of these shipments, the Daily Telegraph reported, Great Britain's share was 2,600 tanks and 2,000 aircraft." https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1943/feb/03/aircraft-and-tanks-for-russia
    2
  25. From the records of Parliament, link below: Colonel Crosthwaite-Eyre: "Can the Prime Minister say whether the Soviet public have been informed by the Soviet Press and radio of this substantial contribution to the Allied victory over Germany in the East?" British and Canadian and "3,129 aircraft sent from the United States of America … on United States Lend Lease to the Soviet Union as part of the British commitment to the U.S.S.R" Aid to USSR: 1.7 Billion 1944 USD. (Cost of 3,129 P39's: 158 Million 1944 USD.) Canada Aid to Britain: approx. 2.7 USD. USA Lend Lease to USSR: 11 Billion USD. USA Lend Lease to Britain: 31 Billion USD, 21 Billion was written off, 7 Billion in Mutual Aid was for rent of British territory. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1946/apr/16/russia-british-empire-war-assistance
    2
  26. At 0:40 of this video. The 82nd was a little busy taking the bridge at Grave, ten miles from the Waal bridges, and a bridge over the Maas-Waal canal and securing the Heights for the next drop at 1300 on day two. There were about 750 men of KampGruppe Henke at the Waal bridges soon after the first parachute was seen. There were also 88mm and 20mm antiaircraft guns with crews at the bridges before the landings. Some sources have five light AT guns of 45mm at the bridges.
    2
  27. Map Nijmegen 17 September 1944 https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6a/5c/de/6a5cde8f149179bb749b61c2b92bb3e3.jpg
    2
  28. "In a military context, the chain of command is the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed within a military unit and between different units. Orders are transmitted down the chain of command, from a responsible superior, such as a commissioned officer, to lower-ranked subordinate(s) who either execute the order personally or transmit it down the chain as appropriate, until it is received by those expected to execute it. "Command is exercised by virtue of office and the special assignment of members of the Armed Forces holding military rank who are eligible to exercise command."
    2
  29. XXX Corps arrived at Grave at 0820 on day three and "back on schedule" having averaged just over one mile per hour. If it had continued at that pace it would have arrived at the German held end of Arnhem bridge at about the same time Frosts' men ran out of ammunition and made for the pocket.
    1
  30. No second lift was planned, but if one had been planned it would not have gone off because the fog didn't lift in England until around 0930.
    1
  31. Operation Comet "This was to be a parachute and glider assault by the British 1st Airborne Division. In the plan, these troops were to capture the bridges at Grave, Nijmegen and Arnhem. Allied ground forces would then advance and cross the rivers Maas, Waal and Lower Rhine." https://ncap.org.uk/news/operation-comet-aerial-images-released#:~:text=Operation%20Comet%20aerial%20images%20released%20Dramatic%20low-level%20aerial,glider%20assault%20by%20the%20British%201st%20Airborne%20Division.
    1
  32. 1st Parachute Brigade (BG Lathbury, 2,212 men) and 1st Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron (181 men) were tasked with taking and holding the three bridges and the ferry on day one. The rail bridge (four miles/six k from LZ-Z) was demoed. The center section of the pontoon bridge and the ferry had been moved away from Arnhem, probably after the pre landing air raid a few hours earlier. Arriving in jeeps, about eight hours after landing 740 men (one third of 1st PB) captured one lightly defended end of the last intact bridge after 9th SS Panzer Recon Batt used it to advance to Nijmegen. Pegasus Archive, on line
    1
  33. IWM "Montgomery, commanding Allied ground forces, persuaded the supreme commander, General Dwight D Eisenhower, to concentrate resources for a narrow thrust through the Netherlands and into northern Germany" "18 September. By the end of the day, XXX Corps had reached the town and engineers were labouring to erect a Bailey bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal at Son." "To make matters worse, many British radios were not working, and 1st Airborne Division's commander, Major-General Robert 'Roy' Urquhart, became separated from his headquarters and was for a time (48 hours) unable to direct the Arnhem battle." "Dutch civilians crowd around jeeps and scout cars of XXX Corps in Grave" https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-story-of-operation-market-garden-in-photos
    1
  34. On Day 1 there were 1,545 transport aircraft and glider tugs. 1,049 C-47s dropped paratroops. There were 478 gliders. http://www.ww2f.com/threads/exactly-numbers-of-aircraft-used-in-operation-market-garden.47416/
    1
  35. map Nijmegen day one https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d1/fa/bb/d1fabb09d7b032564d98331e871cf633.jpg
    1
  36. at 1.07 Frost "my task was to take the three bridges" 70th COMMEMORATION - MARKET GARDEN 1944 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSeTMmkrDuI
    1
  37. "The Grave bridge was in 1944, the Continents longest bridge at almost 400 metres in length." page 38 NIJMEGEN US 82nd Airborne & Guards Armoured Division Pen & Sword Books Limited South Yorkshire "The full length of the Waalbrug is 604 metres (1,982 ft), the middle of the arch being about 65 metres (213 ft) high. The arch itself is 244.1 metres (801 ft) long and was the longest arch in Europe at the time of construction (1936)." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waalbrug
    1
  38. That is the information I found, either way both are very long.
    1
  39.  John Cornell  The 18th "The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment defended against German attacks in Horst, Grafwegen and Riethorst. Early in the day, German counterattacks seized one of the Allied landing zones where the Second Lift was scheduled to arrive at 13:00.   The 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment attacked at 13:10 and cleared the landing zone by 14:00, capturing 16 German flak pieces and 149 prisoners." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market_Garden#82nd_Airborne_zone
    1
  40. Map Arnhem 17 September 1944 http://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/Photos/Map1ParaProg.gif
    1
  41. "Browning, having asked Montgomery how long the 1st Airborne would have to hold Arnhem and being told two days, replied that they could hold it for four." Pegasus Archive LG Browning page Day One Dusk 9th SS Panzer Recon Batt crosses the last intact bridge in Arnhem and advances to Nijmegen. Day Four 1330 Frost is wounded. wiki "Despite their best efforts, however, they could not prevent German vehicles from crossing over the Bridge." Pegasus Archive Arnhem Bridge 20 September A two-hour truce is arranged for evac of wounded. Pegasus Archive Arnhem Bridge 20 September As far as I am able to determine Frosts men had control of one end of the last intact bridge for less than 72 hours.
    1
  42. "No threat to the 82nd" 2,300 grade B men "with five armoured cars and three half-tracks mounting quad 20mm guns" Left Flank "Just 24 medium mortars" "the attackers had a high proportion of machine-guns" p 98-99 Nijmegen US 82nd Airborne & Guards Armoured Divison
    1