RIGHT
The fast, mobile,
and low profile
Cromwell was
operated by the
2 nd Welsh.
THE TANK MUSEUMBELOW
Wounded British
soldiers take cover
in a ditch astride
the road from
Eindhoven, as
lorries burn in
the distance.
Such attacks
caused constant
delays as XXX Corps
advanced toward
its objectives.
TOPFOTOTHE ORIGINAL THUNDER RUN|ARNHEM
apprised of this, the squadron leader,
Major Herbert, deployed Lieutenant
R Wrottesley’s troop to join Young.
Both troops not only relayed
information back to Guards HQ but
also directed XXX Corps artillery on
targets indicated by those pinned in
Arnhem. Herbert tried to take the
remainder of ‘C’ Squadron through as
well, but this attempt failed when the
mist cleared and the armoured cars
came under heavy fire. Since the road
was on an embankment, they had no
alternative but to reverse into cover.FORCING A BREACH
The situation was increasingly more
critical and 1stAirborne could not
hold on forever. Good recce paid
off, as Herbert’s squadron discovered
an alternative route along which
Horrocks ordered 214th Infantry
Brigade (attached to the Guards from
43 rd Division), supported by tanks
of 8th Armoured Brigade, to follow.
Eventually a breach was forced in the
German defences. Pushing through, a
mobile column reached the Poles and
moved some supplies across the river
and into Oosterbeek overnight. In
addition to the 214th, 43rd Division’sattacked on September 24. Once
again, the terrain militated against
using armour, but 69th Brigade of
50 th Division was
deployed to assist
the Welsh Group
and Bemmel was
liberated the
following day.
While this was
happening, the
Germans had
counter-attacked
on the afternoon
of the 22nd,
cutting the allied
supply route
between Veghel
and Uden. A small
kampfgruppe with some armour,
artillery and motorised infantry had
taken up position across the centre
line, cutting ground communication.
The Grenadier and Coldstream
Groups were ordered to restore
the situation as there were not
enough American paratroopers to
protect anything other than the
major points.
It had been intended that VIII
and XII Corps, advancing to right
and left of XXX Corps respectively,
would have already secured the
route, but resistance ahead of them
had been so strong that they were no
farther on than a line roughly abreast
of Eindhoven. However, there the
Germans held ground where armour
could operate effectively – although
an initial probe by a Grenadier
troop/platoon group was recalled
after a Sherman had been hit by a
Panzerfaust. Nonetheless, the little
composite group’s reconnaissance
had been fulfilled. Plans were
laid for an attack next morning,
preceded by a heavy concentration
from the 25Pdrs of 130th Battery,
Royal Artillery, the 4.2in mortars
of the Royal Northumberland"“That bombardment
proved sufficient to
evict the Germans,
the assault met little
resistance and by mid-
afternoon the road
was clear again. ”"129 th Brigade also deployed.
Both Wessex brigades fought for
three days before taking Elst while 5th
Guards Brigade
protected 43rd
Division’s right
flank. The Guards
also maintained a
group in reserve
to meet a possible
counter-attack. The
flank-guard task
included taking
Bemmel, which
the Welsh Grouphttp://www.britainatwar.com^3934-41 THUNDER_RUN_ARNHEM BAW SEPT2019.indd 39 8/14/2019 5:14:35 PM