The News of the Week in Review
Fifteen News Questions – 11
The Tide of War Reaches the Borders of the Reich (map) – 12
Allies Have the Edge in Battle of Germany (Middleton) – 13
Answers to Fifteen News Questions – 14
“And This Hopes for a Soft Peace” (cartoon) – 14
The New York Times Magazine
The General Who Outblitzed the Nazis (Middleton) – 15-18
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1944/sep44/10sep44.htm#
Finland signs armistice agreement
Sunday, September 10, 1944 www.onwar.com
In Moscow... Finnish representatives sign an armistice agreement with the Soviet Union that provides for the restoration of the 1940 frontiers and reparations to be paid by Finland.
On the Eastern Front... The Soviet 1st Belorussian Front attacks German forces defending Praga, a suburb of Warsaw.
On the Western Front... Canadian elements of British 21st Army Group attack German-held positions near Zeebrugge. Troops of the US 1st Army (part of US 12th Army Group) enter Luxembourg. Along the English Channel coast, the battleship HMS Warspite and monitor Erebus, shell Le Havre. General Eisenhower, commanding the AEF, accepts a proposal by Field Marshal Montgomery (commanding British 21st Army Group) to conduct a series of airborne assaults to capture bridges in Holland and allow a rapid advance to the Rhine River (Operation Market Garden).
In Italy... The US 2nd Corps (part of US 5th Army) attacks toward Futa and Il Giogo Passes to the north of Florence.
In the Philippines... Three groups of US Task Force 38, with 12 carriers, conduct air strikes on Japanese airfields on Mindanao Island.
In India... The Commission of Inquiry into the Fort Stikine disaster (April 14th) publishes its findings. Faulty loading of the ship, the captains negligence and uncoordinated emergency services are all noted as contributing factors.
Interesting that the Times is already reporting on the importance of clearing the Scheldt Estuary before Antwerp’s port can be used.
One would think that’s a top priority.
http://omg2014.allunited.nl/userfiles/10_nieuws/321_market_garden_history_.pdf
On September 6 Montgomery tabled a new plan — still codenamed “Comet” in which the British 1st Airborne Division would land and capture the bridges at Grave, Nijmegen and Arnhem.
From the bridgehead in Belgium a second army would move out in a double spearheaded action: one would advance Den Bosch while the other headed toward Arnhem-Nijmegen.
On the 7th of September division commanders for both operations received orders to proceed. Unfortunately heavy storms in the English Channel and increasing German resistance resulted in a delay of several days.
On September 10 the operation was called off because Montgomery believed the risks to be too great. He immediately put his staff to work on a new plan with practically the same goals though, this time around, there would be no advance on Den Bosch. However the new plan would in clude two American airborne divisions as a surprise element.
Montgomery strongly believed a “coup de main” could be implemented because the Germans would never expect an airborne landing in Arnhem.
Not Patton, but Bradley. A study in the makeup of the remarkable General Bradley who's personality was in stark contrast to Patton. Usually, a good organization has different personalities and traits that can be used best for different purposes, as seen here in the Generals of the Allied offense.