[Rummyfan]

Market Garden was a bold but ultimately unsuccessful operation. For many reasons....

[yarddog]

I guess I am the only person who thinks it was a good idea. All kind of foul ups, really bad luck, equipment failures etc.

It really could have ended the war very quickly. Patton had the same idea.

[Fido969]

Eisenhower was tired of Montgomery b!tching all the time, and said: “OK, do it your way.”

[dfwgator]

A very good “Band of Brothers” episode that covered Market Garden.

[mass55th]

That’s because Montgomery was in charge.

[Joe 6-pack]

On my DVD of "A Bridge Too Far," there are some extra features, and one of them was a "making of" kind of documentary. I'll never forget the interview with a young Anthony Hopkins who played Lieutenant Colonel (later Major General) John Frost. The real John Frost served as a technical adviser for the film. Hopkins described one scene where his character needs to get from one side of the street to see his wounded soldiers in a makeshift field hospital. The street was covered by German MG fire, so Hopkins ran and dodged across the street. The real Frost objected stating that's not what happened in reality. He said any British soldier seeing his commander run and dodge like that would be given to panic. Frost told them if they wanted reality, Hopkins would have to move out smartly and quickly walk across the street.

The filmmakers rejected Frost's reality, stating the audience wouldn't consider it to be realistic.

[oldvirginian]

Montgomery called Market Garden a “rapier thrust to the German heart”.
Patton called it a “f###ing pin prick to the German ass”.

An offensive along a single road was doomed to fail. Even Ike’s Chief of Staff Walter Bedell Smith called it a lousy idea.

Montgomery screwed his own offensive by not clearing the estuaries leading to the port of Antwerp. He captured the port intact but German forces on the estuary islands controlled the approaches making the port unusable by allied shipping.

Compounding the problems was the fact that Von Runstedt had replaced Model as Commander West. Von Runstedt took command 18 days before Market Garden and started moving German forces to more effective positions.

In the end, Montgomery was the biggest reason Market Garden failed. But he went to his death claiming the Americans were the reason for the failure.

[Magnatron]

Needs a few more paratroopers...

[\/\/ayne]

They used a lot of gliders in that operation!

[yarddog]

I saw a short interview of Von Rundstedt. It was on film and not of high quality.

One thing which I have remembered tho was when asked who were the best allied generals, he answered immediately, Montgomery and Patton.

[yarddog]

I am not a fan of Eisenhower but I like one quote of his.

Speaking of General Simpson, he said he didn’t think he made a mistake during the whole war.

[M Kehoe]

Bttt.

5.56mm

[NEMDF]

Sorry I am slow to post. This young patriot, Andrew Biggio, went to Holland. Here is some from his Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/therifle_/?igshid=uvmukr14roat

Also he is writing a book after having visited with dozens of WWII vets to capture their stories, had them sign a rifle. Several videos at the link. He has taken groups of vets back to Normandy, Italy, and has a trip “Back to the Bulge” coming up.