C4C Nathan Styles History 100 Dr. Campbell 24 January 2018 Armada of Failure Operation Market Garden was the largest airborne operations recorded to date in World War II. The operation consisted of six Allied Airborne divisions with over 20,000+ troopers from across the world. These four divisions were brought in by 1,544 C-47 transport planes escorted by 147 P-51 fighter planes. Leading this transport armada were 872 B-17 bombers paving the way for a safe for the airborne units. With all of this air, armored, and man power the decisions of a select few generals and high ranking enlisted members would cost thousands of lives based off of a “Hail Mary” plan to try and end the war before Christmas. The mission was to capture the Rhine by securing …show more content…
10 September 1941, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, Senior British Military Commander, was prepared to present a scheme that could potentially end the war in 1941 to General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike), General of the Army and commander of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF). Following Operation Neptune (D-Day), FM Montgomery was eager to strike the retreating Nazi’s before they had the opportunity to reorganize and secure a strong front line. FM Montgomery’s plan defied Gen Ike’s large scale plan of a broad attack on German Front lines, encircling them and pushing them back to their Capital. The plan was to “Drop 3 Airborne Divisions, plus and independent parachute brigade, anywhere from 15-60 miles behind enemy lines in Holland. The para troopers would secure Key bridges along the main highway from Eindhoven to Arnhem, over the Rhine into Germany. With bridges secure by General Horrock’s British XXX corps would link up with Airborne troopers and then lead the vanguard of a mighty thrust into …show more content…
One of which is that most of his documented accounts come from men up to 20 years after the war when memory of the battles were obscured. In addition, McManus primarily focuses on the aggressiveness and battle aspects of the Americans he fails to embellish in the successes of the Polish and British airborne divisions. McManus also blames the failure of operation Market Garden on the lack of British armor to push through and get to the drop zones to assist he doesn’t touch much on the fact that the armor encountered heavy German resistance which was devastating to the British military. Peer review points out several obvious biases from McManus but does make a point to say that McManus does a great job of proving his argument that we should not have proceeded with Market Garden under the circumstances, and the peer review undoubtable agrees with McManus despite his