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Rhineland Battlefield Tours
Operation Market Garden
82nd Airborne Division September 1944 Nijmegen
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As part of Market Garden, the 82nd US Airborne Division landed on the landing grounds around Groesbeek and Overasselt on September 17, 1944 under the leadership of General James M. Gavin.
The 504th was dropped at the bridge at Grave (Zone O), the 505th at Groesbeek (Zone N) and the 508th just north of the 505th (Zone T).
Their task was to hold and defend the landing areas around Groesbeek and to capture the bridge over the Maas at Grave intact, as well as the bridges over the Maas-Waal canal and the bridge at Nijmegen.
All this to give General Horrocks' 30th army corps, advancing from the south, the opportunity to advance towards Arnhem and ultimately arrive at the then Zuiderzee.
Using authentic photographs, maps and personal stories, I want to give you an experience of what these soldiers must have experienced in September 1944.
During the tour we visit the bridge at Grave, which was taken by surprise by units of the 504 Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR).
The landing area of 504 PIR near Overasselt, to continue our way towards the bridge over the Maas-Waal canal near Heumen.
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We pause at the temporary American cemetery in Molenhoek.
We discuss the battles around the Kiekberg of first 505PIR and later 325 Glider Infantry Regiment (GIR).
The German counter-attacks on the landing and drop zones, and the ever-increasing German presence around Nijmegen and Groesbeek.
To go via the landing areas around Groesbeek with the fighting that took place there to Nijmegen where we discuss the fighting in and around Nijmegen.
Finally, at the place where the crossing over the Waal took place, we will discuss the crossing and the attack towards the Waal Bridge, with which the bridge ultimately fell into the hands of the American troops on September 21, 1944.
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