Operation Berlin (Arnhem)

This article is about the 1944 British evacuation. For the 1941 naval operation, see Operation Berlin (Atlantic).

Operation Berlin
Part of the Battle of Arnhem Operation Market Garden
Type	Withdrawal
Location	The Lower Rhine at Oosterbeek, the Netherlands
Planned	25 September 1944
Planned by	Major General Roy Urquhart
Objective	Safely withdraw the British 1st Airborne Division
Date	Night of the 25/26 September 1944 2200 – 0500
Executed by	43rd (Wessex) Division
Outcome	Approximately 2,400 men evacuated
Casualties	Approximately 95 killed

Operation Berlin (25–26 September 1944) was a night-time evacuation of paratroopers of the British 1st Airborne Division trapped in German occupied territory north of the Lower Rhine in the Netherlands. The aim of the operation was to safely withdraw the remnants of the division who were surrounded on three sides by superior German forces and in danger of being encircled and destroyed. The operation successfully evacuated approximately 2,400 men and effectively ended Operation Market Garden, the Allied plan to cross the Rhine and end the Second World War by the end of the year.

Background

The Battle of Arnhem

Main article: Battle of Arnhem

In September 1944 the Allies launched Operation Market Garden, an attempt by the British 2nd Army to bypass the Siegfried Line and advance into the Ruhr, Germany’s industrial heartland. The operation required the First Allied Airborne Army to seize several bridges over rivers and canals in the Netherlands. This would allow General Brian Horrocks' XXX Corps to advance up an 'airborne corridor' and cross the Lower Rhine at Arnhem. It was hoped that the British would be across the Rhine in 2–4 days.

The task of securing the Arnhem road bridge fell to the British 1st Airborne Division who dropped on the area on 17 September. However they encountered far more resistance than had been expected , including the II SS Panzer Corps. Only a small force under Lt Colonel John Frost were able to reach the bridge and were overwhelmed after four days. The rest of the division withdrew to the town of Oosterbeek where they established a defensive position with their backs to the river, in the hope that when XXX Corps arrived they would be able to cross and establish a bridgehead there. The 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade landed south of the river on 21 September, but did not have the equipment to cross the river and assist the British. Meanwhile, XXX Corps' advance had been severely delayed and lead elements did not make contact with the Poles at Driel until the 22 September.

Efforts to relieve the 1st Division

Major General Roy Urquhart, commander of the 1st Division, originally requested that the 1st Polish Brigade to cross the river and enter their positions on the night of the 21 September. However neither unit had any access to boats and so the Poles withdrew into Driel for the night, setting up a hedgehog defence.^[1] Lead elements of XXX Corps reached Driel the following day,^[2] but at the same time the Germans formed a blocking line to the west to prevent an Allied advance on the road bridge.^[3]

During the day the 1st Division sourced six rubber boats and again requested the Poles attempt to cross. That night (the 22nd) the plan was put into operation, but the tow rope designed to pull the boats across snapped, and the oars were too small to row against the river's current. 55 men crossed and only 35 were able to reach the British positions.^[4]

On the 23rd the 43rd Wessex Division arrived in strength and offered assault boats for the Poles. Unfortunately these arrived late and the Poles, unfamiliar with the craft, were only able to put 153 men across the river - less than a quarter of the hoped for reinforcement.^[5]

On the 24th, Horrocks himself visited the Polish positions to asses the situation. That afternoon a conference was held at Valburg to discuss how best to relieve the 1st Airborne. Major General Ivor Thomas of the 43rd (Wessex) Division outlined a plan to put across a battalion of his division and one of the Polish battalions - to the fury of their commander Major General Stanisław Sosabowski. Despite this it seems that Horrocks realised the futility of the paratroopers position and preliminary plans were drawn up for their withdrawal.^[6]

That night's attempt to cross the river was disastrous. Insufficient boats arrived for both battalions and so only the 4th Battalion The Dorsetshire Regiment made the attempt. Unfortunately their crossing led into prepared German positions and of the 315 men who crossed before daylight, over 200 were captured.^[7] Two men who did reach the Airborne forces carried copies of the withdrawal plan for Urquhart's consideration.^[8]

The Plan

At a conference between Miles Dempsey, Frederick Browning, and Brian Horrocks, it was decided that the British needed to be immediately evacuated from Arnhem. Urquhart's plan called for small groups of men to thin out and span the Oosterbeek perimeter. Then, under cover of night, the main bulk of the force would slip across the river. The remaining defenders would slowly withdraw and soon they too would make it across the Rhine. To trick the Germans into thinking that the British were still fighting, radio traffic was planned to continue heavily and artillery would bombard the eastern shore of the Rhine to trick the Germans into thinking that there would be another landing to the east. Meanwhile, the division would go by boat across the Rhine to the village of Driel held by the Poles. The wounded would all be left behind to be cared for by the Germans.^[9]

Another part of Urquhart's plan called for the 4th Dorsets Battalion of the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division to be deployed across the Rhine prior to the British retreat. These forces would open up the base of the Oosterbeek Perimeter and prevent it from being bottled-up by the Germans while the 1st Airborne crossed to safety.^[10]

Outcome

Of the original 10,005 men who landed in Arnhem, 2,500 were fighting capable on the night of the 25th. Of these, 2,163 British, along with 160 Poles and 75 4th Dorsets, made it across the Rhine and into the safety of Driel.

References

1. ^ Waddy, p. 170
2. ^ Middlebrook, p. 409
3. ^ Kershaw, p. 244
4. ^ Waddy, p. 173
5. ^ Middlebrook, p. 411
6. ^ Middlebrook, pp. 414-417
7. ^ Middlbrook, p. 422
8. ^ Ryan, p. 515
9. ^ Ryan, p. 436
10. ^ Ryan, p. 430

Bibliography

• Badsey, Stephen (1993). Arnhem 1944, Operation Market Garden. Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85532-302-8. 
• Kershaw, Robert (1990). It Never Snows In September. Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-7110-2167-8. 
• Middlebrook, Martin (1994). Arnhem 1944: The Airborne Battle. Viking. ISBN 0-670-83546-3. 
• Ryan, Cornelius (1999) [1974]. A Bridge Too Far. Wordsworth Editions Ltd. ISBN 1-84022-213-1. 
• Waddy, John (1999). A Tour of the Arnhem Battlefields. Pen & Sword Books Limited. ISBN 0-85052-571-3.