The Devil's Bridge: The German Victory at Arnhem, 1944

This fascinating title offers a new look at Operation Market Garden and the Arnhem campaign from the perspective of the German forces who defended against the Allies. In the late summer of 1944, SS-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm ‘Willi’ Bittrich found himself in the Netherlands surveying his II SS Panzer Corps, which was in a poor state having narrowly escaped the defeat in Normandy. He was completely unaware that his command lay directly in the path of a major Allied thrust: the 17 September 1944 launch of the largest airborne and glider operation in the history of warfare. Codenamed Operation Market Garden, it was intended to outflank the German West Wall and ‘bounce’ the Rhine at Arnhem, from where the Allies could strike into the Ruhr, Nazi Germany’s industrial heartland. Such a move could have ended the war. However, Market Garden and the battle for Arnhem were a disaster for the Allies. Put together in little over a week and lacking in flexibility, the operation became an all-or-nothing race against time. The plan to link the airborne divisions by pushing an armoured division up a sixty-five-mile corridor was optimistic at best, and the British drop zones were not only too far from Arnhem Bridge, but also directly above two recuperating SS Panzer divisions. The Devil's Bridge explores the operation from the perspective of the Germans as renowned historian Anthony Tucker-Jones examines how they were able to mobilise so swiftly and effectively in spite of depleted troops and limited intelligence.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements Foreword Prologue: Model Gets Indigestion List of Maps List of Illustrations 1. Race Against Time 2. Zangen’s Great Escape 3. Six and a Quarter 4. Student’s Paras 5. Chill on the Albert 6. The Devil Lies in Wait 7. Bittrich’s Quick Reaction 8. Panzers at Valkenswaard 9. Airborne Stepping Stones 10. Fierce Counter-attacks 11. Reichswald Assault 12. Resistance at the Valkhof 13. Creating Hell’s Highway 14. Arnhem Retaken 15. SS in the Betuwe 16. Model Triumphs 17. Unrepentant Advocate 18. Panzer Corps Controversy 19. Last Battles 20. Little Consequence 21. Mary of Arnhem Epilogue: Poignant Tragedy Appendices Notes and References Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Anthony Tucker-Jones started his career writing for Jane’s Defence Weekly and Jane’s Intelligence Review. He has written a number of books on aspects of World War II and regularly appears on Sky News, ITV, Channel Four, BBC Television, BBC Radio and the History Channel.

Review :
This is an important and timely operational analysis of the events of September 1944. It is a mark of my respect for Anthony Tucker-Jones's work that I wish I had researched and written The Devil's Bridge. Thus I am more than happy to commend his scholarship to you. A gripping narrative from a less familiar viewpoint - that of Holland's occupiers. A fine sense of detail and character makes this a thrilling and unusual read. Interestingly examining the actions of the German forces that led to Arnhem. This analysis provides a valuable insight into an event which is a signally important event in British military history. The story of the ill-fated but courageous Allied defeat will continue to fascinate military history buffs, but anyone wanting to understand this chapter in the war from the “other side of the hill” will find The Devil’s Bridge equally as compelling.