Was watching "A bridge too far" recently and was puzzled by a remark that General Gavin supposedly said to his Dutch aide in a scene. He was remarking that the Germans tried to take Nijmegen Bridge in 1940 and "got slaughtered". Did this actually happen? Or is it a film taking complete artistic licence? Maybe our Market Garden Chaps can shed some light on this or our "Boffins" in the Netherlands. I'm just curious.
Apparently the bridge was blown up by the Dutch before German forces arrived. At dawn on 10 May 1940 German forces invaded the Netherlands at the same time as their attacks on France, Belgium and Luxembourg. Being only 7 km from the border, Nijmegen was occupied within three hours - the first Netherlands city to fall. Dutch defensive preparations had included attaching mines to the two Nijmegen bridges (road and rail) and both were successfully blown by Dutch Army Engineers before the Germans arrived. This not only prevented German forces south of the River Wall from joining up with others further north, but also effectively blocked the river, denying this route to the invaders. After the bridges were blown, Dutch forces fell back and Nijmegen saw no more substantive fighting during the 1940 campaign. Medals of the Nijmegen Vierdaagse
ATB Blitzkrieg In The West has a bit of info regards the Brandenburgers being foiled by the Dutch blowing the bridges. No mention of any fighting. Nice photo on page 108 of special armoured gates on the southern access ramp to the road bridge. Good photo on page 75 of blown rail bridge.
Could this be one of the other bridges in Holland? I can't help but wonder if I have read the Germans suffered quite a few casualties trying to capture a bridge on the 10th May.
Could this be one of the other bridges in Holland? I can't help but wonder if I have read the Germans suffered quite a few casualties trying to capture a bridge on the 10th May. Andy was it this you had in mind. The bridges at Dordrecht [War over Holland - May 1940: the Dutch struggle]
Talking about Brandenburgers and Holland. The incident around Heumen must be the most famous because the reports are very confused and no one really seems to know what really happened. It is mentioned in: Der Kampf um die Festung Holland by Beekman and Kurowski De Vuurproef van het Grensbataljon by E. P. Weber E. P. Weber was the Batallion Commander og 1-26RI his book is based on reports and interviews with his officers during the war. Thou in Dutch I recommend it. Funny thing the Germans took the bridge at Heumen rushed to Groesbeek to see the bridge blown. Then the German battallion commander of the SS Recon Ballion went to sleep TijgerB tijgerbrigade.com
The pontoon bridge september 1944 and after the war on the same spot there was a Ferry too for some time.
Actually the Germans lost around 26 men along the Maas-Waal Canaal trying to get a bridge which they did. This part was attacked by the ss recon battalion with I think 9 Panzer waiting behind. The plan was to break through here and hit the Peel position in the back. And of course the Germans had their Market with som fallschirmsjaegers too. I actually tried many years ago to get the names of the Germans killed along the Maas-Waal Canaal but I was not allowed.
Actually the Germans lost around 26 men along the Maas-Waal Canaal trying to get a bridge which they did. This part was attacked by the ss recon battalion with I think 9 Panzer waiting behind. The plan was to break through here and hit the Peel position in the back. And of course the Germans had their Market with som fallschirmsjaegers too. I actually tried many years ago to get the names of the Germans killed along the Maas-Waal Canaal but I was not allowed. To start with the latter: by whom was this 'forbidden'? The casualties were: Bridge near Heumen (254.ID=1, SS-AA=2, 15.MG Btl=3, zbV800=4): - Belka, M (Gefr, 3) - Brummack, H (Uffz, 3) - Drunagel, W (Pio, 1) - Gramlich, K (Osch, 3) - Hämpel, E.H. (Osch, 3) - Jelinek, J. (Pio, 2) - Koudele, F (Gefr, 4) - Letz, G (Ustfr, 2) - Lucassen (Sld, 4) - Niels, E. (Osch, 1) - Ziegler, A (Osch, 3) - Unknown soldier (12 men) Bridge near Malden: - Bertiller, H (Uffz, 3) - Kleebauer, K (Gefr, 4) - Krön, H (Gefr, 4) - Maier, H (Uffz, 3) - Morze, K (Strm, 2) - Neuhofer, E (Gefr, 4) - Osterauer, B. (Rtfr, 2) (7 men) Bridges near Nijmegen and Neerbosch: - Bahls, J (Strm, 2) - Bühler, A (Strm, 2) - Detzel, E (Uschr, 2) - Gochermann, A (Gefr, 1) - Hurk, T von den (SS pio, 2) - Kessel, P. (Gefr, 1) - Ryschka, R. (SS pio, 2) - Wohrmann (SSm, 2) (8 men) The action to get the bridge near Nijmegen, which was originally scheduled to be executed by a coy of hidden infantry that would be brought in by barge before X-hour, was intended to get a 'working' link between X.AK (central theatre Netherlands) and XXVI.AK (southern theatre Netherlands). It failed. The railway bridge at Neerbosch, just south of the Rhine and Nijmegen, was intended to be taken by an SS wheeled AFV squad, shortly after followed by a troop train containing a battalion of infantry of 254.ID. The train was intended to continue along the track, cross the Maas-river near Ravenstein and as such be able to get infantry into the rear of the Dutch main defences in the south. This strike force was called 'Sonderverband Weber'. It comprised the SS-AA (of the SS-V division) with 25 wheeled AFV's, the 15th heavy MG battalion and a battalion of infantry of 254.ID, as well as some arty and engineers additions. But the endeavours at Neerbosch also failed. A bright and well drilled Coy of border infantry repelled the German attempts, assisted by a timely destruction of the bridge. Two of the SS AFV's were taken out. To the south of this three more bridges could be found. At Hatert, Malden and Heumen. Particularly near the latter two the Germans met determined defenders that, although taken at surprise first (by stealthily operating German raiders), recovered from the first losses and put up quite a fight. It caused the SS men - the motorised bit of the German taskforce - not to reach Grave until the late afternoon of the first day. It was obvious that not a single bridge across the Maas would be taken, coming from this taskforce. Partially the Germans had themselves to blame. At Hatert they had managed to profit from poor local command and win a narrow bridge-head. The half destroyed bridge (charge was under powered) was however distrusted by Major Weber who refused to have the motorised troops cross it. That lost the momentum to the Germans, after which the fate of the operation was sealed. This entire affaire is described on my website on the Dutch campaign in May 1940, including a map. Part I: The actions at the Maas-front [War over Holland - May 1940: the Dutch struggle]
Talking about Brandenburgers and Holland. The incident around Heumen must be the most famous because the reports are very confused and no one really seems to know what really happened. It is mentioned in: Der Kampf um die Festung Holland by Beekman and Kurowski De Vuurproef van het Grensbataljon by E. P. Weber E. P. Weber was the Batallion Commander og 1-26RI his book is based on reports and interviews with his officers during the war. Thou in Dutch I recommend it. Funny thing the Germans took the bridge at Heumen rushed to Groesbeek to see the bridge blown. Then the German battallion commander of the SS Recon Ballion went to sleep TijgerB tijgerbrigade.com @Tijger. I am sorry to say that you got quite some facts wrong. First of all it was the bridge at Hatert that was contained by the Germans in an early stage. But contrary to what you stated, the Germans were reluctant to cross it. It was not the SS commander who feared a crumbling bridge, but the battalion commander of the 254.ID battalion, Major Weber. The SS was furious over his refusal to cross the bridge. The goal of the SS-AA was not Groesbeek but the Grave bridge. Groesbeek is east of the canal where the battle raged ... Major Weber was found asleep when a messenger of XXVI.AK staff found him in the afternoon of the 10th. A furious SS report was written on the affair. The SS felt betrayed that they could not win the day and that the failure had been more or less written on their account.
Okay I bow in the dust my research on this subject was last century before the internet. Since then i moved on to Nederlands-Indië and the Tijger Brigade but thanks anyway for those German names. The one who told me I do remember it was the writter E. H. Bronger who at the time as I remember it had just finished a project on the subject of Germans killed in the Netherlands. By the way your homepage look great
The one who told me I do remember it was the writter E. H. Bronger who at the time as I remember it had just finished a project on the subject of Germans killed in the Netherlands. Indeed, Eppo Brongers has done much research on the German KIA in the Netherlands and constructed a near-perfect database from that. About six or seven years ago he got me a copy, mostly also because I had quite some additions or alterations. I have since then moved on with the database, together with some other researchers. Nevertheless, most of the credits go to Brongers. His several inventories about the 1940 war in the Netherlands have been the bases of many follow-up researches, sometimes by institutes too. Although Brongers doesn't really agree with me as it comes to regular war-history (I consider Brongers more of a story teller than a historian), in the area of databases (particularly in the pre-PC era) he is unbeaten in the Netherlands. He can, however, be a pain in the ass, and as such I can understand that at some point he gave you a harsh 'no' on a request.
