Objective and Landingzones of 504 PIR Market Garden

[The_MadMan]

My first post on this forum!
Recently I had some spare time available so I used it for my Market Garden Mania. I drove to Grave and Overasselt and tooke some pictures of the main objective and the dropzones of the 504 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne division.

Grave bridge:
This is the Grave bridge that was captured intact on sept 17 by Easy company of the 504 PIR. They were the only force that were allowed a so called "coup du main"; landing practicly on top of the target to seize it intact by using total surprise. All other objectives in Market Garden had to be taken from drop and landingzones that were located far away from the objectives.

Side:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Brug%20Grave%201.jpg

Front:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Brug%20Grave%204.jpg

Dropzone E, behind the trees is where Easy company landed:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Dropzone%20E.JPG

Monument remembering the event:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Brug%20Grave%20Monument%201.JPG

Dutch build bunkers to defend the bridge against the Nazi agression. Of course they were used by the germans to defend the brige against the attacking paratroopers.

Wide shot of Bunker North:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Brug%20Grave%20Kazemant%20Noord%201.JPG

Closeup of Bunker North (note the date above the door):
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Brug%20Grave%20Kazemant%20Noord%202.JPG

The south bunker had a Anti Aircraft cannon mounted on top of it which was disabled by the paratroopers with Bazookas.

Wide shot of Bunker South:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Brug%20Grave%20Kazemat%20Zuid%201.jpg

Dropzone O 504th PIR near Overasselt
This was the main dropzone (exept for company E) for this regiment. On these fields not only the 504th PIR (sept 17) landed but also the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment (sept 23) and one battalion of th Independent Polish Paracute Brigade (sept 23) who where diverted due to bad weather from their original Dropzone at Driel (on the south bank of the Rhine opposite Oosterbeek).

Wide shot of the memorial at Dropzone O:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Dropzone%20O%206.JPG

Parachutes with part of the DZ is behind the parachutes:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Dropzone%20O%205.JPG

Closeup of the monument celebrating the arrival of the liberators, gliders and parchutes can be seen in the display:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Dropzone%20O%204.JPG

[percell_086]

Very nice first post and welcome!!!


Percell

[username]

thats one hell of a first post. Welcome aboard................prepare your ass for whipping :P

[1Cie GevGn]

Welcome to the forum, I'd like to take a roadtrip down hells highway myself. You beat me to it, you little ********

;) :hug:

[The_MadMan]

For me there still are lots of things to see on Hell's Highway but I've got plenty of pictures waiting on my harddisk :)

[VAC]

For me there still are lots of things to see on Hell's Highway but I've got plenty of pictures waiting on my harddisk :)

Great pics!! But yes, please post more!!!!!

[The_MadMan]

Nijmegen Bridge
Here you see the Nijmegen bridge (taken from the north bank, east side). The bridge was originally built by the Dutch between 1928 and 1936. When the Germans attacked on may 10th 1940 the bridge was blown and was then rebuild by the Germans:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Nijmegen%20Bridge.JPG

Ofcourse the Germans did not rebuild the bridge for the for the fun of it so they build a firecontrol bunker with it too in order to blow it up if the need would arise:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Nijmegen%20Bridge%20with%20Firecontrol%20bunker.JPG

Closeup of the firecontrol bunker, from this bunker SS Brigadefuhrer Heinz Harmel watched the final assault on the bridge and it was here that he unsuccesfully tried to blow it when the Sherman-tanks were at the middle of the bridge. The wires connecting the bunker to the bridge had been damaged so the detonation failed.
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Nijmegen%20Bridge%20Firecontrol%20bunker%201.JPG

And another one, in the distance just to the right of the funny looking tree you can see another bunker which guards the northern end of the bridge.
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Nijmegen%20Bridge%20Firecontrol%20bunker%202.JPG

Finally the bridge as seen from the west side.
Next to the southern end you can see the "Valkhof" this was the western border of the Roman empire (they had a fortress there) and it was also the stronghold of the germans. Only after 4 days of heavy fighting were the American paratroopers together with the Grenadier guards on september the 20th able to secure the southern end of the bridge. At the same day the 504th PIR had crossed the Waal and secured the northern end (see below).
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Nijmegen%20Bridge%20with%20Belvedere.JPG

Steps at the norhern end of the Nijmegen bridge, used by the 504th PIR to run up to the advancing Grenadier guards tanks (must be familiar to all who saw A brige too far):
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Nijmegen%20Bridge%20stairs%201.JPG

And at an angle:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Nijmegen%20Bridge%20stairs%202.JPG


Crossingpoint of the 504th PIR
On september the 20th in a desperate attempt to seize the northern end of both the railridge and the roadbridge the 504th PIR made a daring, almost suicidal daylight crossing of the river Waal in sight of the german defenders. Needless to say the casualties were very high but they got to the other side and then met their objectives!

Monument remembering the crossing:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Nijmegen%20River%20crossing%20monument%201.JPG

Tablet with all the names of the soldiers that died while crossing the river:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Nijmegen%20River%20crossing%20monument%202.JPG

Overview of the site where the crossing took place (right under the electricity wires). Note the long stretch of open ground which the paratroopers had to cross to reach the relative safety of the dyke from which this picture was taken:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Nijmegen%20River%20crossing%20overview.JPG

The open ground again but now as seen from the (northern) waterline, the dyke is just in front of the house in the middle of the picture. The germans were well dug in with plenty of machineguns, mortars and a few 88mm guns.
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Nijmegen%20River%20crossing%20view%20to%20dyke.JPG

Both Nijmegen bridges, in front is the railbridge, the white roadbridge can be seen at the left side of the picture. The bridge in the middle is a new footbridge (under construction).
After the railbridge was taken they found over 70 machineguns that were used against the crossing paratroopers.
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Nijmegen%20bridges.JPG

The crossing site as seen from the waterline:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Nijmegen%20River%20crossing%201.JPG

And the last one:
http://www.nieuwint.net/images/cdv/82nd/mini-Nijmegen%20River%20crossing%202.JPG

[tenda]

a very interesting thread tnx...!!! ;)

[Uncle Sam]

Excellent post.

[He219]

Great Post!

Welcome The_MadMan ..
:D

[fantassin]

Good job, thanks ! which book do you recommand for a battlefield tour of Op MG ? the "after the battle" books I suppose...

[Fenna]

Great pics

[§nake]

Thx for the great pictures and welcome :D

[Sloppy Joe2]

i know its a little off subject but did anyone else notice how in saving private ryan and band of brothers that private ryan was in dog company 506th pir and band of brothers was based on easy company 506th pir i dont if it was me but i thought i was kind of cool :D

[Marmot1]

i know its a little off subject but did anyone else notice how in saving private ryan and band of brothers that private ryan was in dog company 506th pir and band of brothers was based on easy company 506th pir i dont if it was me but i thought i was kind of cool :D

same diredtor (spilberg) so he used same batalion ;-)

[Sloppy Joe2]

same diredtor (spilberg) so he used same batalion makes sense :D

[The_MadMan]

Good job, thanks ! which book do you recommand for a battlefield tour of Op MG ? the "after the battle" books I suppose...

After the battle is absolutely brilliant but it won't tell you where to go. I'd recomend the battleground series but you have to buy 5 books to cover the whole operation.

My other recomendation is Major & Mrs. Holt's Battlefield Guide to Market Garden. It covers the whole operation and a lot of interesting things around it. This might be the better choice.

[fantassin]

Thanks for the information !