Fatal Flaws in British Airborne Tactics | Operation Market Garden with James Holland & Al Murray

World War Two history writers James Holland and Al Murray are on Drop Zone X, 8 miles west of Arnhem where the British 1st Airborne division landed on the first day of Operation Market Garden, Sept. 17th 1944. They discuss the formidable challenge faced by divisional commander Major General Urqhuart to both defend the drop zones for later airlifts and make a rapid assault on Arnhem and capture the bridge over the Rhine before German's forces could react. ✅ SUBSCRIBE / @ww2walkingtheground "
Other popular episodes of the Operation Market Garden series of Walking the Ground:

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[WWHeadquarters]

📣WW2 Walking the Ground is now WW2 Headquarters! Same boots on the ground — now with more artefacts, tanks, and aircraft and lots more battlefield walks too. Join James and Al every Thursday for new episodes to explore how the Second World War was fought and experienced, from the ground up.

[ColourOfTheGods]

I actually jumped for the recent 80th anniversary - Landing Zone X-Ray, Renkum. It was quite a thing. As it's long and narrow (when viewed from 2000ft) we ended up with guys getting blown into the trees on the western side.
The aircraft, "Drag-em-oot" still had visible bullet holes in the fuselage, and in the cockpit where a German fighter did a head-on run and fired a burst through the cockpit, killing the pilot and severely wounding the co-pilot. it was a heck of a thing to experience - I can only imagine what the blokes on the day must have gone through. It was an honour.

[digitalbegley]

There are two things to draw from this immediately, 1 You don't need to defend landing zones if no one's landing, so if you land, move off and 2 James' smock really blends in with the landscape really well.

[Pseudonym-aka-alias]

Al's explanation of the second lift being a hindrance to the operation is first class and educational👍

[Harmonca]

This series has taught me more than any other about Market Garden. The maps are critical in my understanding and the modern analysis around holding landing zones vs consolidating and attacking in force, not taking Nijmegen bridge, and worrying about the wrong parts of the battlefield has been fascinating.

[leemidgley]

I went to Arnhem in 1984 as a 19 year old with a coach from the Royal British Legion, that had three veterans on board and they were treated like royalty by everyone, young and old. Unfortunately one of them died while we were there but his pals said at least he got to show his family what he had done. Those guys were something else.

Loving these videos guys. The topic, the format, the locations, so please do some more.

[A.J.K]

It's so cool to see you guys walking the ground I drive past every week taking my daughter to school.

[lib]

I truly enjoy this series and the excellent, knowledgeable banter between these two. However, sometimes, it feels like James (in the smock) prematurely cuts off Al just as he's getting going. I wish he'd let him got a few seconds longer before interrupting him.

[GeneralmotorsMHM]

Love the Denison! And I absolutely love listening to “we have ways of making you talk” I listen to it on my 4 hour drive to work.

[alastairmcmurray]

Although Jim writes tremendous books, Als airborne and armour knowledge is second to none.😮. Your chats about armour in the Market Garden series show that there must be a gap in the market for TV on wartime armour whilst you walk around preserved examples and the drive them around.

[Magician]

This series has been so incredible. Just finished the podcast series going through it and have bought Al's book as a result. Thank you for giving me a new obsession lol

[davidrendall]

I like these two, it's a fun series, but by god you've got to be a book-learnt warrior to say 7-8 miles isn't a big drama in soldiering (1:20). That is a massive distance for an advance to contact over unreconnoitered built up and densely wooded ground with limited avenues of advance though multiple choke points. And a quick map appreciation would tell you all that.

7-8 miles would be a good day's work for a concentrated armoured division in that kind of terrain, and the assault force here was a light infantry brigade without flanking protection, heavy weapon fire plan, reserves or artillery support (until much later in the day).

An advance to contact can be bought to a halt by the simplest of ambushes, snipers, mines, barricades, natural obstacles, artillery shoots, mortar bombs and searching fire. Without reserves or multiple co-ordinated avenues of advance every halt is an opportunity for the enemy to deduce your aim and intentions and redeploy a new blocking line.

Renkum Heath was a perfect drop and landing zone, going in daylight does make for easier navigation and formation in the air and for quicker re-organisation on the ground, you couldn't ask for a better place if the objective of the mission was getting two brigades and divisional assets out of the sky. 

But that was not the objective. 

The low land south of the bridge was usable by flat bottomed gliders and parachutists, the fields alongside the northern end of the railway bridge were larger and firmer than the fields used at Pegasus Bridge. With a bit of care Horsas could have made the railway bridge from the planned release zone, a half loaded Hamilcar could make the road bridge from the air corridor and a Hotspur Mk.I could make the fields at the southern end of the road bridge from Nijmegen.

The failure to plan a coup de main force was a failure of command - second day problems and second line priorities took charge over first day objectives. The inverse of commando operations.

[KuijperRob]

as a young lad of 8 I walked there mid 70's along the landing spots(Ginkelse Hei/heather)..i sensed the importance of this place imagined the landing troops..impressive!

[chrisarnold]

Fascinating insights and debunking lots of myths, cant wait for the next few parts. No plan survives contact with the enemy!

[phillipbrown]

Al touched on something I've always said was a huge factor in the failing to Arnhem and that was communication or lack of. So many huge things happened due to no radios working properly. You could say Browning using 30 gliders for his HQ on the first day was a total waste and could have been used to bring the whole of South Staffs on one lift. These guys are fantastic and highly recommend Al Murray's book. I've read a lot of Arnhem books and his by far the best. He also mentions Leonard Hooker and sheds more light on his unfortunate ending. Me and my friends found his grave and immediately wanted to know how a Navy man died at Arnhem. It's unbelievable the reason behind his

[coachhannah]

Excellent overview that ties the stories together.

[corychecketts]

The videos and podcast episodes have been fantastic. I'm going to order Al's book Arnhem Black Tuesday today. Great work, gentleman!

[MartynCann]

Al’s knowledge of Arnhem is exceptional

[realwealthproperties]

Here we go! Best way to start a Friday is with a notification that another Walking The Ground video is out!

[alansimmonds]

Your videos have been great to watch and learn from. They have made me want to learn more about D-Day and Juno, Sword and Gold beaches. Market Garden was way more than I had thought. Thanks.