Arnhem was strategic in the defence of the German Front with the town lying on the last natural barrier - The Rhine River. When Operation 'Market Garden' started, the Germans knew very quickly into the battle that the bridges were a key objective of the allied plans and as such threw every available reinforcement into Arnhem. Waffen-SS, Luftwaffe, Heer, Kriegsmarine and  Arbeitsdienst fought side by side against the elite British Airborne Division and Polish Paratroopers and after 10 days of fighting, they won the day. This of course was not without loss as the Germans suffered heavy casualties in the process. This battle was a hollow victory as the common German soldier knew the war was already lost in September 1944.

Very little research has been done on the German side of the battle with only a handful of references being printed. However what the Germans were able to achieve in this battle against seasoned professionals needs to be written. Obersturmbannführer Walter Harzer, commander of the 9th SS Panzer Division 'Hohenstaufen' after the battle, said it best: "It is with personal pride that I regard this German victory, because it was achieved not by regular units, but by railway workers, Arbeitsdienst and Luftwaffe personnel as well, who had never been trained for infantry work and were actually unsuitable for house-to-house fighting."

It is a pleasure to present to you - 'Defending Arnhem'.

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