It Never Snows In September: The German View Of Market-Garden And The Battle Of Arnhem September 1944

373 Pages·2004·15.61 MB·English

by  Robert J. Kershaw

'It never snows in September'
'IT NEVER
SNOWS IN
SEPTEMBER'
The German View
of MARKET-GARDEN
and The Battle of Arnhem,
September 1944
Robert J. Kershaw
First published 1990 by The Crowood Press
First published 1994 by Ian Allan Publishing Ltd
Reprinted 1996, 1999 and 2001
This paperback edition first published 2004
ISBN 0 7110 3062 6
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or
by any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission from the Publisher in writing.
© Robert J. Kershaw 1990/2004
Published by Ian Allan Publishing
an imprint of Ian Allan Publishing Ltd,
Hersham, Surrey KT12 4RG.
Printed by Ian Allan Printing Ltd,
Hersham, Surrey KT12 4RG.
Code: 0408/A1
Please note: For an overview of the situation in September 1944, there are
eight colour maps in a section between pages 192 and 193.
Picture Credits
All maps by Claire Upsdale-Jones
The front of jacket photographs are from the following sources (clockwise,
from top left): author, author, author, Imperial War Museum, Imperial War
Museum, Kabel-Kracht, author, Imperial War Museum, author. The
photographs on the back of the jacket were supplied by (left) Imperial War
Museum, and (right) Enthammer.
Dedication
For my wife Lynn
Contents
PREFACE 8
CHAPTER I : THE FRENCH ODYSSEY 11
Cambrai, 2 September 1944 . . .
The Odyssey begins . . .
CHAPTER II : STAND AND FIGHT 21
A crust begins to form . . .
Improvisation of resources - the formation of the Kampfgruppe Walther . . .
Where will the impending blow fall . . . ?
CHAPTER III : 'ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT' 33
The situation in the rear areas . . .
A mobile reaction force. The arrival of IISS Panzer Corps . . .
The 'dress rehearsal' for Arnhem. Dispositions of the Kampfgruppe 'Hohenstaufen' . . .
The Front. Hechtel-Valkenswaard road, 15-16 September . . .
CHAPTER IV : PORTRAIT OF THE GERMAN SOLDIER IN HOLLAND,
SEPTEMBER 1944 47
Pause to take stock . . .
First Fallschirmjäger Army . . .
The Wehrmacht . . .
Beliefs and concerns . . .
CHAPTER V : THE LANDINGS 58
CHAPTER VI : DRIVE INTO THE TEETH 70
First reactions . . .
Counter-measures . . .
CHAPTER VII : SMASHING THROUGH THE CRUST 79
The Kampfgruppe Walther is split in two . . .
Losing control . . .
CHAPTER VIII : MARCH! FOLLOW THE SOUNDS OF SHOOTING 90
Piercing the left flank . . .
'The youngsters had not paid sufficient attention'. . . The capture of the Arnhem road bridge
The race for the Waal bridges, Nijmegen the night of 17-18 September . . .
CHAPTER IX : ARNHEM. THE PENDULUM SWINGS 102
The formation of the Eastern block: the Kampfgruppe Spindler . . .
Western forces. The formation of the Kampfgruppe von Tettau . . .
CHAPTER X : SCRAPING THE BARREL 115
Fifteen miles through 'Indian Territory'. . . 101 Airborne Division
Securing the heights above Nijmegen ... 82 Airborne Division
CHAPTER XI : TAKE THE ARNHEM BRIDGE 125
From the east. . .
From the south . . .
From the north . . .
CHAPTER XII : 'SCHWERPUNKT' IS SOUTH! 137
Defending Nijmegen, 18-19 September . . .
Slowing the advance. Jabs against the corridor, 19-20 September . . .
The raids by Panzer Brigade 107, 19-20 September 1944 . . .
CHAPTER XIII : THE IMPACT ON GERMAN SOIL 148
Volunteers to defend the Reich . . .
Scratch reinforcements . . .
CHAPTER XIV : ARNHEM. THE PENDULUM SWINGS BACK 154
The odds inverted. Second lift on Ginkel Heath . . .
'Achtung Fallschirmjäger! . . .'
The Sperrlinie blocking force Spindler . . .
The charge of the Parachute Brigades . . .
The Sperrlinie is forced in the north . . .
CHAPTER XV : BLASTING THE BRITISH OUT - THE ARNHEM BRIDGE 17
With artillery . . .
With tanks . . .
Do the 'Tommies' in! . . .
CHAPTER XVI : HOLD ON THE WAAL 186
The spectre from the Reichswald. II Fallschirmjäger Corps attacks . . .
Hold on the Waal! The defence of Nijmegen by the Frundsberg . . .
'There was nothing left available to form a defence line
T now gave the order on my own responsibility to blow
CHAPTER XVII : PUTTING THE LID ON THE BOX 202
The pocket forms. Division von Tettau . . .
Improvisation . . .
CHAPTER XVIII : HOLLOW VICTORIES 211
Mopping up and breaking out. Nijmegen, night 20-21 September . . .
'Just about over the Arnhem Bridge.' Night 20-21 September . . .
CHAPTER XIX : THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY 221
Plugging the gap. Betuwe, 'The Island' . . .
Improvisation . . .
CHAPTER XX : THE WITCHES' CAULDRON 228
The German build-up around Arnhem . . .
From the west: von Tettau . . .
From north-east and east: the 9SS
CHAPTER XXI : THE CRISIS 242
Another front - Betuwe, 21-22 September . . .
Time is short. . .
CHAPTER XXII : CUTTING THE CORRIDOR 249
Objective Veghel . . .
From east and west. The blow falls, 22 September . . .
Maintaining the pressure. 23 September . . .
CHAPTER XXIII : THE INVESTMENT OF OOSTERBEEK 263
The siege, 22-24 September . . .
Chivalry - and what to do with the wounded? . . .
Tanks and flame-throwers . . .
CHAPTER XXIV : THE FINAL CUT: KOEVERING 278
Prelude: The corridor, 23-24 September . . .
Objective Veghel - again; 24 September . . .
The Koevering raid, 24-26 September . . .
CHAPTER XXV : THE END 288
The Decision . . .
Deadlock . . .
The silent evacuation . . .
The end . . .
CHAPTER XXVI : ACHIEVEMENTS 303
CHAPTER XXVII : POSTSCRIPT - THE FINAL IRONY 316
APPENDICES
A Orders 321
B German order of battle 323
C German Casualties 339
SOURCES 341
NOTES ON THE TEXT 346
INDEX 360
Preface
During a recent British Army of the Rhine been made to contemporary eye-witness
exercise, three parachute infantry com accounts. Interviews were conducted using
panies attacked and captured a bridge held maps and photographs to stimulate distant
by a substantial enemy force. An exercise memories. They are a personal exchange
'pause' was declared after sixty minutes by between the witness and the author, occa
the battalion commander who wished to sionally producing stress for the former. It
extract the relevant tactical lessons. One soon became apparent to the author that an
independent observer invited to attend this urgent need 'to tell it as it was', sometimes
debrief found it difficult to establish, as in uncompromising terms, was driven by a
each company commander spoke, who was belief that their misfortunes should never
defending and who had attacked. Military be visited upon a future hapless generation.
historians face similar problems. If intelli All judgements and opinions concerning
gent individuals are unable accurately to the present-day relevance of MARKET-
recall what has happened barely one hour GARDEN historical lessons to NATO are
before, what hope is there in recreating a those of the author, and should in no way
picture of events that occurred in southern be construed as the official policy of the
Holland nearly forty-seven years ago? British Ministry of Defence.
Combat is an intensely personal, emotio Much of this book is concerned with
nal and confusing experience. Events can individual experiences. My grateful thanks
often be misinterpreted, often by the indi go to all those who assisted in a difficult and
viduals who enacted them. The approach confusing area of research. The project
attempted here is one expressed by Christ would never have come to fruition without
opher Isherwood when he wrote of his the unselfish assistance provided by Herbert
experiences in Germany in Goodbye to Fuerbringer, Jost W. Schneider, and Rudolf
Berlin in 1945: Donth, who opened up the archives of the
Bund der Europaische Fallschirmjäger and
'I am a camera with its shutter open, the 9SS and 10SS Panzer Division Associa
quite passive, recording not thinking . . . tions to my research. In so doing, they paved
Some day, all this will have to be devel the way for many subsequent interviews.
oped, carefully printed, fixed.' In conception the material was to aid the
Camberley Staff College battlefield tour of
In this instance, the battles fought in south Arnhem. After much encouragement, in
ern Holland in September 1944 as part of particular from Geoffrey Powell, I decided
MARKET-GARDEN are seen through a to go to book form, stimulated by the
human prism, reflecting the sights and quality of the material I had been sent.
experience of the ordinary German soldier. These stories simply had to be told.
German documents for this period are Many former serving veterans of the 9SS
incomplete. Recourse has therefore often and 10SS Panzer Divisions and the Fall-
PREFACE
schirmjäger Association offered diaries Similarly, the author wishes to thank those
and unpublished personal accounts for publishers who have permitted the quota
perusal. In the absence of official records tion of extracts from their books. Quotation
these did much to paint a realistic scene — sources are annotated in the notes that
for once from a different perspective - follow the text.
through the eyes of the German soldier. Special thanks are also due to Herr H.
Where practical, I have told the story in Nilges of the photographic department of
their own words, attempting in translation the Bundesarchiv in Koblenz, John Hard
to capture the manner in which they deli ing from the historical branch of the Minis
vered it. Particular thanks are due to Hans try of Defence, and Dr Adrian Groeneweg
Moeller, Wilfried Schwarz, Joseph from the Hartenstein Airborne Museum in
Enthammer, Erich Hensel, Heinz Oosterbeek. The Freiburg Military Archive
Damaske, Wolfgang Dombrowski, Alfred in Germany and the National Archive in
Ziegler, Rudolf Trapp, Karl-Heinz Euling, Washington were helpful in providing
Karl-Heinz Kabel, Paul Mueller and many important documents.
Rudolf Lindemann for interviews and the Marlitt Boettcher, who assisted in my
use of personal correspondence. All these initial research, receives a particular thank
gentlemen offered time and advice and you, for without her I would never have
occasionally expense to produce the mat been able to trace the many first-hand
erial presented here. Heinz Harmel, the accounts that appear in this book for the
former commander of the 10SS was still first time. She and my mother assisted in
able, with a few gestures of hand and cigar some awkward colloquial translations.
over map, to give one of the most lucid
Finally, this book would never have been
accounts of the German perspective of the
written if my wife Lynn had not been able
battles for Nijmegen and Arnhem I had
to keep our young boys at bay as patiently
ever heard.
as she did during the crucial formative stage
Every effort has been made to trace the in the writing. As ever, she had an unerring
source and copyright holders of the maps eye for detail during the proof reading. Her
and illustrations appearing in the text, and husband has now returned from the streets
these are acknowledged where possible. of Arnhem.
Church Crookham
May 1989
At 1400 hours local time on 17
September 1944, Lieutenant Joseph Enthammer,
a Wehrmacht artillery officer, was gazing in
the direction of Oosterbeek when he
detected what appeared to be white
snowflakes hanging in the air. 'That cannot
be,' he wondered; 'it never snows in
September! They must be parachutists!'
They were. It certainly does not snow in
September. The war had reached the Reich.
The blow, moreover, had come as a total
surprise.