D-Day

World War II: Battle of Stalingrad

The post D-Day Allied assault that swept through France was halted by Hitler?s unexpected counter-attack through the Ardennes, resulting in a confrontation named the Battle of the Bulge.

The Allied battle front in the autumn of 1944 made an end to the war by Christmas look likely. They had liberated most of France in a matter of months, and were now marching towards the Ruhr River, which was the gateway to the heartland of Germany. However, the Allies had moved so far so fast that their supply lines had not caught up with them. The closest dock was where they had landed on D-Day, and the need for a closer port became more persistent everyday. During the Overlord campaign, which was the landing in France, the Allies had bombed railways extensively to weaken the German defenses. With no railway, roads and trucks were the only way of transporting supplies. This supply problem led to the conclusion by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied forces, that a closer coastal port needed to be opened. He chose Antwerp, Europe?s largest port, which was located along the Schelde Estuary (Keegan 436-437).

Field Marshall Sir Bernard L. Montgomery, commander of the northern front, wanted a quick victory. He proposed continuing on into Germany, across the Ruhr, and destroying Hitler?s means to make war by demobilizing the numerous factories in the area. Reluctantly, Eisenhower agreed, and Operation Market Garden began on September 17, 1944. The plan called for Allied paratroopers to secure key bridges and establish a foothold in the area so that armed divisions could move in safely. The First Allied Airborne Army, composed of the 82nd and 101st divisions of the United States and the 1st division of the British, were to be used in the operation. The Americans job was to capture the bridges at the towns of Eindhower and Nirmegan. They succeeded in doing this very quickly