Operation Market Garden order of battle facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This article lists the different armies and groups of soldiers, known as the order of battle, who fought in Operation Market Garden. This was a big plan by the Allies during World War II to try and end the war faster by capturing important bridges in the Netherlands.

Allied Forces: The Good Guys

The Allied forces were led by US General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was the top commander for all Allied armies in Europe. He was in charge of planning and carrying out this huge operation. His main helper was British Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, and Major General Walter Bedell Smith was his chief of staff.

The ground forces, which included all the soldiers fighting on land, were under the command of British general Bernard Montgomery. He was also the main person who pushed for Operation Market Garden to happen.

Airborne Armies: Dropping from the Sky

The First Allied Airborne Army was a special group of soldiers who jumped from planes or landed in gliders. It was led by Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton from the USAAF.

British I Airborne Corps

This group was led by Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning. He was also the deputy commander for the whole 1st Airborne Army.

This picture shows how the British I Airborne Corps was set up during Operation Market Garden.

1st Airborne Division, led by Major-General Roy Urquhart. This division had several brigades:
- 1st Parachute Brigade, led by Brigadier Gerald Lathbury.
- 4th Parachute Brigade, led by Brigadier John W. Hackett.
- 1st Airlanding Brigade, led by Brigadier Philip Hicks.
Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade, led by Brigadier-General Stanisław Sosabowski. This group joined the fight on September 21st.

US 82nd Airborne Division

This American airborne division was led by Brigadier General James M. Gavin. It included:

504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, led by Colonel Reuben H. Tucker.
505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, led by Colonel William E. Ekman.
508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, led by Colonel Roy E. Lindquist.
325th Glider Infantry Regiment, led by Colonel Charles Billingslea. This unit arrived on September 23rd.

US 101st Airborne Division

Another American airborne division, the 101st Airborne Division, was led by Major General Maxwell D. Taylor. Its main units were:

501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, led by Colonel Howard R. Johnson.
502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, led by Lieutenant Colonel John H. Michaelis.
506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, led by Colonel Robert F. Sink.
327th Glider Infantry Regiment, led by Colonel Joseph H. Harper.

Ground Forces: On the Move

The main ground forces were part of the 21st Army Group, commanded by Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery.

British Second Army

This army was led by Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey.

This map shows the organization of the British Second Army during Operation Market Garden.

VIII Corps

This corps was led by Lieutenant-General Richard O'Connor.

11th Armoured Division, a tank division led by Major-General G. P. B. Roberts.
3rd Infantry Division, an infantry (foot soldier) division led by Major-General L. G. Whistler.
49th (West Riding) Infantry Division, led by Lieutenant-General Evelyn Barker. This division did not get involved in the main fighting until September 21st.
4th Armoured Brigade, led by Brigadier R. M. P. Carver.
1st Belgian Infantry Brigade, led by Colonel Jean-Baptiste Piron.

XII Corps

This corps was led by Lieutenant-General Neil Ritchie.

7th Armoured Division, a tank division known as the "Desert Rats," led by Major-General G. L. Verney.
15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, an infantry division led by Major-General C. M. Barber.
53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division, another infantry division led by Major-General R. K. Ross.

XXX Corps

This corps was led by Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks.

Guards Armoured Division, a famous tank division led by Major-General A.H.S. Adair.
43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, an infantry division led by Major-General Ivor Thomas.
50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division, an infantry division led by Major-General D. A. H. Graham. This division was moved to VIII Corps on September 18th.
8th Armoured Brigade, a tank brigade led by Brigadier George E. Prior-Palmer.
Royal Netherlands Brigade 'Prinses Irene', a Dutch brigade led by Colonel A. de Ruyter van Steveninck.

Air Forces: Support from Above

Air forces played a big role in supporting the ground troops.

Royal Air Force (RAF)

The British Royal Air Force had several important commands:

Second Tactical Air Force - Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham. This force provided close air support.
Fighter Command - Air Marshal Roderick Hill.
Bomber Command - Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris.
RAF Coastal Command - Air Chief Marshal Sholto Douglas.

United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)

The American air forces involved were:

U.S. Eighth Air Force - Lieutenant General James H. Doolittle.
U.S. Ninth Air Force - Lieutenant General Hoyt S. Vandenberg.

German Forces: The Defenders

Most German units west of the Rhine River were under the command of Oberbefehlshaber West (OB West), led by Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt. At this point in the war, German units were often missing many soldiers and equipment, usually only having about half their full strength.

Army Group B

This large German army group was led by Generalfeldmarschall Walther Model.

German Armed Forces Group (AFC) Netherlands

This group was led by General der Flieger Friedrich Christiansen.

Seventh Army

This army was led by General der Panzertruppe Erich Brandenberger. It included several corps:

I. SS Panzerkorps
LXXXI. Armeekorps
LXXIV. Armeekorps
LXXX. Armeekorps

1. Fallschirm-Armee

This army of German paratroopers was led by Colonel General Kurt Student.

II SS Panzer Corps

This corps was led by SS-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Bittrich. It included two key SS Panzer Divisions:

9. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Hohenstaufen, led by SS-Standartenführer Walter Harzer.
10. SS-Panzer-Division Frundsberg, led by SS-Gruppenführer Heinz Harmel.

Other important German units under the 1st Parachute Army included:

6th Parachute Regiment, led by Oberstleutnant Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte.
Kampfgruppe "Von Tettau", a battle group led by Generalleutnant Hans von Tettau.
Kampfgruppe "Knoche", led by Major Knoche.
Kampfgruppe "Kraft", led by SS-Sturmbannführer Sepp Kraft.
Schwerepanzer Abteilung 506, a heavy tank battalion led by Major Eberhard Lange.
Artillerie Regiment 191.

II. Fallschirm-Korps

This paratrooper corps was led by General der Fallschirmtruppen Eugen Meindl. It included:

3rd Fallschirmjäger Division, led by Generalmajor Walter Wadehn.
6th Fallschirmjäger Division, led by Oberst Harry Hermann.
5th Fallschirmjäger Division, led by Generalmajor Sebastian-Ludwig Heilmann.

XII SS Corps

This corps was led by SS-Obergruppenführer Curt von Gottberg. It included:

180th Infantry Division, led by Generalmajor Bernhard Klosterkemper.
190th Infantry Division, led by Generalleutnant Ernst Hammer.
363rd Volkgrenadier Division, led by Generalleutnant Augustus Dettling.

LXXXVI Corps

This corps was led by General der Infanterie Hans von Obstfelder. It included:

176th Infantry Division, led by Oberst Christian-Johannes Landau.
107th Panzer Brigade, a tank brigade led by Major Berndt-Joachim Freiherr von Maltzahn.
Division "Erdmann", led by Generalleutnant Wolfgang Erdmann. This division was transferred to the 1st Fallschirmarmee on September 4th.

Fifteenth Army

This army was led by General der Infanterie Gustav-Adolf von Zangen. It included:

LXXXIX. Armeekorps
LXVII. Armeekorps
- 346. Infanterie-Division, led by Generalleutnant Erich Diestel.
- 711. Infanterie-Division, led by Generalleutnant Josef Reichert.
- 719. Infanterie-Division, led by Generalleutnant Karl Sievers. This division was transferred to the 1st Fallschirmarmee on September 4th.
LXXXVIII. Armeekorps
- 59th Infantry Division, led by Generalleutnant Walter Poppe.
- 245. Infanterie-Division, led by Generalleutnant Erwin Sande.
- 712. Infanterie-Division, led by Generalleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm Neumann.
- Kampfgruppe "Chill", a battle group led by Generalleutnant Kurt Chill.

Wehrkreis VI, Corps "Feldt"

This corps was led by General der Kavalerie Kurt Feldt. It included:

406. Landesschützen Division, led by Generalleutnant Gerd Scherbening.