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NARRATOR: September 1944. Holland.
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Allied forces defend a tenuous position
in a German occupied city.
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British airborne troops
try to hold off an enemy tank attack
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armed only with a handheld
weapon called a PIAT.
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(soldier grunts)
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After six rounds, the weapon fails.
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The PIAT bomb explodes prematurely,
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inside the trough of the weapon.
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It's extremely close to his face.
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We're talking about a distance like this.
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NARRATOR: As more German tanks arrive,
it seems more likely
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the whole operation has backfired.
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On June 6th, 1944,
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Allied forces finally
land troops in Normandy
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to open the western front.
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(explosion)
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(speaking indistinctly)
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But Nazi fanatics and diehards
continue to fight ruthlessly for survival.
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(gunfire)
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D-Day was a battle.
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The Allies still need to win the war.
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September 19th, 1944.
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Arnhem, Holland.
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MAN: Clear!
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NARRATOR: Major Robert Cain
and his elite unit
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of British airborne troops
are 60 miles behind enemy lines.
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Dropped into occupied Holland by glider,
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they are lightly equipped
but highly trained.
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They close in on the town of Arnhem,
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which has been under Nazi occupation
for four years.
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They are not the first British soldiers
to pass through here.
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The rest of Cain's regiment
the South Staffordshires
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are somewhere ahead.
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Cain has orders to join them in an attack
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on German defenses,
on the other side of town.
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But it's getting light,
and he needs to find them,
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before the Germans find him.
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Cain can take no chances.
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He is part of a risky and ambitious
operation to help end the war.
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In the three months since D-Day,
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the Allies had advanced
rapidly through France and Belgium.
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ANTONY: In the early days of September
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there was this astonishing advance
all the way from the River Seine
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right to, into Belgium,
into even the edge of ah Germany
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in a matter of days.
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It was one of the fastest advances
in the whole of the Second World War.
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NARRATOR: Allied leadership wants to
capitalize on the chaotic German retreat
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and deal a death blow to the Nazi regime.
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British general, Bernard Montgomery,
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believes he has the best plan.
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ANTONY: The main objective
for Operation Market Garden
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was to get across the Rhine
at Arnhem, in Holland
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and then be able to encircle the Ruhr
from the north.
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NARRATOR: Operation Market Garden
has two distinct parts.
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The "Market" plan calls for nearly
20,000 Allied airborne troops
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to be dropped behind enemy lines
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to capture and hold a series
of critical bridges in central Holland.
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Operation Garden has the British
30th corps on a tank charge
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along a Dutch highway
corridor from Belgium.
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With bridges secured
by Operation Market,
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Operation Garden would split
German defenses to cross the Rhine,
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and enter Germany
north of the Siegfried Line.
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ANTONY: Montgomery also had
a secret plan in a way
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to head straight for Berlin,
thinking that this would give him
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command over all
of the Allied ground forces.
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NARRATOR: If successful,
the war could end by Christmas.
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ANTONY: Market Garden
will be the biggest airborne operation
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in the whole of history.
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Far bigger than the German invasion
of Crete
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or any of the other operations
in Sicily or elsewhere.
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NARRATOR: There are so many troops,
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they have to be dropped over multiple
days, by both parachute and glider.
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Among the first to land on September 17th
is the Second Parachute Battalion...
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(speaking indistinctly)
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...led by Lieutenant Colonel John Frost.
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Born in India during his father's service,
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Frost joins the military
and serves in the Middle East,
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and returns to Britain
after the war begins.
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Frost must make his way
from the drop zone to his objective:
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the road bridge over the Rhine at Arnhem.
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ANTONY: Colonel Frost
with his second battalion
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of the parachute regiment
wasted no time at all.
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He set off straight away
and that was the main reason
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why they got through.
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NARRATOR: The Nazis
do not expect an attack
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so far behind the front line.
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(gunfire)
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The defense is disorganized.
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They do not realize
the Allies target the bridges.
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MAN: Shoot those Krauts!
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(gunfire continues)
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ANTONY: Frost managed
to get to the north end of the bridge
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by night fall and then concealed
his men as German troops
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still crossed over the bridge without
realizing the British had reached it.
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NARRATOR: But even
with the north end secure,
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British attempts to capture
the south end fail.
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The Germans respond.
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They reinforce the bridge overnight
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and encircle the north end.
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Frost and his men
are now cut off and surrounded.
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ANTONY: The original plan was
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for the different parachute battalions
to take up positions really encircling
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the whole of the town of Arnhem.
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Once Frost had got to the bridge
and they realized
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that they were under heavy pressure
with German counterattacks.
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The other two battalions
felt they had to get to the bridge
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themselves and support him.
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So this is why the whole
of the original plan
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was more or less forgotten
on that first evening or afternoon
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of the 17th of September.
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NARRATOR: Cain's own regiment
was originally tasked
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with protecting the drop zones,
eight miles from Arnhem.
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But when Cain and B Company land,
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they learn of the change of plan.
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ANTONY: They felt that they had to send
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every available unit
at that particular moment
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to reinforce Frost at the bridge.
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Because if the bridge wasn't held
then obviously
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the whole of Market Garden would lose
its whole point and collapse.
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NARRATOR: B Company urgently
needs to locate
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the rest of its regiment, and join them.
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You're talking from the center
of the landing zones
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to Arnhem nearly 12 kilometers.
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And Airborne soldiers
need surprise on their side.
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NARRATOR: When they move
through the outskirts of the city,
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Cain hears heavy gunfire
on the heights behind the hospital.
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The Germans have had time
to mobilize a response.
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As he nears the battleground,
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Cain starts seeing German
and British casualties.
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He recognizes uniforms
from other regiments among the dead
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and continues to press forward.
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ANTONY: The Allied planners
had assumed that the German troops
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in the area of Arnhem were very weak.
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That they'd talked about you know,
old men and, uh, boys.
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They knew though
that these two SS Panzer divisions
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were deployed somewhere in the area.
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But they had been beaten up
in the end of the fighting in Normandy.
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That they assumed they weren't going
to represent a major threat.
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And the Germans always punished, uh,
shall we say such assumptions.
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NARRATOR: One Panzer division
contains a battalion
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commanded by SS Captain
Hauptstrumfuher Hans Moeller.
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PETER: Hans Moeller is a Waffen SS veteran
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who had already joined the forces
in the 1930s.
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He served in the first
SS engineer regiment
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that was raised up in 1934.
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He initially was an NCO
and in 1940 he was commissioned.
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NARRATOR: Moeller had escaped
the Falaise Gap in Normandy,
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only to lose hundreds
of men in the retreat.
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He is no stranger to Arnhem.
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Moeller is familiar
with the terrain and with the region,
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because he had fought there in 1940,
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and now he finds himself
four years later at exactly the same spot.
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NARRATOR: After arriving back
in Arnhem, the Panzer division
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organizes its remaining troops
into alarm units,
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Ninety men strong, as a precaution.
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PETER: Alarmeinheiten
translates into alarm units
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that are set up specifically
for the task of reacting
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and counter attacking
as quickly as possible
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in the case of an Allied
airborne operation.
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(speaking indistinctly)
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NARRATOR: Moeller and the other Panzer
units form Sperrlinie or blocking lines.
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PETER: A Sperrlinie is a line of defense
that the enemy must not pass.
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It's quite often reinforced
with obstacles or mine fields
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in order to funnel the enemy attack
and create kill zones.
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NARRATOR: The blocking lines run
across the west end of Arnhem
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from the highroad down to the river.
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They should trap Allied airborne troops
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and keep them from reaching Arnhem bridge
to reinforce Frost and his men.
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MAN: Go, go, go!
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NARRATOR: It is at the far end
of the kill zone
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where Major Cain finally locates
his regimental commanding officer,
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(gunfire)
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Lieutenant Colonel Derek McCardie.
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JAMES: By the night of the second day,
the 18th of September.
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It is very clear to Derek McCardie
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and all of the officers
down near the bridge,
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that it was getting extremely difficult
to get to the bridge.
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But there was a determination
on the part of them all,
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they had to get to the bridge
to Johnny Frost
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and relieve those paratroopers
who were holding on.
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NARRATOR: McCardie expects support
from a unit to the north,
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to help them push through the kill zone.
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The South Staffs
have already suffered heavy losses.
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(speaking indistinctly)
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Cain's timing could not be better
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as the Second Staffordshires
prepare to fend off yet another attack.
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NARRATOR: British Major Robert Cain
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is part of a daring airborne operation
to seize the bridges
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that cross the lower Rhine River
in Holland.
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But Nazi resistance
proves stronger than anticipated.
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As highly mobile airborne troops,
they have been dropped in by glider,
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the South Staffordshires
are armed with what they can carry.
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(gunfire)
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They have no big anti-tank guns here,
in what the South Staffs call the dell...
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(gunfire)
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...but they do have PIATs.
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PIAT stands for projector
infantry anti-tank.
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The PIAT was a very cumbersome weapon
to put it mildly.
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It was basically spring loaded.
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You need to be incredibly strong,
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and also it was a very difficult weapon
to fire standing up.
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MAN: Fire!
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ANTONY: Depending on the sort
of vehicle you were trying to destroy
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you really needed to be within 60 meters.
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Now that is incredibly close,
especially when if it was a tank
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or an armored personnel carrier
and they have machine guns
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you were going to be very, very exposed.
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So, it required not just strength.
It required bravery, too.
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MAN: Go, go, go.
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NARRATOR: Cain draws enemy fire
and fetches ammunition
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while a Lieutenant targets the tanks.
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(gunfire)
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As the tanks close to about 100 yards,
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they are too far for the PIAT to destroy.
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(speaking indistinctly)
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But the South Staffs hold them at bay
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for several hours
before running out of bombs.
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(gunfire)
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They are buying time,
hoping for reinforcement.
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(gunfire)
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But German counter attacks
throughout the city
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keep Allied troops tied up.
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So Cain and the others do their best
to hold the dell.
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JAMES: One stage he sees a German NCO
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and some German soldiers
coming up closely towards them.
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Clearly not particularly aware
of the positions of the South Staffords
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and he orders a Bren Gun to open fire.
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NARRATOR: He fires on the Germans,
but misses.
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Cain proves impatient.
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JAMES: And now you can
tell his frustration.
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He grabs the Bren Gun.
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NARRATOR: Cain opens with deadly fire.
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(gunfire)
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When one of the Germans tries to rise,
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Cain loads another magazine,
and empties it.
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(gunfire)
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JAMES: He kills all of those Germans,
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just dispatches them almost,
uh, out of hand.
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NARRATOR: It is becoming clear,
that no matter how many they kill...
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(gunfire)
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...more arrive to take their place.
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PETER: Moving closer to the German border,
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also means for the Germans, it's easier
to bring in their reinforcements.
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To bring in their supplies.
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NARRATOR: The Germans must wipe out
the Allied forces in Holland.
246
00:15:06,086 --> 00:15:08,036
PETER: We're getting to the Rhine.
247
00:15:08,044 --> 00:15:10,053
It's the last defense line for the Germans
248
00:15:10,061 --> 00:15:13,062
before the Allies
come into the home territory.
249
00:15:13,070 --> 00:15:14,087
(indistinct chatter)
250
00:15:14,095 --> 00:15:17,054
NARRATOR: SS Captain
Hans Moeller and his men
251
00:15:17,062 --> 00:15:19,083
put up some of the stiffest opposition.
252
00:15:19,091 --> 00:15:22,004
In addition to attacks
from a self-propelled gun
253
00:15:22,012 --> 00:15:23,038
and half-track vehicles...
254
00:15:23,071 --> 00:15:25,059
(gunfire)
255
00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,059
...Moeller's men
pummel the South Staffordshires
256
00:15:28,067 --> 00:15:31,005
with Panzerfaust projectiles
and flame throwers.
257
00:15:37,047 --> 00:15:39,068
The Germans are well supplied
with ammunition.
258
00:15:40,039 --> 00:15:43,069
Wave after wave of
Allied soldier is shot down.
259
00:15:46,048 --> 00:15:49,028
PETER: We mustn't forget
that in the entire war,
260
00:15:49,036 --> 00:15:53,041
the biggest output of the German war
industry is August 1944.
261
00:15:53,049 --> 00:15:56,058
So all the new kit that had been produced
just a month earlier,
262
00:15:56,066 --> 00:15:59,029
can be brought quickly to the front line,
263
00:15:59,037 --> 00:16:01,025
and is also one of the factors
why the Germans
264
00:16:01,033 --> 00:16:04,071
are able to stabilize the front
in September.
265
00:16:04,079 --> 00:16:06,096
(gunfire)
266
00:16:07,004 --> 00:16:10,059
NARRATOR: Cain's commanding officer,
Lieutenant Colonel Derek McCardie
267
00:16:10,067 --> 00:16:13,076
faces a desperate decision in his sector.
268
00:16:14,064 --> 00:16:17,014
JAMES: The rumors certainly
were coming through
269
00:16:17,022 --> 00:16:20,089
that Arnhem Bridge had fallen
and was back in German hands
270
00:16:20,098 --> 00:16:24,040
and therefore any further
attempt might be futile.
271
00:16:28,036 --> 00:16:31,028
NARRATOR: McCardie has to consider
the larger operation.
272
00:16:31,036 --> 00:16:32,049
(indistinct screams)
273
00:16:32,057 --> 00:16:34,086
If they cannot get
to the Arnhem road bridge,
274
00:16:34,095 --> 00:16:38,008
maybe they can protect
another potential bridgehead.
275
00:16:38,078 --> 00:16:42,025
The whole point of this
operation is for a link up
276
00:16:42,033 --> 00:16:45,029
with 30 Corps and to get a crossing
over the Rhine
277
00:16:45,071 --> 00:16:49,029
and therefore the establishment
of the perimeter west of Arnhem
278
00:16:49,038 --> 00:16:54,080
at Oosterbeek is a chance
to, ah, still achieve that objective.
279
00:16:54,088 --> 00:16:56,068
(indistinct screams)
280
00:16:56,076 --> 00:16:58,055
NARRATOR: McCardie
orders his men to withdraw
281
00:16:58,064 --> 00:17:00,031
- from their position in the dell.
- MAN: Go!
282
00:17:04,006 --> 00:17:05,060
MAN: Hurry, hurry!
283
00:17:05,069 --> 00:17:08,019
NARRATOR: Cain sets a rear guard
to protect their retreat.
284
00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:12,074
(gunfire)
285
00:17:22,045 --> 00:17:25,050
The South Staffs bring their wounded
to what they call the monastery...
286
00:17:26,058 --> 00:17:27,067
and prepare to pull back.
287
00:17:39,014 --> 00:17:40,060
As they seek shelter,
288
00:17:41,039 --> 00:17:43,031
(explosion)
289
00:17:43,093 --> 00:17:46,052
a German tank blows up
the house next to them.
290
00:17:46,085 --> 00:17:48,065
- MAN: Get down!
- MAN: Go, go!
291
00:17:48,073 --> 00:17:51,027
NARRATOR: Still determined to fight,
Cain and three others
292
00:17:51,036 --> 00:17:53,057
take cover in a trench and wait.
293
00:17:59,095 --> 00:18:02,070
NARRATOR: September 19th, 1944...
294
00:18:04,070 --> 00:18:08,067
British Major Robert Cain
and three others occupy a trench
295
00:18:08,075 --> 00:18:12,038
which provides some protection
as they retreat from Arnhem, Holland.
296
00:18:13,092 --> 00:18:16,026
A German tank approaches their position,
297
00:18:16,034 --> 00:18:18,038
not knowing that they are there.
298
00:18:21,039 --> 00:18:24,077
JAMES: This tank gets really close
and Robert Cain can see
299
00:18:24,085 --> 00:18:28,010
the tank commander out of his turret
with his field glass
300
00:18:28,019 --> 00:18:30,065
and his black gloves
and this extraordinary detail
301
00:18:30,073 --> 00:18:33,065
and there isn't much they can do about it.
302
00:18:34,015 --> 00:18:35,090
NARRATOR: The tank is too close.
303
00:18:35,098 --> 00:18:38,036
Firing at this distance is too risky.
304
00:18:39,036 --> 00:18:42,045
Cain sees the tank commander
scanning for targets.
305
00:18:43,041 --> 00:18:45,066
Hoping the tank will pass by,
306
00:18:45,099 --> 00:18:48,021
Cain urges the men to stay down.
307
00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:52,038
But one cannot resist.
308
00:18:53,038 --> 00:18:55,030
He takes a shot at the tank commander,
309
00:18:56,005 --> 00:18:58,022
and betrays their position.
310
00:18:59,055 --> 00:19:03,089
As he says, some bloody fool
opens fire on the tank
311
00:19:03,097 --> 00:19:07,056
to absolutely no effect,
so the tank is going to retaliate.
312
00:19:09,014 --> 00:19:11,065
NARRATOR: Before the German commander
even lets off a round,
313
00:19:13,015 --> 00:19:15,044
- the other men bolt from the trench.
- MAN: Go, go!
314
00:19:19,061 --> 00:19:21,053
They are immediately gunned down.
315
00:19:23,032 --> 00:19:25,041
The tank advance continues.
316
00:19:26,066 --> 00:19:28,091
JAMES: Clearly Robert Cain
is not at the end of his tether,
317
00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:34,092
but he's armed with his pistol thinking,
what on earth can I do with a pistol?
318
00:19:42,022 --> 00:19:44,072
NARRATOR: He crawls to the top
of the trench and out
319
00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:48,014
carefully below the line of sight
of the tank commander and his guns.
320
00:19:50,010 --> 00:19:53,081
Cain rolls over and over,
off a ledge and drops 20 feet
321
00:19:53,090 --> 00:19:58,069
into the relative safety
of the hospital yard and passes out.
322
00:20:01,070 --> 00:20:04,016
(gunfire distantly)
323
00:20:04,066 --> 00:20:09,058
JAMES: Some minutes, not very long
where I'm guessing he lay there
324
00:20:09,066 --> 00:20:12,012
thinking I-- what am I--
this is going nowhere.
325
00:20:12,021 --> 00:20:15,008
But of course gathers his senses,
the man that he is,
326
00:20:15,017 --> 00:20:17,096
and manages
to extricate himself and head west
327
00:20:18,005 --> 00:20:19,046
with the rest of his soldiers.
328
00:20:25,093 --> 00:20:28,018
NARRATOR: What remains
of the South Staffordshire regiment
329
00:20:28,026 --> 00:20:29,077
joins 11th Battalion
330
00:20:30,018 --> 00:20:33,035
having heard the rest of their unit
was gathering at Den Brink.
331
00:20:34,014 --> 00:20:35,073
Stay low, stay low!
332
00:20:38,057 --> 00:20:40,036
NARRATOR: But before commanding officer
333
00:20:40,044 --> 00:20:43,028
Lieutenant Colonel Derek McCardie
can also escape...
334
00:20:44,003 --> 00:20:46,016
- (gunfire)
- {groans)
335
00:20:46,024 --> 00:20:48,095
...he too is struck and taken prisoner.
336
00:20:56,054 --> 00:21:00,063
Major Cain is now the most senior active
officer in his battalion.
337
00:21:06,093 --> 00:21:10,043
As Operation Market Garden
enters its third day,
338
00:21:10,051 --> 00:21:13,018
SS Captain Moeller
has gone on the offensive,
339
00:21:13,027 --> 00:21:15,064
determined to eliminate
the Allied airborne threat
340
00:21:15,073 --> 00:21:18,052
in the Dutch city once and for all.
341
00:21:18,094 --> 00:21:20,015
Halt!
342
00:21:21,015 --> 00:21:24,049
PETER: At Arnhem, there's a last bridge
of the river Rhine.
343
00:21:24,057 --> 00:21:28,074
So, Moeller knows,
and his men, we must defend,
344
00:21:28,082 --> 00:21:31,024
this is our last line of defense.
345
00:21:31,079 --> 00:21:34,045
Otherwise the gate to Germany is open.
346
00:21:34,083 --> 00:21:37,025
(speaking German)
347
00:21:37,033 --> 00:21:40,004
NARRATOR (in English): He advances west
from Arnhem, slowly clearing
348
00:21:40,013 --> 00:21:42,063
the airborne troops
out of houses and trenches.
349
00:21:42,071 --> 00:21:43,092
(gunshot)
350
00:21:45,042 --> 00:21:47,068
Each house has to be taken individually,
351
00:21:47,076 --> 00:21:50,018
often with fierce hand-to-hand combat.
352
00:21:59,015 --> 00:22:03,015
Entire platoons from both sides
disappear into the urban battlefield.
353
00:22:07,024 --> 00:22:10,003
Because Allied forces
have failed to get reinforcements
354
00:22:10,012 --> 00:22:13,054
to Arnhem bridge to relieve
Lieutenant Colonel John Frost...
355
00:22:15,062 --> 00:22:18,050
they now hope to set up a new position
west of Arnhem,
356
00:22:18,058 --> 00:22:19,096
in Oosterbeek.
357
00:22:20,063 --> 00:22:23,050
ANTONY: Perhaps if they hold
on there then 30 Corps
358
00:22:23,059 --> 00:22:26,021
and the rest of the Second British
Army will come up
359
00:22:26,030 --> 00:22:29,063
and will be able to bridge the Rhine there
360
00:22:29,072 --> 00:22:31,093
and continue
and hold that particular bridgehead.
361
00:22:33,097 --> 00:22:37,031
NARRATOR: To give airborne troops time
to withdraw to Oosterbeek...
362
00:22:39,052 --> 00:22:43,073
JAMES: Robert Cain is given orders
to take the high ground
363
00:22:43,082 --> 00:22:47,019
overlooking the withdrawal route
known as Den Brink.
364
00:22:47,028 --> 00:22:49,078
It's not particularly high,
but it's high enough
365
00:22:49,086 --> 00:22:51,049
to be a significant feature.
366
00:22:51,057 --> 00:22:53,074
- Understood?
- Yes, sir.
367
00:22:53,083 --> 00:22:55,083
NARRATOR: Cain organizes
the remaining 100 men
368
00:22:55,091 --> 00:22:59,037
of his regiment into five small platoons.
369
00:23:00,062 --> 00:23:04,009
He selects two,
to stage an assault on Den Brink.
370
00:23:04,009 --> 00:23:08,026
(gunfire)
371
00:23:08,072 --> 00:23:10,043
(man speaking indistinctly)
372
00:23:17,077 --> 00:23:21,056
When they reach the top,
the Germans open with heavy mortar fire.
373
00:23:23,090 --> 00:23:25,040
(explosion)
374
00:23:29,019 --> 00:23:31,057
Cain's men need to dig in to take cover
375
00:23:31,066 --> 00:23:33,032
or face certain death.
376
00:23:35,033 --> 00:23:38,066
(gunfire)
377
00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:40,096
They get to work with what they have.
378
00:23:41,092 --> 00:23:44,063
JAMES: And they find it extremely
difficult to dig in on Den Brink.
379
00:23:44,071 --> 00:23:47,000
They don't have proper
digging tools with them,
380
00:23:47,009 --> 00:23:48,084
just their entrenching tools.
381
00:23:48,092 --> 00:23:52,022
And I suspect a number of men
would've discarded those too,
382
00:23:52,055 --> 00:23:54,039
on their way into Arnhem
383
00:23:54,047 --> 00:23:57,018
and during the fighting
that's taking place that day.
384
00:23:58,064 --> 00:24:00,023
(speaking indistinctly)
385
00:24:00,064 --> 00:24:02,056
NARRATOR: Cain is exposed on the hill,
386
00:24:02,064 --> 00:24:04,060
with no supporting artillery fire.
387
00:24:05,002 --> 00:24:07,073
(gunfire)
388
00:24:12,011 --> 00:24:14,045
His platoons suffer many casualties
389
00:24:15,066 --> 00:24:17,033
- as shells rain down around them.
- (man shouts indistinctly)
390
00:24:17,041 --> 00:24:20,025
(explosion)
391
00:24:24,037 --> 00:24:26,046
- After 90 minutes, Cain pulls out.
- (man shouts indistinctly)
392
00:24:26,054 --> 00:24:27,088
MAN: Come on, move!
393
00:24:27,096 --> 00:24:29,084
NARRATOR: To stay would be suicide.
394
00:24:29,092 --> 00:24:32,005
(gunfire)
395
00:24:37,097 --> 00:24:41,010
Operation Market Garden is unraveling.
396
00:24:48,098 --> 00:24:52,074
The next day,
news filters through both sides.
397
00:24:52,082 --> 00:24:57,053
(gunfire)
398
00:25:04,054 --> 00:25:07,063
After defying German counter attacks
without reinforcement,
399
00:25:08,034 --> 00:25:12,067
Lieutenant Colonel John Frost and more
than 100 others are taken prisoner.
400
00:25:13,063 --> 00:25:18,014
ANTONY: Frost has to surrender
purely because they are out of ammunition,
401
00:25:18,022 --> 00:25:20,026
ah, they're out of food and water,
402
00:25:20,035 --> 00:25:23,077
ah, there are so many wounded
that his doctors
403
00:25:23,085 --> 00:25:26,048
simply can't look after them anymore.
404
00:25:27,060 --> 00:25:30,023
Frost himself was also badly wounded
in the legs
405
00:25:30,032 --> 00:25:33,028
when a mortar bomb explodes very nearby
406
00:25:33,036 --> 00:25:35,024
and is incapable of carrying on.
407
00:25:36,053 --> 00:25:38,028
NARRATOR: It is a turning point.
408
00:25:38,082 --> 00:25:40,095
PETER: Retaking the Arnhem
Bridge is a major victory
409
00:25:41,003 --> 00:25:42,041
for the Germans.
410
00:25:42,049 --> 00:25:46,067
They have got these important Rhine
crossings again in their hands.
411
00:25:46,075 --> 00:25:51,000
And besides,
capturing a Battalion Commander
412
00:25:51,009 --> 00:25:54,042
is something that the Germans
don't achieve very often
413
00:25:54,051 --> 00:25:56,005
at this stage of the war.
414
00:25:57,038 --> 00:25:59,064
NARRATOR: By Thursday September 21st,
415
00:25:59,072 --> 00:26:02,093
Operation Market Garden
is officially a failure.
416
00:26:04,027 --> 00:26:06,069
For Major Cain
and the thousands of remaining
417
00:26:06,077 --> 00:26:10,052
Allied airborne troops,
60 miles behind enemy lines,
418
00:26:11,052 --> 00:26:13,086
their best hope
of getting out of Holland alive
419
00:26:13,094 --> 00:26:17,045
remains the arrival of Allied tanks
and troops from the south.
420
00:26:18,053 --> 00:26:20,078
But they are still days away.
421
00:26:27,071 --> 00:26:30,017
NARRATOR: September 21st, 1944.
422
00:26:32,071 --> 00:26:35,055
Nazi soldiers encircle
thousands of Allied troops,
423
00:26:35,063 --> 00:26:37,009
near Arnhem, Holland.
424
00:26:37,076 --> 00:26:40,076
After a failed operation
to capture and secure bridges
425
00:26:40,084 --> 00:26:42,080
crossing the lower Rhine River.
426
00:26:44,097 --> 00:26:47,064
What remains
of the First British Airborne Division
427
00:26:47,073 --> 00:26:51,023
has fallen back
to Oosterbeek, west of Arnhem.
428
00:26:51,065 --> 00:26:53,057
ANTONY: The defense of Oosterbeek,
429
00:26:53,065 --> 00:26:56,099
ah, during the latter part
of Operation Market Garden
430
00:26:57,007 --> 00:27:00,061
was purely a-- a defensive measure.
It was no more than that.
431
00:27:00,070 --> 00:27:03,016
They hope by holding on to the bridgehead
432
00:27:03,024 --> 00:27:06,083
that maybe in the coming days
if 30 Corps came through.
433
00:27:07,025 --> 00:27:09,096
But basically, they could do
no more than just hold on.
434
00:27:11,029 --> 00:27:13,067
NARRATOR: 30 corps was a force
of British armor
435
00:27:13,075 --> 00:27:17,001
expected to race 64 miles
through occupied Holland.
436
00:27:17,009 --> 00:27:20,018
And consolidate the bridges
in two and a half days.
437
00:27:22,093 --> 00:27:26,047
Entering the fifth day,
resistance to the Allied operation
438
00:27:26,056 --> 00:27:30,006
has proved far greater than expected,
on all fronts.
439
00:27:32,073 --> 00:27:36,057
Now 6,000 German infantry backed by tanks,
440
00:27:36,065 --> 00:27:40,024
surround and close in on the remainder
of the airborne division.
441
00:27:40,086 --> 00:27:43,091
PETER: When an enemy
is trapped and encircled,
442
00:27:43,099 --> 00:27:47,054
the Germans call it, it's a kessel.
So it's a cauldron.
443
00:27:47,062 --> 00:27:50,037
So, this is very much a German tactic,
444
00:27:50,046 --> 00:27:53,033
and also on the operational level,
during the Second World War,
445
00:27:53,042 --> 00:27:56,050
to encircle the enemy, to eneinselkessen,
446
00:27:56,059 --> 00:27:59,034
so to encircle him,
to put him into a cauldron.
447
00:28:01,026 --> 00:28:04,001
NARRATOR: SS Capt. Hans
Moeller and the Panzer troops
448
00:28:04,009 --> 00:28:07,043
plan to squeeze the airborne division
to death, or surrender.
449
00:28:14,073 --> 00:28:18,032
PETER: And at Arnhem, the fighting
as it is particularly ferocious,
450
00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:22,045
the cauldron is called
a witch's cauldron, " en hexen kessel".
451
00:28:23,041 --> 00:28:27,033
A very strong word
for saying something is very, uh, chaotic
452
00:28:27,041 --> 00:28:28,095
and brutal at the same time.
453
00:28:30,025 --> 00:28:34,004
NARRATOR: Moeller later describes
occupying the ground floor of a house,
454
00:28:35,013 --> 00:28:37,021
with British airborne troops upstairs.
455
00:28:44,051 --> 00:28:48,056
As the day wears on,
a whiskey bottle appears from above.
456
00:28:56,027 --> 00:28:58,077
The Germans
send up some chocolate in return.
457
00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:03,028
PETER: It shows you
that even in this ferocious fighting
458
00:29:03,036 --> 00:29:06,049
there are always moments of ja, humanity,
459
00:29:06,057 --> 00:29:08,095
of sharing the hardships of the war,
460
00:29:09,003 --> 00:29:12,070
and in the next moment
they shoot against each other again.
461
00:29:16,067 --> 00:29:18,092
NARRATOR: British Major Robert Cain
and his 40 men
462
00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:21,067
must defend the southeastern sector
of the horseshoe defense,
463
00:29:21,076 --> 00:29:23,030
near a church.
464
00:29:24,030 --> 00:29:27,080
JAMES: It guards one of the roads
into the perimeter
465
00:29:27,089 --> 00:29:30,043
and also it is next to the River Rhine
466
00:29:30,051 --> 00:29:33,056
and this is extremely important
to hold onto
467
00:29:33,064 --> 00:29:36,090
because they're still hoping
for a link up with 30 Corps
468
00:29:36,098 --> 00:29:38,052
and they had to protect the crossing.
469
00:29:39,044 --> 00:29:41,065
NARRATOR: As Major Cain
holds this position,
470
00:29:42,003 --> 00:29:45,070
he spots Panzer troops setting fire
to the laundry house.
471
00:29:50,053 --> 00:29:53,045
It is a scorched earth policy
to punish the Dutch
472
00:29:53,054 --> 00:29:55,041
and flush out Allied troops.
473
00:29:56,037 --> 00:29:59,046
JAMES: Robert Cain throws a hand grenade,
474
00:29:59,054 --> 00:30:05,009
but he throws it upwards and it hits
a rafter and bounces back towards him.
475
00:30:05,017 --> 00:30:06,034
(screams)
476
00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:09,034
(explosion)
477
00:30:10,060 --> 00:30:13,077
He threw himself into the burning embers
of the laundry
478
00:30:13,085 --> 00:30:17,081
as a safer place to be than
where his hand grenade was going to land,
479
00:30:17,089 --> 00:30:21,069
and he emerged scorched
but otherwise untouched.
480
00:30:22,069 --> 00:30:24,082
NARRATOR: So far behind enemy lines,
481
00:30:24,090 --> 00:30:27,028
airborne troops
rely on relief and resupply.
482
00:30:29,020 --> 00:30:31,032
ANTONY: Operation Market Garden
was planned
483
00:30:31,041 --> 00:30:32,099
to last only three or four days,
484
00:30:33,008 --> 00:30:35,062
by getting on well beyond four days,
485
00:30:35,070 --> 00:30:38,012
and the fighting more or less
24 hours a day,
486
00:30:38,021 --> 00:30:40,092
ah, means
that they were all totally exhausted.
487
00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:44,088
And also, one sees the way
that the rates of battle shock
488
00:30:44,096 --> 00:30:48,059
or of psychological collapse, ah,
start to increase pretty rapidly.
489
00:30:51,043 --> 00:30:54,081
NARRATOR: Surrounded by the enemy
and unable to defend their drop zones,
490
00:30:54,089 --> 00:30:56,098
Allied supplies fall out of reach.
491
00:30:57,077 --> 00:31:01,002
PETER: The Germans are able to seize
the British airdrop zones.
492
00:31:01,010 --> 00:31:03,048
As a consequence, all the supplies
493
00:31:03,057 --> 00:31:06,082
or 90% of the supplies,
comes into German hands.
494
00:31:07,053 --> 00:31:10,078
And this is of course for the Nazis,
great propaganda material.
495
00:31:10,086 --> 00:31:14,024
So you have got Germans
now with British food,
496
00:31:14,033 --> 00:31:16,012
with British cigarettes.
497
00:31:17,041 --> 00:31:19,033
NARRATOR: Within the Oosterbeek perimeter,
498
00:31:19,066 --> 00:31:22,038
things get worse for the civilians
and airborne troops,
499
00:31:23,008 --> 00:31:25,000
as the Germans cut off the water.
500
00:31:25,088 --> 00:31:28,009
Food and ammunition also run out.
501
00:31:30,084 --> 00:31:32,064
Starving and exhausted,
502
00:31:32,072 --> 00:31:35,035
the airborne troops
cannot hold out for much longer.
503
00:31:39,035 --> 00:31:41,073
More equipment arrives on the German side.
504
00:31:42,090 --> 00:31:45,036
PETER: The arrival of new tanks
for the Germans
505
00:31:45,044 --> 00:31:49,044
means that they can split now
the Witch's Cauldron into two parts
506
00:31:49,082 --> 00:31:53,020
and the British forces face
now annihilation.
507
00:31:54,066 --> 00:31:57,012
NARRATOR: Panzer troops
are ordered to attack Oosterbeek
508
00:31:57,049 --> 00:32:01,071
to finish off the trapped airborne
division holding out in the cauldron.
509
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:09,038
(screams)
510
00:32:11,030 --> 00:32:15,018
Once again, Major Robert Cain
finds himself defending their sector
511
00:32:15,026 --> 00:32:17,026
with little more than a PIAT.
512
00:32:21,077 --> 00:32:23,019
All right!
513
00:32:34,024 --> 00:32:36,003
NARRATOR: September 1944.
514
00:32:38,045 --> 00:32:41,087
Now into their fifth day
of Operation Market Garden,
515
00:32:41,096 --> 00:32:44,004
the First British Airborne Division
has been trapped
516
00:32:44,012 --> 00:32:47,004
and surrounded
by two German Panzer divisions
517
00:32:47,013 --> 00:32:48,071
at Oosterbeek, Holland.
518
00:32:51,005 --> 00:32:54,047
Major Robert Cain's position
is under attack by tanks.
519
00:32:55,034 --> 00:32:57,076
With only a handheld weapon called a PIAT,
520
00:32:58,043 --> 00:33:00,064
he takes aim at a tank 100 yards away.
521
00:33:01,006 --> 00:33:04,077
(gunfire)
522
00:33:06,023 --> 00:33:07,065
As the smoke clears,
523
00:33:07,073 --> 00:33:09,082
he sees that he has damaged the tracks...
524
00:33:11,048 --> 00:33:14,028
but he has also alerted
the tank to his position.
525
00:33:21,012 --> 00:33:23,096
Cain fights with the supporting fire
of Bren gunners.
526
00:33:28,021 --> 00:33:30,055
JAMES: The Bren gunners keep
the German's heads down...
527
00:33:31,071 --> 00:33:33,092
and certainly the commanders of the tanks
528
00:33:34,001 --> 00:33:36,084
who like to stick their heads up
because it was much better observation,
529
00:33:36,093 --> 00:33:38,080
kept them inside their turrets.
530
00:33:41,097 --> 00:33:44,081
NARRATOR: With Cain's next shot,
the tank is disabled,
531
00:33:44,089 --> 00:33:46,052
and the crew bails out.
532
00:33:48,035 --> 00:33:50,015
Cain approaches the tank,
533
00:33:50,023 --> 00:33:53,011
shouting for the Bren guns
to continue firing.
534
00:33:53,019 --> 00:33:56,036
(gunfire)
535
00:34:02,008 --> 00:34:04,000
The German crew is eliminated.
536
00:34:07,096 --> 00:34:11,004
As more tanks approach,
Cain holds his ground.
537
00:34:15,001 --> 00:34:18,084
Robert Cain hits on the idea of firing it.
538
00:34:19,034 --> 00:34:22,081
Firing the PIAT
in almost vertical position.
539
00:34:22,089 --> 00:34:26,093
Not anything to do with range,
but to try and drop
540
00:34:27,056 --> 00:34:31,073
the PIAT bombs on top of the German armor,
541
00:34:31,081 --> 00:34:34,011
where the thickness of their armor
is weakest.
542
00:34:39,074 --> 00:34:43,074
NARRATOR: But after six rounds,
Cain's PIAT gun misfires.
543
00:34:43,083 --> 00:34:47,012
The PIAT bomb explodes prematurely,
544
00:34:47,058 --> 00:34:49,067
inside the trough of the weapon,
545
00:34:49,075 --> 00:34:51,079
uh, it's extremely close to his face,
546
00:34:51,088 --> 00:34:54,080
when I say extremely close, we're talking
about a distance like this...
547
00:34:55,021 --> 00:34:58,051
semi blinds him certainly gives him
a couple of black eyes.
548
00:34:58,059 --> 00:34:59,068
(shouts)
549
00:34:59,076 --> 00:35:02,001
NARRATOR: Cain has to be dragged
from the trench
550
00:35:02,010 --> 00:35:03,055
to the regimental aid post.
551
00:35:05,052 --> 00:35:08,085
We know that his fury boiled over.
552
00:35:08,094 --> 00:35:11,040
He issued a stream of obscenities.
553
00:35:11,048 --> 00:35:14,036
I suspect towards the soldiers
who were trying to escort him
554
00:35:14,044 --> 00:35:16,044
out of further danger.
555
00:35:19,082 --> 00:35:21,024
MAN: Reload!
556
00:35:21,032 --> 00:35:23,070
NARRATOR: As the battle resumes,
Major Cain
557
00:35:23,078 --> 00:35:26,091
brushes off his PIAT bomb injuries
and leaves the aid post,
558
00:35:26,099 --> 00:35:28,066
to return to his trench.
559
00:35:29,058 --> 00:35:33,042
JAMES: So determined is this man
to be an example
560
00:35:33,050 --> 00:35:38,067
to his soldiers that in about
half an hour, he is back with them.
561
00:35:40,017 --> 00:35:42,039
NARRATOR: The battle of attrition
takes its toll.
562
00:35:43,034 --> 00:35:48,047
JAMES: Robert Cain says this thing
about you call for someone
563
00:35:48,081 --> 00:35:54,044
and they don't answer,
or the answer comes he's had it.
564
00:35:54,052 --> 00:35:57,061
He was killed yesterday or he's wounded.
565
00:35:57,069 --> 00:35:59,028
Or he's a prisoner.
566
00:35:59,036 --> 00:36:02,095
Too often by these last days,
567
00:36:03,003 --> 00:36:06,024
he's calling for men
who are no-- no longer there.
568
00:36:06,033 --> 00:36:08,004
No longer answering the call.
569
00:36:09,095 --> 00:36:11,058
NARRATOR: And by the next day...
570
00:36:11,066 --> 00:36:14,029
(gunfire)
571
00:36:15,004 --> 00:36:17,017
...Major Cain has fired so many rounds
572
00:36:17,025 --> 00:36:18,075
that his eardrum bursts.
573
00:36:20,026 --> 00:36:23,059
He stuffs field dressing into his ears,
and continues to fight.
574
00:36:27,060 --> 00:36:31,006
They hold off the Germans
trying to gain ground near the river.
575
00:36:32,056 --> 00:36:36,019
With limited supplies
and under constant counter attack,
576
00:36:36,027 --> 00:36:39,069
it becomes increasingly difficult
for the British to care for their wounded.
577
00:36:40,019 --> 00:36:42,003
A cease fire is negotiated.
578
00:36:43,003 --> 00:36:45,066
ANTONY: It was arranged
for the Germans to take them
579
00:36:45,074 --> 00:36:50,008
and basically to transport them
in most cases back to Appeldorn
580
00:36:50,016 --> 00:36:52,041
rather than in the immediate area.
581
00:36:52,091 --> 00:36:57,000
The wounded were then put on stretchers
and taken away.
582
00:36:57,084 --> 00:37:02,080
NARRATOR: During a two hour cease fire,
1,200 wounded Allied soldiers
583
00:37:02,088 --> 00:37:05,005
are taken into German captivity.
584
00:37:07,014 --> 00:37:10,022
For those left behind,
pressure continues to build.
585
00:37:10,056 --> 00:37:13,056
Fifteen new Tiger tanks appear
on the battlefield,
586
00:37:14,064 --> 00:37:17,086
having arrived from Germany
the night of September 23rd.
587
00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:23,028
With the arrival of the Royal Tiger Tanks
their fate was sealed.
588
00:37:23,036 --> 00:37:25,036
(gunfire)
589
00:37:27,062 --> 00:37:30,070
NARRATOR: Desperation sets in
for the remaining airborne division.
590
00:37:33,016 --> 00:37:36,037
The next day, Cain no longer
has even a PIAT
591
00:37:36,046 --> 00:37:38,096
to defend his men or their position.
592
00:37:40,017 --> 00:37:42,059
He uses whatever he can find.
593
00:37:44,022 --> 00:37:46,013
He locates a two-inch mortar.
594
00:37:51,001 --> 00:37:54,052
Not a handheld weapon,
it is usually fired from the ground.
595
00:37:55,073 --> 00:37:58,048
It's not even meant
to be used against tanks.
596
00:38:04,053 --> 00:38:09,028
He's firing the two-inch mortar
at very short range
597
00:38:10,074 --> 00:38:14,029
to try and get these rounds
onto the German armor...
598
00:38:16,054 --> 00:38:19,000
and certainly in amongst German infantry.
599
00:38:21,029 --> 00:38:24,030
NARRATOR: Anything to thwart
the enemy attacks on their perimeter.
600
00:38:25,017 --> 00:38:28,009
(engine revving)
601
00:38:35,068 --> 00:38:38,044
Despite the heroics
of Major Cain and many others...
602
00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:41,081
ANTONY: General Urquhart the
commander of the First Airborne
603
00:38:41,090 --> 00:38:44,090
got the message across to General Browning
604
00:38:44,098 --> 00:38:47,053
in Nijmegen, they were out of ammunition.
605
00:38:47,061 --> 00:38:49,011
They could not hold on any longer.
606
00:38:49,074 --> 00:38:52,058
NARRATOR: After five days
holding out at Oosterbeek
607
00:38:52,066 --> 00:38:55,054
and eight days from the start
of Operation Market Garden
608
00:38:55,087 --> 00:38:59,096
the order comes for the airborne troops
to abandon their posts.
609
00:39:05,042 --> 00:39:07,076
(gunfire)
610
00:39:07,084 --> 00:39:09,047
NARRATOR: Oosterbeek, Holland.
611
00:39:09,084 --> 00:39:12,039
In the aftermath
of Operation Market Garden,
612
00:39:12,047 --> 00:39:15,093
Allied airborne troops
can no longer hold a potential bridgehead,
613
00:39:16,002 --> 00:39:17,089
north of the lower Rhine River.
614
00:39:19,035 --> 00:39:23,011
Perhaps the most difficult part
of this operation is about to come...
615
00:39:24,065 --> 00:39:28,040
to hold this perimeter,
and to continue to hold it convincingly,
616
00:39:28,049 --> 00:39:32,057
so that the Germans think that
it continues to be a solid perimeter
617
00:39:32,091 --> 00:39:37,095
while as many men as possible
are withdrawn across the Rhine.
618
00:39:38,095 --> 00:39:41,029
NARRATOR: The First Airborne
Division is to be evacuated,
619
00:39:41,037 --> 00:39:43,050
across the river, by night.
620
00:39:43,058 --> 00:39:45,021
(gunfire)
621
00:39:48,055 --> 00:39:53,055
In preparation, Major Robert Cain
shaves for the first time in a week.
622
00:40:00,073 --> 00:40:04,048
Later, his efforts attract
the notice of Brigadier Philip Hicks,
623
00:40:04,081 --> 00:40:08,007
who notes, there's one officer
at least who's shaved.
624
00:40:11,070 --> 00:40:14,062
But before, Cain remains
on the north side,
625
00:40:14,070 --> 00:40:16,070
to ensure all his men board the vessels,
626
00:40:18,008 --> 00:40:20,033
but when he is ready to evacuate,
627
00:40:20,041 --> 00:40:22,096
there are no boats left
to take him across.
628
00:40:26,063 --> 00:40:30,055
So, Cain and the other stragglers,
locate a damaged assault craft,
629
00:40:30,063 --> 00:40:33,005
and use their rifle butts as paddles.
630
00:40:38,026 --> 00:40:40,014
Their boat leaks badly,
631
00:40:40,098 --> 00:40:43,081
but they make it to the other side,
to safety.
632
00:40:52,095 --> 00:40:57,083
ANTONY: The First Airborne Division
goes in some 12,000 strong,
633
00:40:57,091 --> 00:41:01,004
ah, with the reinforcements,
which arrive later.
634
00:41:01,012 --> 00:41:03,008
By the time the end of the battle comes,
635
00:41:03,016 --> 00:41:06,029
less than 3,000 are evacuated.
636
00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:10,075
NARRATOR: Thousands are taken prisoner,
missing, or killed in action.
637
00:41:14,059 --> 00:41:18,039
ANTONY: Market Garden
did not just constitute a massive loss
638
00:41:18,047 --> 00:41:24,023
in terms of Airborne troops
and certain degree, 30 Corps as well.
639
00:41:24,031 --> 00:41:26,069
It was above all the suffering
of the civilians,
640
00:41:27,086 --> 00:41:32,044
having helped the airborne troops
so bravely, so generously.
641
00:41:33,011 --> 00:41:35,003
NARRATOR: Thousands of Dutch civilians
are killed
642
00:41:35,049 --> 00:41:37,045
and many more injured in the fighting.
643
00:41:37,099 --> 00:41:42,012
Almost immediately, the Dutch then faced
retribution from the Germans.
644
00:41:43,012 --> 00:41:46,071
ANTONY: They took their revenge
basically by cutting off food
645
00:41:46,079 --> 00:41:49,079
from the major cities
and this led to the Hunger Winter
646
00:41:49,088 --> 00:41:54,001
where at least another 20,000
died from starvation.
647
00:41:58,022 --> 00:42:00,014
NARRATOR: After being captured
at the bridge,
648
00:42:00,022 --> 00:42:04,035
Lieutenant Colonel John Frost
spends the rest of the war as a POW.
649
00:42:06,081 --> 00:42:10,023
He is later awarded a bar
to his distinguished service order
650
00:42:10,031 --> 00:42:11,077
for his leadership at Arnhem.
651
00:42:14,069 --> 00:42:18,091
Major Cain earns the Victoria Cross
for his actions throughout the operation.
652
00:42:19,037 --> 00:42:22,016
It is the highest honor for valor
in the British Empire.
653
00:42:25,012 --> 00:42:27,058
He is the only man
to receive the medal at Arnhem,
654
00:42:27,067 --> 00:42:29,029
and live to tell the tale.
655
00:42:30,033 --> 00:42:33,038
His citation reads,
"His coolness and courage
656
00:42:33,046 --> 00:42:36,030
under incessant fire
could not be surpassed".
657
00:42:40,047 --> 00:42:42,039
PETER: Nazi propaganda portrays Arnhem
658
00:42:42,047 --> 00:42:46,056
to be a major German victory,
it's actually only partly a victory.
659
00:42:48,014 --> 00:42:50,060
NARRATOR: Further south
in Holland, at Nijmegen
660
00:42:50,069 --> 00:42:54,040
the Germans cannot throw back
all the liberating Allied forces.
661
00:42:55,086 --> 00:42:58,024
But for Arnhem,
and this is the crucial bridge,
662
00:42:58,057 --> 00:43:00,091
the Germans achieve a major victory.
663
00:43:00,099 --> 00:43:04,079
And it's the only time in '44, '45
that the Germans destroy
664
00:43:04,087 --> 00:43:07,008
an entire Allied Division.
665
00:43:08,075 --> 00:43:11,013
NARRATOR: Montgomery's version
has its own spin.
666
00:43:12,004 --> 00:43:16,046
ANTONY: General Montgomery tried to claim
that Market Garden was a 90% success.
667
00:43:16,055 --> 00:43:19,017
I think that Prince Bernhardt,
the Dutch Commander in Chief,
668
00:43:19,026 --> 00:43:23,014
said, uh, "My country cannot afford
another Montgomery victory, in that case."
669
00:43:23,093 --> 00:43:27,002
Even more scathing
was Air Chief Marshall Tedder
670
00:43:27,010 --> 00:43:28,093
who was Eisenhower's deputy.
671
00:43:29,002 --> 00:43:32,002
Tedder said, "One has even more success
jumping off a cliff
672
00:43:32,010 --> 00:43:33,065
until the last few inches."
673
00:43:35,002 --> 00:43:37,053
NARRATOR: After the retreat
from Arnhem and Oosterbeek,
674
00:43:38,003 --> 00:43:41,066
the Allies establish a new front
further south around Nijmegen,
675
00:43:42,087 --> 00:43:45,074
to launch their next offensives
to the German border.
676
00:43:50,004 --> 00:43:53,013
Arnhem itself will only be liberated
by Canadian troops
677
00:43:53,021 --> 00:43:55,013
in April 1945...
678
00:43:59,051 --> 00:44:03,097
as the war in Europe rages on
for another seven and a half months.
679
00:44:10,006 --> 00:44:12,006
Captioned by
Visual Data Media Services.
58274
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