Collectie Gelderland

As the Battle Raged on

afbeelding toont gevechten van de Waaloversteek Twee lauwertakken omringen een gevechtssituatie tussen Amerikaanse en Duitse militairen, op de achtergrond de Waalbrug en vier boten waarmee de Amerikaanse militairen naar de noordelijke oever van de Waal werden gebracht Op het punt waar de lauwertakken bij elkaar komen de tekst 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment Onder de tekening een banier met de tekst 'as the battle raged on' links en rechts van de banier het wapen van de All American 82nd Airborne Division onder de banier het insigne van een parachutist met de woorden 'a page from history' aan de onderkant van de tekening de tekst: Sept. 19th-20th - the first wave of 3rd Battalion 504 H & I. The second wave - 3rd Battalion. Bataalion Headquarters Co & B. The first wave was at 1457 P.M. the third wave C.CO. at 1530 P.M. Heavy artillery, mortar, typhoon bombardment plus smoke screen prior to and during the crossing. The wind made the smoke screen partly ineffective. The troops kept crossing while the shelling continued. the tanks of the 2nd Irish Guards were supported. The first British Tanks crossed the bridge on Sept 20 at 1830. Half of the boats came back as the Germans fired on the Americans. Fort Holland was seized by "A" Co. on Sept 20 at 1700. The first large scale Operation Market Garden of the first Allied Airborne Army was the sky invasion of Holland on Sept. 17 1944. When the U.S. 82nd & 101st Airborne Divisions, with the British First Airborne Divisions went to clear the way for the British Second Army's drive into Germany. the immediate objective were of wihch would place the mouth of the Phine in Allied Hands cutting off the main forces in Western Holland, by taking the Key Dutch Communication cities of Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnheim