Rent Operation Market Garden: Arnhem - The Battle for the Bridges (2011)
3.5 of 5 from 2 ratings
2h 10min
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- Synopsis:
"Arnhem - The Battle For The Bridges" is the first part in the explosive new "Operation Market Garden" series of films, which aims to explore the whole of this most controversial Allied campaign of the Second World War, from the break out of XXX Corps from Joe's Bridge to Arnhem. The Battle of Arnhem, fought in the early autumn of 1944, remains without doubt the most hotly debated battle of the North West European Campaign. From its inception in the sixteen cancelled airborne operations during August, we chart the problems, compromises and ultimate mistakes that pitched lightly armed and poorly equipped paratroopers and glider infantry into an unequal struggle against an experienced and deadly force of SS Panzer troops. The team then follow the eight mile route that 2 Para took to reach the bridge at Arnhem, slipping through the German defences. Meanwhile, the remainder of the force tangled with 9th SS Hohenstaufen Panzer Division, whose presence in the woods north of Arnhem had been dismissed as a figment of an intelligence officers' imagination. The film climaxes by explaining the desperate struggle between 1 Para Brigade and an increasingly strong German force that included Tiger tanks and SS Panzer Troops in their attempts to reach the isolated men of 2 Para at the northern end of the Arnhem Bridge. After heavy German counter-attacks, the remains of Brigadier Hackett's Brigade fell back to Oosterbeek leaving Colonel John Frost's battalion isolated at the bridge, desperately waiting for relief by XXX Corps; relief that tragically never came. With the help of experts on the battle, the BHTV team systematically strip away layers of myth, misunderstanding and occasionally deliberate obscuration to reveal the startling facts behind decisions and events that led to some of the most courageous and tenacious fighting by soldiers on both sides, making this feature a must for all military enthusiasts and students of the campaign alike. - Actors:
- Tim Saunders, Jo Hook, Mike Peters, Bob Hilton, John Greenacre, Tom Dormer, Bob Darby, Jon Greenacre, Richard Hone
- Studio:
- Pen and Sword
- Genres:
- British TV, TV Documentaries
