Cover Story: In Memory of Operation Market Garden

17 September 1944 morning, north of Sonsche forest, US 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment (506 PIR) landed and assembled quickly. Their first day object was taking the bridge over Wilhelmina Canal at Son and then pushed through south to capture Eindhoven by nightfall (1). They marched south east from Sonsche forest through the road from Best to Son. The German set up machine gun nests and 88mm flak in the cross road from Best to main street south to the bridge over Wilhelmina Canal and buy time for wiring the bridge with explosives. The 1st battalion of the 506 PIR tried to bypass the main street and flank the German from the west but German 88mm flak located in south of the Wilhelmina Canal inflicted heavy casualty on them (1). The bridge was blown into sky by some trainees from Herman Goering Division while the 506 PIR fought through main road north of Wilhelmina Canal in the afternoon. Colonel Robert Sink, commander of the 506 PIR, sent some of his paratroopers to ferry across the Wilhelmina Canal and smashed the German 88mm flak in the southern band (2). The US engineers prepared a small wooden bridge over Wilhelmina Canal but the 506 PIR could only slowly pass through to south due to low capacity of the bridge. They send some foot patrol to the south but could not enter Eindhoven. The 506 PIR dig in just south of Wilhelmina Canal at Son for the night (1).

17 September 1944 morning, HQ of German AOK 7, informed the LXXXI Armeekorps that Panzer Brigade 107 (PB 107) would arrived in Dueren (German) on the next morning. But in the afternoon they were informed again the PB 107 would not be placed under their command because of the allied landings in the Arnhem-Nijmegen area. The trains loading PB 107 would reroute to confront the Operation Market Garden (3).

Reference:

1. MARKET GARDEN - 101st AIRBORNE DIVISION/OPEERATION MARKET GARDEN

2. The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment/The US Airborne during World War II

3. Panzer-Brigade 107/Axis History

In memory of this action you can reenact the 506 PIR with PC Game Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway published by UBISOFT/gearbox in 2008 and experience the heat and tense during the 506 PIR fought for the bridge over Wilhelmina Canal at Son on that day.

For more battle field tour at Son/Nederland, please visit TracesOfWar.