SS Panzerdivision "Hohenstaufen" Arnheim 1944
Operation "Market Garden"

 

Operation "Market Garden"

Facing the near V-Day Field Marshal Montgomery designed a new plan to crush the remains of the German Army:

In a daring operation his armoured troops should advance deep into the Netherlands, cross the Rhine at Arnheim, take the Rhur-area with its industry from the north and maybe capture Hitler in his bunker at Berlin prior to the Soviets.

On Sept 17th the Allied Airborne operation "Marked Garden" started with the mission to take the bridges of Son, Vegel, Grave, Nijmegen and Arnheim, spaning across the Rhine, Maas and several canals.

The British paratroopers (approx. 20.000 men) had to jump near those bridges and to hold them, till the British XXX. Armoured Corps (45.000 men) would arrive.

Due to bad reconnaissance and neglecting of information from dutch partisans, the airborne assault at Arnheim landed right in between two refitting German SS Armoured Divisions: 9th PzDiv "Hohenstaufen" and 10th SS PzDiv "Frundsberg" (all in all at about 9.500 men). A fierce fighting for the bridges began...
 

The Diorama:

My diorama "Counter attack" is showing a scenery where advancing Panzergrenadiers in the Utrechseweg in Arnheim are supported by their Armoured Infantry transport vehicle, a SdKfz 251/1 Ausf D of Recce Batallion of 9th SS PzDiv. They try to rally the scattered British paratroopers in the nearby houses.
 

Used material:

The vehicle is from Tamyia upgraded with a photo etched set from Eduard. The stowage bins´ doors are selfmade. The figures came from Dragon, Wolf and Warriors. The lantern was taken from Verlinden. All the rest is homemade.