I would like to speak about Operation Varsity airborne operation to enlarge Rhine bridgehead across Wesel. I know it was initiated on 24 March 1945 and involved two airborne divisions (6th British Airborne Div and 17th US Airborne Div.) establishing a deep bridgehead around Wesel and River Issel. They were transported in one jump and operation was a sucess , paratroopers captured all of their objectives and were relieved in 24 hours. Was it necessary though ? Rhine was already crossed by 1st Special Service Brigade along with 51st Highland Div and rest of 2nd British Army waiting behind. British firepower advantage was immense. German defence was much weaker due to main defending unit 1st German Parachute Army was decimated in Reichswald-Hochwald battles at Rhineland. And German anti aircraft defence was so intense despite British bombartments airborne gliderborne forces suffered severe casaulties during jump. So was Varsity necessary ? Or was it as Rick Atkinson (Guns at Last Light) claimed "Airborne Divisions became coins to be spent at Eisenhower's pocket and he had to use them anywhere in their original function"
Merdiolu, I am new to learning about ww2 so cannot answer your question but I have a question for you , Why do people feel the need to analyse something that they were not part of and they cannot change the end result. Hindsight is a many a splendid thing after the event Elsie
Thank you. I would like to add my own opinion about that. Yes I think Varsity was necessary. Neither Montgomery nor Eisenhower or Dempsey or Simpson could be quite sure that German resistence would collapse so quickly once Rhine was crossed. Once 2nd Army cleared left bank at March 1945 it was obvious that they would cross from this site so it was reasonable that Germans would resist to last man around Wesel and gather reinforcements and counter attack to drive any bridgehead back to Rhine. The crossing and establishing a bridgehead on Remagen was a pure chance and stroke of luck and due to OKW insistence remaining reserves of Army Group B was concantrated there (Remagen) again by stroke of providence. There was no way Eisenhower of Montgomery could know that Germans would leave another and much more dangerous breach at Upper Rhine much less defended. Especially considering between Wesel and Remagan bridgeheads they had potential to envelop Ruhr (that was actually what happened ) So Allies needed a bridgehead at Wesel as deep but as easily defensible as possible with firepower and as much troops as possible at one crossing before Germans recovered. All critisms of Varsity seems originated from hindsight after the war and improper balance of forces and firepower used in Rhine Crossing at Wesel. (casaul readers expect Allies to pull another Crete invasion performed by German paratroops or Patton's Rhine Crossing where small forces accomplished greater than expected results with surprise , daring , moving fast etc ) These were needed to secure the crossing and bridgehead at one stroke before German counter attack materialized. Neither Ike nor Monty could know or predict that there would be no serious counter attack towards Wesel once Rhine was breached. They were not manipulating next moves of German commanders or their strategy after all. I would like to hear different opinions though
I thought that was the point of history as a hobby or social science. You are right hindsight can distort our sight. I am not denying that. That hindsight was developed with researching history of that subject or area though. And you can always uncover something new novel or unknown to you by analysing or over analysing.
Merdiolu, thank you for your response, so in reality as I learn more and my confidence grows then that's when I should start questioning the reasons behind the decisions taken at that time . I am enjoying learning from your topic in this thread .Elsie
Everybody has their thing. Some people collect stamps, some people play video games, and some people do the "Monday morning quarterbacking." It's what we amateur armchair historians do.
Elsie I would totally agree with Belasar in that Merdilou loves to stir it in the name of analysis as he is as well read as anyone else but comes up with contrary view to infuriate others - too much Turkish delight I guess ... Cheers
Tom and I in total agreement...could be the end of the internet as we know it! I am not sure the airborne drop was "necessary", but it was useful and a element of insurance to the always tricky art of crossing a defended major river. The other main criticism is the high (relative) casualties incurred, and this seems to stem from a daylight landing as opposed to a night landing like Normandy. This does seem valid I think. It is perhaps hard today to appreciate the desire of the "airborne lobby" to have a place in the sun, but it did exist. The desire to clear the taste of Market-Garden from their throats was very keen and the desire to make full use of all these paratroopers (nearly seven divisions) by high ranking commanders was intense. I think part of the lingering controversy over Varsity has to due to the fact that massed parachute drops of troops had a brief blossoming during WWII, but have become impractical if not suicidal since.
Belasar- I am sure the Internet will survive our efforts - as we appear to agree once more in that the Airborne felt slighted that they weren't used enough whilst we in the Tanks and Infantry felt there were far too many "special troops" when we might have used them in our "unsocial tasks " on a 24/7 basis seven divisions would have made our task in Italy - or elsewhere - much easier Cheers
Charles B. MacDonald, "The Last Offensive": "Whether at this stage of the war elaborate preparation and support on the scale marshaled by the 21 Army Group was necessary or even justified for forcing the Rhine would forever remain conjecture. The entire production might have been avoided, for example, had Montgomery allowed Simpson's Ninth Army to jump the Rhine in a surprise assault back in the first week of March. Yet in the jubilation of the success that accompanied Operation PLUNDER, few but the most carping critics would continue to belabor the point. "My dear General," Prime Minister Churchill had said to the Supreme Commander as he watched Allied power unleashed against the Rhine on 24 March,"the German is whipped. We've got him. He is all through." To a man and to a nation that almost five long years before had known the nadir of Dunkerque, the pyrotechnics of 23 and 24 March were sweet and just and good and right."
There seems to be little question that German Airborne operations in Norway, Belgium and Crete had a tremendous impact on the Western Allied military's perception on their value and the Allies had the resources to pull off truly massive (multi-division) assaults. In retrospect the Allies probably could have stopped with just 3 divisions (6th Para, 82nd and 101st Airborne) freeing up 1st Para, 13th and 17th Airborne, Polish Para Bde. for conventional infantry elsewhere. I suppose we have to give the allied planners some leeway in that when it was decided to form these units, exactly how they were going to reach the German frontier was unclear or at least undecided. Certainly as skilled light infantry, re-equipped, re-enforced and retrained as mountain troops, like US 10th mountain, they could have done considerable good in Itally
First of all I do not eat delight. Too much sugar and and calory for me though it tastes great. I do not wish to infruite anyone. Maybe I should have phased title differently. Unfortunetely English is not my native language so it did not occur to me that it might me seen differently. Varsity is one of the operations I am interested because it is usually in shadow of better known Market Garden or likes of daring Operation Mercury invasion of Crete. I would like to hear different opinions if any about that if any. This was the first time a mass airborne landing accomplished on daylight on top of enemy front (or lets say not too much behind of lines) to enlarge the bridgehead AFTER the river (or any water obstacle) was already crossed right. A unique way of using airborne formations.
Right now I am collecting resources about Varsity/Plunder operations. I have "Last Drop" from Stephen Wright. Any other books you can recommend ?
Merdiolu, As far as I know there are few works that focus on Operation Plunder & Varsity. The best I've ever seen is this book (but it's written in German): Berkel, "Krieg für die eigenen Haustür" http://www.amazon.de/Krieg-vor-eigenen-Haust%C3%BCr-Rhein%C3%BCbergang/dp/3924380228 I would suggest the following general works: - Charles B. MacDonald: "The Last Offensive", which describes the operation from the American perspective.http://www.amazon.com/Last-Offensive-European-Theater-Operations/dp/0794837727/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388400241&sr=1-2&keywords=The+last+Offensive+MacDonald - Ellis, "Victory in the West, Vol. II, the defeat of Germany". http://www.amazon.com/Victory-West-Ii-Military-Official/dp/1845740599/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388400291&sr=1-2&keywords=Victory+in+the+West+Ellis - Stacey, The Victory Campaign (for the Canadian perpective), which is accessable via internet http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/Canada/CA/Victory/ There also are these two books from the Battleground Europe series: - The Rhine Crossing: Operations Flashpoint & Varsity (American operations) http://www.amazon.com/Rhine-Crossing-Andrew-Rason-ebook/dp/B00DN5VG5M/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388400031&sr=1-3&keywords=Rhine+Crossing - Operation Plunder & Varsity (British and Canadian operations) http://www.amazon.com/Operation-Plunder-Rhine-Crossing-Battleground/dp/1844152219/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388400122&sr=1-7&keywords=Rhine+Crossing The BAOR (British Army of the Rhine) published a good BFT book (very thorough) of 'Torchlight', the crossing of the 15th Scottish Division. If you PM me your email address I will forward you a copy. And there is of course this thread on 'Turnscrew, the crossing of 30 Corps spearheaded by 51st Highland Division: http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/50742-rhine-crossing-1945-the-rees-bridgehead-51st-highland-div-in-operation-turnscrew/ Hope this helps
