A Bridge Too Far

It's hard to remember now, but Europe was like this in 1944.

The Second World War was in its fifth year...

and still going Hitler's way.

German troops controlled most of Europe.

D-Day changed all that.

D-Day: June 6, 1944...

when the Allied forces, under their commander General Eisenhower...

landed on the northern coast of France.

By July they were able to begin their own offensive.

By August, Paris was liberated.

Everywhere the Germans retreated.

But with the Allied victories came problems.

Supplies still had to be driven from Normandy, over 400 miles away...

and became dangerously short.

The Allied advance began to come to a halt.

Another problem facing Eisenhower was this:

his two most famous generals... Patton, who was in the south...

and Montgomery in the north... disliked each other intensely.

The longstanding rivalry had never been more fierce.

There simply were not enough supplies for both armies.

Each wanted to be the one to defeat the Germans.

Each wanted to beat the other to Berlin.

In September, 1944...

Montgomery devised a new and spectacular plan...

given the code name "Market Garden."

Eisenhower, under great pressure from his superiors...

finally sided with Montgomery...

and Operation Market Garden became a reality.

The plan, like so many plans in so many wars before it...

was meant to end the fighting by Christmas...

and bring the boys back home.

What is that noise?

- Can I look out? - No, they might shoot us.

The Germans have collapsed.

Then the war is over?

Soon.

But what is that noise?

Panic.

You may begin.

May I first be permitted to say, and I think I speak for all of us...

how pleased we are, Field Marshal Von Rundstedt...

that you have been reappointed commander of our forces in the West.

Speeches are for victory celebrations.

Let's get to the point. Air power?

Air power, Field Marshal?

Briefly, please.

- Air power is minimal. - Ammunition?

Also minimal.

Tanks... Troops... Replacements?

- Minimal. - Morale?

Nonexistent.

What do you think we should do?

End the war, you fools.

- Why in the world are you laughing? - Excuse us.

We have such confidence in you.

Everyone knows you have never lost a battle.

I'm still young. Give me time.

The first thing we must do...

is to turn this rabble into something like an army.

Anything at all on when they plan to invade Holland?

They seem to have paused in Belgium.

Most likely supply problems.

Otherwise we can't imagine why.

I think it's because we're retreating...

faster than they can advance.

How many vehicles in the past hour?

Fifty-four.

And for the same hour yesterday?

Ninety-eight.

Last week your mother and I could have captured Holland alone.

Already the panic has stopped.

It isn't over yet and those idiots don't realize it.

- War takes time. - Listen to the expert.

I was nine when they got here.

Next month I'll be 14. I ought to know something.

Father, the Allies will come?

But when?

I've just got back to England from Brussels...

where I had a meeting this morning with Field Marshal Montgomery.

There was an earlier one with General Eisenhower.

They both feel, as I do...

that when the Field Marshal's plan has succeeded...

we should be able to end the war by Christmas...

in less than 100 days.

Actually, the plan is really very simple.

We're going to fly 35,000 men 300 miles, and drop them behind enemy lines.

It'll be the largest airborne operation ever mounted.

Quite frankly, this kind of thing's never been attempted before.

- Where's this all going to take place? - Holland.

- And when? - I'm coming to that now.

Right.

The ground forces: 30 Corps, commanded by General Horrocks, 20,000 vehicles.

And this, as you know, is the German front line.

Now we're going to lay a carpet, as it were, of airborne troops...

over which 30th Corps can pass.

We shall seize the bridges... it's all a question of bridges...

with thunderclap surprise...

and hold them until they can be secured.

Now first of all, General Maxwell Taylor...

Eindhoven.

You take and hold the bridges there with 101st.

General Gavin, with your 82nd...

you get Nijmegen.

You take and hold the bridges.

And Roy, you get the prize: Arnhem.

Arnhem Bridge.

- And you hold it. - For how long?

Monty assures me that 30 Corps...

will do the 63 miles in two days.

Sixty-three miles in two days.

- They oughta be able to handle that. - Oh, I'm sorry.

General Sosabowski, you go with your Polish Brigade with Roy Urquhart.

I'm so sorry.

Roy...

when you've secured your bridge...

and 30th Corps have got across it, we can turn east...

right into the industrial heart of Germany... the Ruhr.

Once we control their factories, there's not much they can do about it.

And that is the plan.

And we go next Sunday.

Seven days?

Why not? The sooner we go, the better.

We've got them on the run.

Is something troubling you, General Sosabowski?

- I've said nothing. - Precisely.

Your silences are thunderous.

General Browning, I...

I am a Pole...

considered by some to be smart.

If that is so...

it makes me member of a true minority group.

Minority groups are more comfortable in silence.

I should have thought the opposite was true. But you do disapprove?

I am thrilled that your great Field Marshal Montgomery has devised a plan.

I promise you, I'll be properly ecstatic if it works.

When it works.

Of course. When it works.

Thank you.

Well, now let's get down to the details.

First we shall have to have...

From which direction will their attack come, and who will command?

Montgomery or Patton?

- Model, what do you think? - Patton.

He is their best.

Patton will lead the assault.

I would prefer Montgomery...

but even Eisenhower isn't that stupid.

Bittrich's panzer troops need some rest...

if they're to stop Patton.

We should pull them back somewhere safe.

Safe, quiet, out of the way. But where?

Arnhem?

Arnhem.

- I'll be in touch. - That'll be fine.

Why the emergency meeting?

- Keeping abreast of the little changes. - How big are the little changes?

I'll answer you with typical British understatement: gigantic.

They can't get us all in at once.

Too many men, too much equipment, not enough planes.

It's going to take three days to get the men into Arnhem, Poles and the British.

- How about us? - We'll be all right.

Aside from the fact that we'll parachute in daylight, we have no worries.

Daylight?

- Has it ever been tried before? - Not in a major drop.

-Think there might be a reason for that? -Let's hope not.

- What do you think? - It'll be all right.

It's a "no moon" period anyway. We have to go in daylight.

Just so they get us over the target area, half a mile away.

Three-quarters of a mile... I'll settle for that.

I don't want to hear anything else.

- Is there anything else? - Well, you're my Dutch advisor, Harry.

I forgot to tell you something?

Only that the Germans first tried to take Nijmegen Bridge themselves...

back in 1940, and got slaughtered.

Go back!

Go back!

Do as I say!

But my friend lives down the road.

It's my birthday and she has a present for me.

Please let me through.

All right. Be quick.

Are you sure about the colors?

I'm sure, Father. Believe me.

Model?

A field marshal in Arnhem? Why?

The British will have an explanation.

Did you pass on the message about the tanks?

Of course. But Model is something more important.

You're a good boy and a wonderful spy.

Now go and help your mother with supper.

- Sir? - Yes, Fuller?

- We've got some information on tanks. - What?

Dutch Underground reports from the Arnhem area.

- Established their strength? - No, sir, but I've got...

- Have they been identified? - Not by our intelligence, sir.

So it's the same rumors as before, right?

- I believe these rumors, sir. - Why?

The general consensus of opinion is that our opposition...

will consist entirely of Hitler Youth or old men on bicycles.

I don't really know why, sir.