Was a bridge too far based on real events?

A Bridge Too Far, directed by Richard Attenborough, is a war film on an epic scale. It follows the men who fought through one of the worst military blunders of World War 2: Operation Market Garden. This is the true story behind XXX (30) Corps, during Operation Market Garden.

Was the Arnhem bridge destroyed?

The Battle of Arnhem The road bridge across the Lower Rhine should have been the final objective of the operation, and its capture was tasked to the British 1st Airborne Division. Although the bridge survived the battle, it was bombed and destroyed by B-26 Marauders of the 344th Bomb Group on 7 October 1944.

Was the Battle of Arnhem a success?

Though Operation Market Garden liberated much of the Netherlands from Nazi occupation, established a foothold from which the Allies could make later offensives into Germany and showed the courage and determination of the Allied forces in Arnhem, it remained a costly failure, with lasting consequences.

What was the significance of the Battle of Arnhem?

The Battle of Arnhem was a major battle of the Second World War at the vanguard of the Allied Operation Market Garden. It was fought in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Wolfheze and Driel and the surrounding countryside from 17–26 September 1944.

What happened to the road bridge at Arnhem?

Not only were the British Airborne troops asked to capture the road bridge over at Arnhem, but also a railway bridge and pontoon bridge. The former was blown up as paratroopers ventured onto it, while the latter had been dismantled.

What was Walter Model’s role in the Battle of Arnhem?

Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model — commander of Army Group B — had moved his headquarters to Arnhem and was re-establishing defences in the area and co-ordinating the reorganisation of the scattered units so that by the time the Allies launched Market Garden there would be several units opposing them.

What happened to the 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem?

The 1st Airborne Division landed some distance from its objectives and was hampered by unexpected resistance, especially from elements of the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions. Only a small force was able to reach the Arnhem road bridge while the main body of the division was halted on the outskirts of the town.