Thread by @Clogfather1975

#ArnhemBFT - the route of C 2Para, approaching the railroad bridge. Standing here you note how deep the floodplain is and the distance to the railway (the dyke used to run out to about the modern train)

The (rebuilt) railroad bridge with the houses visible where the Sprengkommando was. From here LtBerry took one section to capture the bridge while 2” mortars of 8 and 9 platoons would provide smoke cover.

#Arnhembft The stone building was the stairwell to the railway. To the left was the embankment, raised sections south. Only southern stretch was blown up at 6.30PM. C 2Para now had to capture the Ortskommandantur in Arnhem. Wounded Lt.Berry left in a house on Benedendorpsweg.

#Arnhembft A view of Oosterbeek from the lower end of the railway embankment.

#Arnhembft Late (5-6PM) afternoon on the 17th, the leading platoon under Lt Vlasto emerges on the other side and is fired upon by two of Gräbners armored vehicles. Frost orders A Coy to the bridge, and B Coy to engage. Buttlar’s 13 SS men engage them around the train station.

#ArnhemBFT It takes the entire B company an hour to deal with Buttlar. The company keeps the underpass open for several hours while the rest of the column passes through. Brigade Major Hibbert signals Lathbury to send the blocked 3Para this direction, but that’s ignored.

#Arnhembft A look at one of the 6pdr positions (at the Airborne flag visible in the distance) from the spot where one of disabled (and photographed) StuGs stood

#Arnhembft This Stug and the same view in 1945

In this area the remainder of 1, 3, 11Para and 2nd SStaffs took positions late on the 19th. Early on the 20th, they were joined by 4 guns of 2nd AT platoon SStaffs and one of the 1st. Baskeyfield deployed left of the crossroads, one up the street near the white house , one right.

#Arnhembft The railway embankment from the same position. At the end of the embankment (far right) were Sanitäter with MG42s and later an SdKfz 10/5. The latter was disabled (seen in photo) by a 6pdr west. Many Brits were wounded by indirect fire from MG42s at the embankment.

Walking westwards along the northern edge of the floodplain, even the fence posts seem to have suffered battle damage. So, do they provide light cover?

The location on Benedendorpsweg where the 17pdr Pathfinder (now at the Museum) was disabled. Most of the houses here are heavily restored. #Arnhembft

#Arnhembft At the back door of this house on Benedendorpsweg, a surviving 3” mortar of 1Para was dug in throughout the battle. Firing at high angle with minimal charges, it helped defeat attacks across an open field East where a drainage ditch provided cover (or a target)...

Ah, just heard from the vehicle expert that they were 250/9 Alte, apparently Hohenstaufen had no Neu versions.

#Arnhembft Lunch done, time for more nerdery. This postcard from just before the war shows the area just north of Oosterbeek church, showing how open the area was. Tabletop inspiration?

Positions of D Troop and HQ 2 Battery, nw of the Oosterbeek concert hall. One of the guns here was famously photographed in action.

Kneppelhoutweg/Hoofdlaan. The underbrush is where a large house, Hemeldal, used to be and the ULO school further up the road to the right (of the famous photo with the glider pilots). We’re now into the Hemelsche Berg area, defended by Breese force from the 21nd

Just a few hundred meters left of the concert hall, we’re close to the western edge of the perimeter after the loss of Westerbouwing. Repaired battle damage can be seen at the windows

Southwestern Oosterbeek was full of large villas, partially holiday pensions, partially fancy-pants houses. Architecture very particular though some buildings are similar to the Hartenstein models

Such as the Villa Hemelsche Berg. After the attack on Westerbouwing at 8AM on the 21st, by the Schiffsstammabteilung with support from Wossowski bat, remnants of B Coy Border withdraw here. The Villa was in the wood line.

Of B Coy only 12 Platoon is in any real state and withdraws west. Major Breese is ordered to organize the remnants in this area of Borders, 2 platoons of A Coy Border, Poles, 17 Platoon SStaffs and some men of 11 Para.

HQ of E troop, just behind Kate ter Horst’s house, and the position of two of their guns as well as the view of the western evacuation route.

The Ter Horst house from the south

Chipping, of a different kind.

Marcel Zwarts, author of the Concord book (and more on the way) explaining how the English A/T guns decided the shape of the perimeter.

Fascinating story about the 3 German attacks on the 25th, each consisting of 1 King Tiger, probably two StuGs and infantry. They all get deep into English lines, though all fail with mobility loss and destruction of 1 KT each

Now it’s absolutely pissing with rain so photos and tweets are a bit harder. This is the field where German attackers thought they found cover in a ditch and were instead fired upon by a ranged-in mortar from the position seen this morning. #Arnhembft

To close out a few photos of the German attacks through the gap in the perimeter. These houses can be seen in a series of German photos of British POWs being rounded up.

And if you’re familiar with the photos of attacking StuGs, you’ll recognize these houses.

This might be harder to recognize, as none of the original buildings still exist, but it’s the location of ‘that’ Konigstiger, disabled by either a gammon bomb thrown by Lt Dauncey, or a turned Pack howitzer firing into its rear, or a combination of both.

And finally, some battle damage remains in the fencing of this garden on Weverstraat. Time for something warm...