Like a Painting on Canvas
Text: Jan Bobek
Illustration: Antonis Karydis
Cat. No. 7476
Market Garden was the largest Allied airborne operation of World War II, launched on 17 September 1944 in the Netherlands. Its objective was to use paratroopers (the "Market" component) and the rapid advance of ground forces (the "Garden" component) to seize key bridges over rivers and canals, thereby creating a corridor for an attack into Germany. However, the operation ultimately failed due to strong German resistance, poor coordination, and delays in the Allied advance, particularly at Arnhem, where British paratroopers were unable to hold a crucial bridge.
Air power played a vital role in the operation, providing support for airborne troops, supply drops, and ground forces. The first aircraft to patrol the drop zone on 17 September were Mustang IIIs from No. 122 Wing of the RAF. On the Luftwaffe side, II./JG 6, flying Focke-Wulf Fw 190s, was the first to reach the target area. In an engagement, presumably with No. 65 Squadron RAF, the German unit lost four aircraft and had one damaged. All three Gruppen of JG 26 also joined the battle. Despite losing two aircraft and their pilots, they claimed 11 victories in combat with various British and American air force units.
On 17 and 18 September, the Luftwaffe committed two Geschwader Stabs and eight fighter Gruppen over the airborne area, diverting from defending against American bombers. Attacks focused on transport aircraft and gliders, though reaching them proved difficult under heavy Allied cover.
On 18 September, poor weather limited operations to about 200 Luftwaffe aircraft, while Allied pilots also struggled with flying conditions. Canadian units from No. 125 and 126 Wings RCAF saw combat, but the day’s biggest achievement came from the U.S. 357th Fighter Group flying P-51s. They downed 22 enemy aircraft, mostly Bf 109s and Fw 190s from JG 6 and JG 300.
On 19 September, weather grounded British 2nd TAF fighters, but clearer skies on the German side allowed about 150 Luftwaffe fighters to operate over the battlefield. Though they failed to reach the Allied transports, the Luftwaffe briefly gained air superiority. That advantage was quickly challenged by nearly 130 Spitfires from Air Defense of Great Britain (RAF Fighter Command, ADGB) and over 180 P-51 Mustangs from the U.S. 8th Air Force. German fighters from II./JG 6, II./JG 11, II./JG 26, III./JG 26, and III./JG 27 claimed 11 victories but lost 16 of their own.
One dramatic moment from the day is depicted in a box art illustration by Antonis Karydis, capturing 1st Lt. Arval James Roberson of the 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, scoring his fifth victory. His unit arrived over the target area around 5 p.m. In front of him, he saw a sunlit wall of high cloud stretching to the coast, with an intense aerial battle unfolding beneath it, like a scene from a painter’s canvas or a Hollywood film. His firsthand account can be read in an article by Merle C. Olmsted here.
Roberson’s unit managed to attack a group of Messerschmitt Bf 109s, likely from II./JG 11, as they attempted to disengage from the combat zone. In the ensuing engagement, American pilots claimed twenty victories over Bf 109s and an additional five over Fw 190s.
Roberson’s first target was a Bf 109, his guns struck directly the cockpit, which immediately burst into flames, the pilot did not bail out. He then pursued a second Bf 109, hitting it first in the tail section and then in the engine. Smoke and coolant streamed from the damaged aircraft. Although he lost sight of it in the final seconds of the chase, his wingman, Charles Goss, confirmed the kill after landing. Their adversaries from II./JG 11 lost four aircraft in the skirmish, and one pilot was killed while descending by parachute.
However, the 357th Fighter Group also paid a price. Five of their pilots failed to return from the mission. At least four were shot down by Focke-Wulfs from 5./JG 26, led by Lt. Vogt. Among those lost was Maj. Edward Hiro, commander of the 363rd Fighter Squadron, who was flying his final mission before returning to the United States. Capt. Bruce McIntyre of the 364th FS and his two wingmen also did not return. Fortunately, they survived and were taken as prisoners of war. One of them had been flying as a replacement and wore his dress uniform, as he had originally planned to spend the day on a date with a lovely young woman in London. The last pilot from the 357th FG shot down that day was James Blanchard of the 362nd FS, most likely downed by a Bf 109 pilot from II./JG 11.
In the days that followed, the 357th FG continued to fly combat missions over the Netherlands, but no further enemy contact was made. This was partly due to unfavorable weather, both over the Dutch front and at their home bases in England. Fierce aerial battles over the drop zone continued until the end of Operation Market Garden on September 25, 1944.