Like a Painting on Canvas

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.

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BOXART STORY

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.

Like a Painting on Canvas

Illustration: Antonis Karydis

Text: Jan Bobek

INFO Eduard

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April 2025