Figure 1.-- Unlike Belgium, the Germans put up a fight for much of the Netherlands. It was a hard fight to get to Arnem and the Rhine. And even after the Allies poncjhed through to Arnhem, the Germans struck back at the highway leading to Arnhem. After the failure of Market Garden's attempt to cross the Rhine, the Allies proceeded to clear the Germans out of the area west of the Rhine. Dutch towns and villages took a beating from German artillery. Villages like Nijmegen were heavily damaged. the area between Nijmegen and Arnhem saw the worst of the fighting. Civilians were moved out of the combat areas. The press caption read, "Evacuee Brings Doll: A little Dutch girl carries the head of her doll in one hand and the body under armas she awaists evacuation from her native village of Elst, between Nijmegen and Arnhem. Civil Affairs officials tranported inhabitants of the village because of the vwreckage and the difficulty of feeding them." The photograph was dated November 22, 1944.

The Allies after D-Day finally reached the Dutch (September 1944). The only refugees at first were the Germans and their Dutch collaborators headed toward the Reich. The Germans managed, however, to stop the Allied Operation Market Garden offensive at the Rhine (October 1944). Unlike Belgium, the Germans put up a fight for much of the Netherlands. It was a hard fight to get to Arnhem and the Rhine. And even after the Allies punched through to Arnhem, the Germans struck back at the highway leading to Arnhem. The Highway became known as Hell's Hghway. The fighting persisted for some time. Once the Germans were driven out of one area, they struck back in another area. After the failure of Market Garden's attempt to cross the Rhine, the Allies proceeded to clear the Germans out of the area west of the Rhine. Dutch towns and villages took a beating from German artillery. The Germans were kjnown to shell newly liberated Dutch towns at night. Ater a day of celebration, it was to teach the Dutch aesson. Villages like Nijmegen were heavily damaged. The area between Nijmeean and Arnhem saw the worst of the fighting. Civilians were moved out of the combat areas.

Created: 5:03 AM 1/9/2017
Last updated: 5:03 AM 1/9/2017