Bearing The Brunt ETO (id:#62558)

(Hell's Highway ID: HH4)

Mariaheide, Holland 1944-09-23 (9 others)

Overview:

As the Americans struggled to defend the vital Veghel bridges, the situation was not looking hopeful for the Germans, but every hour they blocked Hell’s Highway, vital supplied were denied the Allied divisions fighting to the north. During the night of 22/23 September, Allied plans were drawn up, calling for Company F, 2/606th PIR to lead the attack to open the road to the north at daybreak. Throughout the night, the paratroopers could hear German vehicles moving to their front and they knew they were in for some heavy fighting in the morning. The Americans didn’t have to wait until then as two hours before daylight, German shells began falling among their positions. No sooner had the shelling let up, engines roared to life and from out of the pre-dawn darkness, German tanks and halftracks sped towards the Americans’ frontline with machineguns and cannons firing.

Defender: American (Elements of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 506 PIR)  

Errata (source)