Hell's Highway

This article describes the Dutch street that was fought over during World War II. For the thriller from 2002 see Bloody Highway , for the computer game see Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway .

Cromwell tanks of the Irish Guard of the 30th British Corps en route on Hell's Highway to Nijmegen

Hell's Highway ( German  Höllenstraße ) referred to the road between Eindhoven , Veghel and Grave in the Netherlands . During the Second World War, US paratroopers fought there with the support of British tanks against German Wehrmacht and Waffen SS tank units, which tried to cut their way towards Nijmegen and Arnhem .

The 101st US Airborne Division landed in the Eindhoven area as part of Operation Market Garden on September 17, 1944 and, in addition to retaking Eindhoven, had the task of breaking the road to Nijmegen, where the 82nd US Airborne Division landed Secure armored units of the 30th British Corps with their vehicles as far as Arnhem. Since no significant German resistance was expected, the action should be completed in three days. But the 107th Panzer Brigade of the West High Command, advancing from the east, and the Chill Combat Group in the west fought the Allied units until they surrendered to the overwhelming forces of the Americans on September 21 and withdrew.

Web links

• Hell's Highway on the Liberation Route Europe website
• De komst van de grondtroepen van operatie Market Garden in Nijmegen on Noviomagus.nl (Dutch)