A brilliant plan by Montgomery to power through the Netherlands by seizing three bridges and head into Germany. It took advantage of Allied air supremacy and the three Anglo-American elite airborne divisions to capture the bridges. Of course with any plan execution is key, and that floundered one bridge short.
Bonus:
My favorite scene from A Bridge Too Far (1977):
Little did Montgomery or Eisenhower know that Hitler had ordered the bolstering of this portion of Field Marshal Model’s Holland front with the veteran IX & X SS Panzer Divisions, although not of full force, about 6000-7000 men strong, most of them transferred by rail from the Eastern Front.
There is also some evidence that the infamous spy Anthony Blount had informed German intelligence of the elements of the plan.
Donald, have you ever played the SPI board game “Arnhem?” A local used bookstore has a copy and I’m wondering if I should grab it.