Editing Battle of Arnhem (section)

===Day 9&nbsp;– Monday 25 September===

{{main|Operation Berlin (Arnhem)|Evacuation of Arnhem}}

[[File:Sturmgeschütz Panzer (SP) III gemotoriseerd geschut aan het Onderlangs 2155 035321.jpg|thumb|right|A German StuG III assault gun at Arnhem.]]

During the night, a copy of the withdrawal plan was sent across the river to Urquhart.<ref>Waddy, p. 160</ref> Despite the obviously frustrating content, Urquhart knew there was little other choice. He radioed Thomas at 08:00 and agreed to the plan, provided it went ahead that night.<ref>Ryan, p. 515</ref> The Airborne forces would need to endure another day in their perimeter. More men were evacuated from the aid posts throughout the day, but there was no official truce and this was sometimes done under fire.<ref>Waddy, p. 156</ref> At 10:00, the Germans began their most successful assault on the perimeter, attacking the south-eastern end with infantry supported by newly arrived [[Tiger I|Tiger tanks]].<ref>Middlebrook, p. 424</ref> This assault pushed through the defenders' outer lines and threatened to isolate the bulk of the division from the river. Strong counter-attacks from the defenders and concentrated shellfire from south of the river eventually repulsed the Germans.<ref>Waddy, pp. 140–141</ref>

Urquhart made his withdrawal plan on the model used in the evacuation of [[Gallipoli Campaign|Gallipoli]] during the First World War.<ref>Middlebrook, p. 427</ref> The northernmost units would fall back first, moving through the more southerly groups, who would then follow behind.<ref name="Waddy, p161">Waddy, p. 161</ref> The glider pilots would organise the routes to the river and the operation would be covered by an intense artillery bombardment from XXX Corps.<ref>Middlebrook, p. 421</ref> South of the river, the evacuation was organised and staffed by men of the 43rd (Wessex) divisional engineers and [[Royal Canadian Engineers]], using rafts and storm boats.<ref>Middlebrook, p. 429</ref> To keep the operation secret, the plan was not announced until the afternoon and some men (mainly wounded) would remain to provide covering fire through the night.<ref name="Waddy, p161"/> Men were ordered to muffle their boots and weapons to help them bypass German incursions into the perimeter.<ref>Middlebrook, p. 428</ref> Some men took the opportunity to shave before withdrawing, providing quite a morale boost.<ref>Ryan, p. 519</ref>

By 21:00, heavy rain had begun to fall, which helped disguise the withdrawal. The bombardment commenced and the units began to fall back to the river. Half of the engineers' boats were too far west to be used (the 43rd (Wessex) Division mistakenly believing the crossing points used by the Dorsets the previous night were in British hands), slowing the evacuation. The Germans shelled the withdrawal, believing it to be a supply attempt.<ref>Middlebrook, p. 431</ref> At 05:00, the operation was ended lest the coming light enable the Germans to fire onto the boats more accurately.<ref>Middlebrook, p. 433</ref> A total of 2,163 Airborne men, 160 Poles, 75 Dorsets and several dozen other men were evacuated, but about 300 men were left behind on the northern bank when the operation was stopped, and 95 men were killed overnight during the evacuation.<ref>Middlebrook, p. 434</ref><ref name="Waddy, p166">Waddy, p. 166</ref>

During the morning of 26 September, the Germans pressed home their attacks and cut off the bridgehead from the river.<ref name=Kershaw301>Kershaw, p. 301</ref> It was not until about noon that they realised the British had gone.<ref name=Kershaw301/> Later in the day, they rounded up about 600 men, mostly wounded in aid stations and those left behind on the north bank, as well as some pockets of resistance that had been out of radio contact with division headquarters and did not know about the withdrawal.<ref>Middlebrook, p. 432</ref> Some of the British and Polish paratroopers managed to avoid capture by the Germans and were sheltered by the Dutch underground.  They would be hidden in various houses in the towns and villages, or in huts or makeshift dens in the woods, for around a month until they could be rescued in [[Operation Pegasus]] on 22 October 1944.{{sfn|Kinloch|2023|pp=163–190}}