Editing Battle of Arnhem (section)

===Day 3&nbsp;– Tuesday 19 September===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-2005-0077, Arnheim, britische Gefangene.jpg|thumb|alt=Eight men walking towards the camera with the hands on their heads|British [[prisoners-of-war]]. The Germans took scores of prisoners after the morning's fighting on 19 September.]]

With the South Staffords and 11th Parachute Battalion arriving at the positions of the 1st and 3rd Parachute Battalions on the western outskirts of Arnhem, the British hoped to have sufficient troops to break through to Frost's position at the bridge.<ref>Waddy, p. 86</ref> Lieutenant Colonel Dobie, the commander of the 1st Parachute Battalion, planned to attack before first light, but an erroneous report suggesting that the bridge had fallen led to the attack being cancelled.<ref>Middlebrook, p. 190</ref> By the time the report was corrected, first light was due but with reinforcement at the bridge the priority, the attack had to proceed. The advance began on a narrow front between the railway line to the north and the river to the south. The 1st Parachute Battalion led, supported by remnants of the 3rd Parachute Battalion, with the 2nd South Staffordshires on the left flank and the 11th Parachute Battalion following behind.<ref>Waddy, p. 87</ref> As soon as it became light, the 1st Parachute Battalion was spotted and halted by fire from the main German defensive line. Trapped in open ground and under heavy fire from three sides, the 1st Parachute Battalion disintegrated and what remained of the 3rd Parachute Battalion fell back.<ref>Middlebrook, pp. 195–196</ref>

The 2nd South Staffordshires were similarly cut off and save for about 150 men, overcome by midday.<ref>Middlebrook, pp. 200–205</ref> The 11th Parachute Battalion was overwhelmed in exposed positions while attempting to capture high ground to the north.<ref>Middlebrook, pp. 206–209</ref> The South Staffords similarly attempted to secure high ground but were repulsed. With no hope of breaking through, the 500 remaining men of these four battalions retreated westwards in the direction of the main force, {{cvt|5|km|order=flip}} away in Oosterbeek.<ref>Middlebrook, pp. 209, 216</ref> As they approached Oosterbeek, they were met by Lieutenant Colonel [[Sheriff Thompson]], of the 1st Airlanding Light Artillery Regiment, who formed most of the men into a defensive screen under Major [[Robert Henry Cain|Robert Cain]] {{cvt|0.5|mi}} forward of his artillery positions.<ref name=Middlebrook326>Middlebrook, p. 326</ref> The battle gave Urquhart the opportunity to escape from his hiding place, and he was able to return to the Divisional HQ at the [[Hotel Hartenstein]] in Oosterbeek, where for the first time he was able to learn the extent of the German forces facing them.<ref>Middlebrook, pp. 194, 210</ref> In Britain, ground fog again frustrated reinforcement. Thirty-five gliders of the 3rd lift carrying the Polish glider-borne elements were delayed in taking off and the parachute brigade failed to take off at all.{{sfn|Kinloch|2023|p=132}}<ref>Middlebrook, pp. 269–270</ref>

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101II-M2KBK-772-24, Arnheim, deutsches 2 cm Flakgeschütz.jpg|thumb|alt=Four men at side of wooded area looking up to the sky|left|A German [[2 cm Flak 30|20 mm ''Flak'' gun]] awaits the arrival of supply aircraft during the battle.]]
North of the railway line, the 156th and 10th Parachute Battalions tried to seize the high ground in the woods north of Oosterbeek. The advance was slow and by early afternoon they had not advanced any further than their original positions.<ref>Middlebrook, pp. 254–260</ref> Urquhart, realising the need to go on to the defensive and prevent the two battalions being cut off north of the railway, ordered them to fall back to Wolfheze and Oosterbeek.<ref name="Evans, p8">Evans, p. 8</ref> Making a fighting withdrawal with the Germans of ''Kampfgruppe Krafft'' closely pursuing them, the units fell back across LZ 'L', defended by the King's Own Scottish Borderers, who were awaiting the arrival of the glider-borne elements of the Polish Parachute Brigade.<ref>Middlebrook, p. 271</ref> Fighting began as the gliders arrived in the middle of the retreat and Polish losses were severe.<ref>Waddy, pp. 111–113</ref> All four Allied units streamed south and west toward the road crossings over the steep railway [[Cutting (transportation)|cutting]] at Oosterbeek and Wolfheze and gathered in ''ad hoc'' units in the woods on the south side, where most of them spent the night.<ref>Waddy, p. 115</ref> Some German units followed them across the railway and an SS battalion reached Wolfheze but stopped when it was strafed by the ''Luftwaffe''.<ref>Kershaw, p. 206</ref>

In the afternoon, the RAF flew its first big supply mission, with 164 aircraft carrying {{cvt|390|ST}} of supplies.<ref>Middlebrook, p. 387</ref><ref name="Evans, p8"/> The Germans anticipated the flight and moved five flak batteries into the area; as the RAF came into view, they shot down ten aircraft. Despite the bravery of the pilots ([[Flight Lieutenant]] [[David Lord (RAF officer)|David Lord]] received the [[Victoria Cross]] posthumously), the Airborne forces only recovered {{cvt|31|ST}} of supplies.<ref name="Evans, p8"/> The dropzone, DZ 'V', was still in German hands (the British would never reach this zone during the battle) and no message had reached Britain to explain this.<ref>Middlebrook, p. 388</ref> At the bridge, Frost held on, but without supplies or reinforcements, the position was becoming precarious. The Germans began systematically to destroy the houses the British were in, using tanks, artillery and [[Mortar (weapon)|mortars]].<ref>Steer, p. 100</ref> The ''Luftwaffe'' was able to make strafing runs on the British-occupied houses.<ref>Waddy, p. 73</ref>