Holland 1944

"Hell's Highway"

Fallschirmjager Regiment 6 had been in continuous action since D-Day, and had taken appalling casualties during the Normandy campaign. After many heroic engagements the badly mauled division had withdrawn, fighting it’s way out of the Coutances pocket, but had lost much of it's fighting strength in the process and was barely over 1000 men strong. These exhausted troops were transported to Guestrow Meulenberg to recuperate and form the backbone of a reconstructed regiment that would be one of the key components of the newly formed 1st parachute army under General Student.

By early September the regiment, commanded by a newly promoted Lieutenant-Colonel von der Heydte, had been reconstituted and reinserted into the line occupying a position north west of Beverloo in Belgium, but they were soon on the move again when the Allies advanced north to the area around Neerpelt just south of the Dutch border. On 13th September FJR 6 were ordered to attack the Allied bridgehead, but logistical delays insued and the attack did not commence until the 15th as part of the greater effort of Kampfgruppe Walther. Oberst von der Heydte was ordered to spearhead an attack from the west with the objectives of securing La Colonie and the seize the bridges across the Mass-Scheldt canal.

The attack commenced at 08.00 hours and at first went well, overrunning enemy outposts near La Colonie, but soon encountered stiff British resistance. Supporting tank destroyers pushed slowly forward but by the afternoon the attack became bogged down in the middle of La Colonie. With British armour hampering the advance as well as accurate artillery fire from the British positions. Oberst von der Heydte reported, "This attack failed as it had to be conducted without artillery support." Combat continued the next day with the British reinforcing their positions, but this attack soon became overshadowed by larger events.

In the morning of the 17th several hundred allied aircraft bombed targets at Arnhem, Nijmegen and Eindhoven as well as many other strategic and anti aircraft positions in the area. Meanwhile over 1500 transport aircraft, many towing gliders, were crossing the channel heading for objectives in Holland. The biggest airborne assault in history operation "Market Garden" had begun. The US 82nd Airborne Division was dropped south of Nijmegen, the British 1st Airborne Division was dropped west of Arnhem and the US 101st Airborne Division was dropped north of Eindhoven, to the rear of FJR 6. Fragmented reports of the landings came in, but it was some time before the scope and scale of the operation became clear to German commanders.

The 1st Para Army was ordered to contain the Neerpelt bridgehead and deal with the airborne landings near Eindhoven, but FJR 6 had more pressing concerns. By midday on the 17th Kampfgruppe Walther was under heavy artillery and mortar fire, which was followed up by a British armored thrust along the main road to try and link up with the Allied airborne units, a move that von der Heydte had already anticipated. FJR 6 were on the western side of the Neerpelt salient when the Allies broke through, causing them to loose contact with Kampfgruppe Walther's HQ and were forced to take up positions in woods west of the road whilst they tried to re-establish radio contact. The 6th Regiment established communications with Kampfgruppe Chill late on the 17th and maintained their positions on the western side of the bridgehead. The Allies continued their advance and in the afternoon of the 18th men of the US 101st took Eindhoven. By the evening XXX Corps armor had broken through and also entered the city, a move that split the 1st Parachute Army in half, leaving FJR 6 on the western side of the bridgehead.

Fighting over the next 48 hours was fragmented, and uncoordinated, but despite these armored breakthroughs FJR 6 held their positions and continued their mission to exert pressure on the Allied corridor, whilst units around them cracked and were overrun. Much of this was put down to poor leadership on the ground, and General Chill even went so far as to relieve one hapless fallschirmjager commander transferring his troops directly to von der Heydte's regiment.

Axis forces began to tighten their grip on "Hells Highway" over the next few days. General Student’s First Fallschirmjager Army was ordered to sever the Allied corridor and plans were made for a joint attack from the east and west on the 22nd September, centred around Veghel. FJR 6 were ordered to support Kampfgruppe Huber to this end, but they were still strung out between Tilburg and Boxtel, engaged along a wide front - they were forced to undergo a 33km night march followed by a further 30km hike just to reach the start point for the attack. Transport was non-existent and forming up was done while still partially in contact with the enemy, all of which combined to make von der Heydte's troops 24 hours late and in a state of near exhaustion.

 

Despite their long march on the 23rd, the 6th Regiment was directed to attack American positions south of the Vehgel bridge, with the bridge and road as their main objective, which would cut of the Americans in Nijmegen from those in Eindhoven. Sceptical that an unsupported FJR 6 could achieve what the previous days armored assault on Vehgel by Kampfgruppe Walther had not, von der Heydte had few qualms in calling off the operation when it became bogged down with close quarter fighting in the difficult terrain. FJR 6 dug in to consolidate their gains, rather than bleed themselves white against the veteran American paratroopers. He later pointed out the key deficiency of the operation:

"During the attack by Parachute Regiment 6 there was nothing to be noticed of the allegedly simultaneous attack at the Veghel bridge by German units coming from the Maas. No sound of battle, nor any appreciable relief could be detected. As this armored attack was launched from another army's sector - from that of the Fallschirmjager Army - there was no way-of establishing contact with the attacking armored troops; the regiment was never told if this attack had been launched at all and what its results were."

Lack of success, and further Allied airborne landing now forced high command to take stock, reorganise, and pull in all available reserves for a final effort. 1st Para Army was now reorganised on the orders of Field Marshal Model. It was given the 2nd SS Panzer Corps and remaining elements of the 2nd Parachute Corps. Along with the 15th Army in the west, they were to attack the Arnhem corridor. In the west, the 6th Regiment and Kampfgruppe Jungwirth were subordinated to 15th Army, their objective for the new assault would again be the Veghel bridge.

Ironically, this scratch built force of mixed units, were to achieve more success than the reinforced panzer brigade thrust that had preceded them. Much of this can be attributed to decent reconnaissance and communication from commanders on the ground, factors that had been sorely missing in the previous few days. Around 10.00 am on the 24th Fallschirmjager Regiment 6 struck American positions in Eerde, supported by Jagdpanthers. British armour assisted the Americans, but soon fell prey to the Germans 88mm guns and savage hand to hand fighting commenced in the sandy dunes around the area.

Meanwhile elements of FJR 6 attached to Kampfgruppe Jungwirth were having better luck further south of Veghel. They attacked ‘Hells Highway’ at Koevering, pouring automatic and panzerfaust fire into lines of Allied vehicles that had been stalled by the earlier attacks, destroying over 50 vehicles, capturing Allied troops and cutting the highway. A soon as von der Heydte received news of this success he reinforced Jugwirth's position, which was held for 2 more days against Allied counterattacks with the support of Jagdpanthers and STUG's. Eventually due to mounting Allied pressure they withdrew rather than be outflanked and overrun.

The regiment continued almost continuous fighting in Belgium and Holland until it’s withdrawal to Woensdrecht on October the 8th, but it would finish this campaign without its charismatic leader von der Heydte. He was transferred to lead the top secret Fallschirmjager drop that would take place as part of the Ardennes offensive. Shortly before leaving FJR 6 he was awarded the Knights Cross with oak leaves and on this occasion gave a rousing speech to his men:

Oberst von der Heydte Order of the day, 3.9.44

"The Fuhrer awarded me the Knights Cross with oak leaves. The honour was not just for me in person, but firstly for the regiment, which I lead and represent. This is for your performance as a regiment, in particular your individual performance since Normandy. Your attitudes in service, honour, fighting will and toughness are the reason why I received this Award. A big thank you to you all.

The only way I can show my gratitude is through our partnership. You gave me your trust. You followed me to the hard battle and I gave as much in leading as you gave in fighting. My thoughts are in particular for the wounded and dead soldiers from the regiment, that gave to the last.

The only downside to my happiness of receiving this award is that I received a new command that gives me new challenges in a new area. It is very difficult for me to say how hard it is for me to leave this regiment. The time where I was allowed to stay at the front and in command of this regiment was the best time in my life. I was very happy to lead you, soldiers who perform so marvellously. Who had always a solution to every challenge.

I promise you my eternal friendship, please regard my friendship as I do yours. I'm sure that you will perform in the same way with your new leader as you have with me. The new commander is a front line soldier who knows what you need.

Hold the flag of the regiment high - be proud of the performance of the regiment in the Normandy, In South Netherlands, and in the future. Stand by your comrades so that you don't need to have any shame. Make the words true, that I told you that February in Wahn at the regiment parade. If everything collapses and wave over wave of enemies come over, our nation will be in danger. One of my men from this regiment will defy the storm and thunder, holding a flag high over the waves - brightly written with the words GREAT GERMANY - and he will cry, "Great Germany is stronger than any storm." So shall say a paratrooper from the 6th Regiment.”

Translated from orignal text by Christian Muller