Veghel
Early in the morning near Veghel, disaster strikes when the Germans with the 1/22 SS Panzer Grenadiers supported by Panthers tanks and self-propelled guns manage to block the corridor at Mariaheide between Veghel and Uden. Their objective is to take both towns but by sheer luck parts of the 506th PIR have been moved to Uden right before the Germans attack.
They put up a fierce resistance and the Germans think Uden is too heavily held and do not press on the attack. Veghel is defended by the 2nd battalion of the 501st PIR and elements of the 506th PIR which also manages to blunt the German assault and hold the town. On top of this Veghel is attacked from the south-west by the 59th Volksgrenadier division and is besieged from all sides for a while.
The German attacks in this area are beaten back by both the 501st PIR and the combined attacks up the corridor by the 44RTR and 1st battalion of the 327th GIR who move in from Sint Oedenrode.
Nijmegen
The 82nd Airborne uses this day to move her troops around, the 1/ and 3/504th are relieved of their duty north of the Nijmegen bridge by the British 214 brigade and are moved to a rest area. 2/504 relieves 2/505 and clears part of the south bank of the Waal river in order to extend the perimeter around the valuable Waal bridges.
Arnhem & The Island
Two troops of the 2nd Household Cavalry, 43rd Wessex Division, XXX corps reaches Driel by using small roads, bypassing the German positions at Oosterhout. The last link has finally been established, although they were still on the south side of the Rhine. In the evening more troops arrived from XXXX corps, 5 DCLI with troops, tanks, and DUKWs filled with supplies for the 1st Airborne division fighting in Oosterbeek in the so-called “dash for Driel”.
Plans are made immediately to reinforce the besieged troops across the river and deliver the supplies. Unfortunately, not much comes of this, the Poles hardly have any boats, the DUKWs get stuck before they reach the Rhine. On top of that, the crossing site is under constant German fire coming from the Westerbouwing Heights.
Eventually, only 50 Poles manage to get across the Rhine and get into the perimeter. The Brits at Oosterbeek would have to do another 24hrs on their own.
