Grabner's force at Arnhem Bridge

[John Kettler]

In "A Bridge Too Far," SS-Pz Aufk. Abt. 9 CO Viktor-Eberhard (not Paul) Grabner is made to look the brave fool, but he wasn't. He was a man exhibiting the intrepidity which was expected of the Aufklargung Abteilung COs and was attempting to bounce the Bridge. Had he succeeded, he would've been lionized. Learned the hard way the British were there in strength, concerning which I have another important detail.

Here's the full list of his force, but not all of it participated. Nor was it a slaughter of a few minutes, but a battle which raged for two hours. Contrary to popular belief, there were no Pumas present, but there were some SdKfz 231/1 8-Rad, which, like much German armor, got morphed by those seeing them into Pumas. Of note in the force list are motorcycle combos and Schwimmwagens. And if there isn't already enough chrome in the discussion, Grabner was using a captured Humber armored car! It was a Mark IV, and if you're hardcore, Warlord had one painted up for BA in the paint scheme and markings Grabner's had that day. Image only. Not a live link. This was from August 2009.

https://forum.axishistory.com//viewtopic.php?t=15157&highlight=pum

Best info on what actually attacked.

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=318535

Some recent reading I did in a book called The Mammoth Book of Elite Forces, Jon Lewis, Ed., in an Arnhem chapter by G.G. Norton,  provided additional details on 459. For one, Frost's force was 600-700 menm, vs an attacking force composed of 5 xAC and 6 X HT. Here's the plot twist. The paras had six-pounders, a pair I read somewhere, and these went after the ACs, while the Sappers destroyed the others. That's a paraphrase of what Frost said, but from here, it's apparent  from the above that there was a lot more going on. Frost was being economical with his description, for there was a lot more coming over the Bridge than he let on. 
https://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27925

Some background on Viktor-Eberhard Grabner, including what's not in the above regarding disposition of his body. Notice the combat awards he received. Notice, too, what he'd been tasked to do.

https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=105255

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://de.allbuch.online/wiki/Gr%C3%A4bner,_Viktor-Eberhard&prev=search

Found this little investigation most helpful in understanding the attempt to bounce the Bridge, the forces involved, the man behind it and a previously unknown to me aspect of British anti-armor firepower present.

Regards,

John Kettler

 

 

Edited May 2, 2018 by John Kettler

[Aragorn2002]

Interesting stuff, John. There's also evidence Gräbner was ordered to take the bridge. Off to work now, but I will explain that later.

[Warts 'n' all]

Nice work, John. I've always taken "A Bridge Too Far" with a large dose of salt anyway.

[LongLeftFlank]

This snip from an old thread, link now defunct:

Surprise and shock were Graebner's only protection. It was a typical armoured commander's approach to an infantry problem. Panzerleute (armoured 'types') tended to disdain the resistance value of lightly-armed airborne infantry

[Michael Emrys]

Nice catch, John. I suspect that there is still quite a lot about Market-Garden reporting that is confused and inaccurate.

Michael

[Pete Wenman]

 

I feel compelled to chip in here, but will no doubt regret doing so. Just because individuals are not aware of something does not mean that the information relating to it is not out there. A huge amount has been written on Arnhem and in recent years many of the "gaps" have been filled.

If anybody is still relying on the book of a Bridge Too Far for their primary information then they are sadly out of date, let alone relying on the film.

If you look at the MG scenario "All Round Defence" you can see the forces for both sides laid out as historically as the game allows (other than I replaced the two 231's with 234's and also put Grabner in a 234). Frost had in excess of 700 men at the bridge from a variety of units, including 4x ATG and numerous jeeps. 

Good sources are

Kershaw

Middlebrook

The Two Then and Now volumes 

and a raft of work by Dutch historians, including Zwaerts - German Armoured Units at Arnhem

P

[Warts 'n' all]

1 hour ago, Pete Wenman said:

If anybody is still relying on the book of a Bridge Too Far for their primary information then they are sadly out of date, let alone relying on the film.

If you look at the MG scenario "All Round Defence" you can see the forces for both sides laid out as historically as the game allows (other than I replaced the two 231's with 234's and also put Grabner in a 234). Frost had in excess of 700 men at the bridge from a variety of units, including 4x ATG and numerous jeeps. 

The Two Then and Now volumes 

 

I loved "All Round Defence". A Great piece of work. And by coincidence, I've started re-reading the "Then and Now"s very recently. 

[IanL]

2 hours ago, Pete Wenman said:

I feel compelled to chip in here, but will no doubt regret doing so. Just because individuals are not aware of something does not mean that the information relating to it is not out there. A huge amount has been written on Arnhem and in recent years many of the "gaps" have been filled.

Hee hee. You should not regret anything. It's a good thing that some people are coming up to speed.

[John Kettler]

Am always interested in expanding my knowledge base and will be the first to admit I'm weak on recent Arnhem military historical works. After seeing an explicit statement from the site owner of Defending Arnhem that he was putting up material on Grabner's attack, I went there, but the section wasn't hyperlinked. My interest in the film had to do with how events were portrayed, and I think Grabner got a raw deal. My research gave me a whole new set of perspectives on him, together with his soldierly skills and courage. From what I read during my research, he came in guns blazing, but he had no idea just how enormous the opposition was. Pretty sure he didn't anticipate facing 6 pounder ATGs. Can't look at the referenced MG scenario because cant get any CM game to run following shift to new rig and am trying to sort this out with the MojoHelpDesk. From very limited reading, Aufkl, Abteilung formations were used as fire brigades in the east and were handled aggressively. As such, Grabner seems to have been operating from the playbook for such formations and presumably went in expecting light resistance from a weak and disorganized foe. Had that been the case, he may well have pulled it off. All in all, I think my little MG excursion has been well worth my time and helped engender a useful discussion.

Regards,

John Kettler

[Bulletpoint]

On 2/5/2018 at 3:25 AM, John Kettler said:

were some SdKfz 231/1 8-Rad, which, like much German armor, got morphed by those seeing them into Pumas.

"Enemy vehicle approaching!"

"What kind of vehicle?"

"Eh, it looks like a SdfK.. SKdfsz... A Puma, sir!"

[John Kettler]

Bulletpoint,

Pretty much. Guess the Puma was the AC equivalent of a Tiger tank, so when people saw an 8-Rad (with a turret?) it got reported as a Puma. Always thought the Puma was cool, but when the Bundeswehr revisited the 8-Rad during the Cold War, it plumped for the 20 mm auto cannon in a fully enclosed turret on the Luchs. It kept the fore and aft facing driver configuration, too. How my brother and his fellow Bradley CFV Scouts envied their German brethren over that, size, quietness, etc.Besides, if you're not armed to fight tanks, then you won't be tempted to act like you are one!

Regards,

John Kettler

Edited May 3, 2018 by John Kettler

[Aragorn2002]

53 minutes ago, Bulletpoint said:

"Enemy vehicle approaching!"

"What kind of vehicle?"

"Eh, it looks like a SdfK.. SKdfsz... A Puma, sir!"

[John Kettler]

Just noticed that Warlord Games (where nothing is cheap) is too poor to afford an apostrophe on their Grabner Humber Mark IV ad copy. Either that or we are all wrong about the dead SS recon CO's name, and it's really Grabners! Would that it were half so easy to spot my own typos before sharing them with the world. Warlord's screw-up was minor, though, compared to one I saw on an end cap display of higher end hair care products at CVS Pharmacy. Would you believe Hare Catre instead of what should've been there? Shared that with corporate HQ and engendered considerable consternation and a commitment to fix that as a result. Doubtless, someone in Marketing got a hiding for that gaffe, but I got a thank you. Wonder how many thousands of end caps will need replacing?

Regards,

John Kettler

 

Edited May 3, 2018 by John Kettler

[Warts 'n' all]

There is at least one apostrophe vigilante here in Limeyland, goes around changing shop signs, billboards etc.

[Bulletpoint]

1 hour ago, John Kettler said:

Just noticed that Warlord Games (where nothing is cheap) is too poor to afford an apostrophe on their Grabner Humber Mark IV

Not only that, they also saved two dots of paint for the Umlaut... as far as I can see, he was called Gräbner.

[Pete Wenman]

From Zwaerts - German Armoured Units at Arnhem - identified destroyed German vehicles on the Arnhem Bridge

P

[Warts 'n' all]

Glad to know that the garbage truck was "civilian", I dread to think what the military would do with it.

[John Kettler]

Warts 'n' all,

Apostrophe vigilante, eh? Bet the town councils are all exercised over that. Last year, I believe, somebody was offering online for Christmas a fairly good VISMOD of an assault vest (the ones leaving the guts exposed) on which was stenciled GRAMMAR POLICE.

Bulletpoint,

Noted the missing umlaut in passing--then promptly forgot.

Pete Wenman,

Though a real eye test, a most interesting and somewhat peculiarly labeled map of dead vehicles. Wish I could get a much bigger version with an easier to read font. The only model distinction we get on the 250s is between the standard type and the Neue Art reconfigured later one. I see one unarmored Demag 10 ton HT (would guess fitted as flak platform), a couple of trailers, a few staff cars, a bunch of light trucks and two ACs (Wrecks 15 and 18), but which aren't otherwise identified. Presumably, one of those two is our boy's war trophy. for sure, we can rule out the wood burning possible AC (Wreck 19). Most I've ever seen on the what died where front. Thanks!

Regards,

John Kettler 

 

[Aragorn2002]

On 2-5-2018 at 5:29 AM, Aragorn2002 said:

Interesting stuff, John. There's also evidence Gräbner was ordered to take the bridge. Off to work now, but I will explain that later.

SS-Hauptsturmführer Wilfried Schwartz, Ic of the Hohenstaufen and during the battle also Ia for the II. SS-Panzer Korps, describes in his correspondence with the dutch author Peter Berends (in his book 'Een andere kijk op de slag om Arnhem') how 'Bittrich ordered Gräbner to break the British resistance North of the Arnhem bridge (Frost) and erect a Sperrlinie (stopping line) West of Arnhem, in order to protect the bridge'.

The Germans expected more landings to the West of Arnhem and Gräbners Pz. AA 9 was one of the few Hohenstaufen's units that was up to strength and still in posession of a considerable number of armored vehicles. Gräbner was a draufgänger, but also a very skilled tactician and following very precise orders.The assault on the bridge was a bit of a gamble, but very much worth it had it been successful. Apart from that the Germans were in the dark with regard to the British strength. The British blockade of the Arnhem bridge made life for the Germans defenders much, much harder in the following days.

Edited May 4, 2018 by Aragorn2002

[Warts 'n' all]

7 hours ago, John Kettler said:

Warts 'n' all,

Apostrophe vigilante, eh? Bet the town councils are all exercised over that. 

The bloke who I saw a news report about seems to be quite a polite vigilante. He makes his corrections with easy peel off tape.