Battle of Nijmegen

Battle of Nijmegen
	Part of Operation Market Garden; during World War II
	; The Waal Bridge and north-east central Nijmegen, damaged during the battle. Photo taken on 28 September 1944 from the Dominican Church.
Date	17 – 20 September 1944
Location	Nijmegen, Netherlands
Result	Allied victory Nijmegen, the road and rail bridges conquered; Allied march resumed, but too late to win the Battle of Arnhem;
Belligerents
United States; United Kingdom	Germany
Commanders and leaders
James M. Gavin; Julian Aaron Cook; Reuben Henry Tucker III; Brian Horrocks	Walter Model; Leo Reinhold; Karl-Heinz Euling; Karl Henke
Strength
82nd Airborne Division; XXX Corps; Guards Armoured Division; 2 Spitfires	Elements of:; 9th SS Panzer Division; 10th SS Panzer Division regrouped as:; Kampfgruppe Reinhold; Kampfgruppe Euling; Kampfgruppe Henke;
Casualties and losses
; 200-300 killed or missing; (XXX Corps/Guards Armored Division); 1 Spitfire; 139 killed; 479 wounded; 178 missing( 508th at Wyler and Beek); 200 casualties(504th Waal River & Bridge)	300+ (Waalbrug south); 267 (Railway bridge); 80 (Waalbrug north)

The Battle of Nijmegen, also known as the Liberation of Nijmegen, occurred from 17 to 20 September 1944, as part of Operation Market Garden during World War II.

The Allies' primary goal was to capture the two bridges over the Waal River at Nijmegen – the road route over the Waalbrug (Waal Bridge) and Nijmegen railway bridge – and relieve the British 1st Airborne Division and Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade at Arnhem, 10 miles (16 km) north of Nijmegen. The Allied infantry units at Arnhem were surrounded by German forces, and involved in heavy fighting for control of bridges over the Rhine.

Delays caused by hastily-organised German reinforcements at Nijmegen ultimately led to the failure of Operation Market Garden. It took the Allies longer than expected to secure a land route to Arnhem, where the British and Polish forces were forced south of the Rhine and sustained massive casualties. In addition, fighting at Nijmegen cost hundreds of civilian lives, and caused significant damage to many buildings in the city.

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