The important agenda item of the joint staff meeting on 31 August was to review the Allied Expeditionary Force's "Operation Market Garden" operational plan, which was put forward by Admiral Montgomery, commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and aimed at using large-scale airborne operations to seize a series of important bridges across the Rhine, Vaal and other rivers, and then penetrate directly into the heart of Germany from the Netherlands, in an effort to end the European theater of operations before Christmas this year.

As a matter of fact, this plan has already been approved by the US-British Joint Chiefs of Staff meeting, but it was only noticed by Li Junhao not long ago, and he immediately raised different opinions, and at his strong request, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff convened this special meeting to review the plan again.

After the meeting began, Li Junhao first spoke: "The 'Market Garden Operation' must be stopped, because the Allied Expeditionary Force Command has not even figured out the most basic battlefield situation, so it decided to use a large number of airborne troops to be airdropped into the interior of the Netherlands, completely to let the elite airborne troops go to their deaths!" ”

Marshall couldn't help but ask: "General Auger, I have studied this battle plan and think it is still very feasible, the German army does not have many defensive troops in the Netherlands, this is a good opportunity!" ”

"Alas!" Li Junhao sighed, "Admiral Marshall, as early as ten days ago, I asked the CIA to report the changes in the strength of the German troops stationed in the Netherlands to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, why didn't anyone take a look?" Generals, there is a copy in the folder in front of you. ”

Oh? Several generals were a little embarrassed when they heard this, hurriedly picked up the documents on the table, and after a little rummaging, they saw an official CIA report: It is reported that in addition to the Walz Division originally stationed in the Netherlands, the German army was transferred from the mainland to two armored divisions of the 2nd SS Panzer Corps and part of the airborne 1st Army from August 17 to 20, and the total strength has increased to about 65,000, with more than 500 tanks, armored vehicles and more than 10 battalions of air defense units......

Sizzle...... After reading this information, the generals were a little surprised, such an important information did not even notice that if the "Market Garden Operation" was started according to the original plan, the 35,000 airborne troops who were put into the battlefield would really be sent to death!

"Og, you're right!" Marshall immediately said, "This operation must be stopped!" ”

The others, of course, nodded in agreement.

So the Joint Chiefs of Staff immediately sent a telegram to London to inform the British General Staff and the Allied Expeditionary Force Command respectively......

But what happened next made the generals of the Joint Staff Committee angry!

First of all, the British General Staff believed that the information provided by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff was inaccurate, and the British intelligence services had already determined that the regular German troops in the Netherlands had only one Walz division and a small number of second-line troops, and there were neither armored troops nor so many air defense units...... So, the action should not be stopped.

The Allied Expeditionary Force was on the same side, with a special emphasis: Admiral Montgomery, the commander of the army in charge of the operation, had the support of all the British generals, insisting that if Operation Market Garden was successfully carried out, the Allies would be able to liberate the Netherlands at once, and penetrate directly into the Ruhr industrial area in Germany, destroy the German weapons and equipment manufacturing base, and force Germany to surrender, thus ending the war by Christmas!

In this case, the generals, who were forced to continue the meeting the next day, had their lungs blown up!

As soon as the meeting began, Admiral Leahy said with great displeasure: "What is the matter with this Eisenhower, is he carried away by the previous victory?" Didn't even stop this impossible battle plan! ”

Marshall had a good relationship with Eisenhower, and spoke for him at this time: "Although Dwight is the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force, more than half of his troops and generals are British, and he must consider the feelings of the British side and consider the relationship between allies, so he is in a difficult situation......"

For the first time, Arnold contradicted his superiors early, saying: "Even so, Eisenhower should not agree to launch a battle with no hope of victory, especially since most of the airborne troops to be lost in it are our American troops!" ”

Although he is an admiral, Stark also clearly supports Arnold's views in this matter, saying: "That's right, the airborne troops put into the battlefield in this plan have three divisions and one brigade, and the US army accounts for most of them, and we can't watch them lose in vain!" ”

Marshall was a little embarrassed, this was the first time he was unanimously opposed by other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, looked at Li Junhao, who was the first to expose this matter, and said, "Og, what do you think should be done about this matter?" ”

Since knowing the development of this matter, Li Junhao has thought about it, and when he heard the question, he immediately said: "Our 82nd and 101st airborne divisions are the most elite in the airborne troops, and they are also the only two divisions with actual combat experience, and the other 11th, 13th, and 17th divisions are all newly built troops, and they have not yet formed combat effectiveness; Therefore, we can't afford to lose the 82nd and 101st divisions! I suggest that they be withdrawn from this operation! ”

"Yes, withdraw from this operation!" Leahy immediately agreed, "Since the British insist on carrying out this operation, let them go on their own!" ”

Although he also felt that this should be done, as the chief of staff of the army, Marshall still thought about it a little more, and felt that he needed to have an excuse to do it, so he said: "But we can't force the order for the 82nd and 101st divisions to be withdrawn, right?" ”

Li Junhao, who had already thought about it, said: "The Pacific Theater is preparing for the Battle of the Ryukyu Islands and the Battle of Bay Island, and it is even more necessary for the Airborne Forces to join, so we should transfer the 82nd and 101st Divisions over!" ”

"Not bad!" Arnold immediately said, and several other people also thought it was a good idea!

——

On the evening of 1 September, Eisenhower, who had just moved the Allied Expeditionary Force Command to Reims in northeastern France, was in the process of handing over command of Montgomery in the headquarters -- taking over command of the ground forces, who had been promoted to field marshal by the British General Staff this morning, and would then take command of Operation Market Garden, temporarily leaving the Headquarters.

At this moment, Eisenhower received an order from the Joint Chiefs of Staff from China: The 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions of the US Army were transferred to the Pacific Ocean to carry out urgent tasks and set off immediately.

The commander-in-chief's brow immediately furrowed, he knew why this order had been given, and he had to carry it out, but ...... He looked at the newly promoted British Field Marshal Montgomery sitting at the conference table, sighed, and handed over the order!

After taking the order and reading it, Montgomery's face turned pale, and he walked around and threw the telegram on the table, saying, "We, the British army, will carry out the 'Operation Market Garden' independently!" Leave. ”

(End of chapter)