Capture of port

[koalaburger]

I can't understand why the allies didn't make their major goal the capture of Antwerp. After Patton secured the southern flank all resources should have been towards getting a port to save needing the Red Ball Express. Surely it was not just Eisenhower playing politics and keeping Patton and Monty happy by having a broad front. It is so obviously the main goal after D-day but even when they later captured the port in pretty good condition Monty still did not clear both sides of the river so ships could use it, for some time.

 

[MontyB]

I can't understand why the allies didn't make their major goal the capture of Antwerp. After Patton secured the southern flank all resources should have been towards getting a port to save needing the Red Ball Express. Surely it was not just Eisenhower playing politics and keeping Patton and Monty happy by having a broad front. It is so obviously the main goal after D-day but even when they later captured the port in pretty good condition Monty still did not clear both sides of the river so ships could use it, for some time.

My understanding was Montgomery felt that getting across the Rhine in force would have ended the war quicker and in turn would have liberated the Dutch far quicker and less painfully than clearing the ports.

I tend to think that in this case his call was the right one given that most allied Generals expected to be driving on Berlin to end the war and did not know that it had already been sold to the Russians.

 

[LeEnfield]

Each little island in the estuary leading to Rotterdam was a fortress unto it's self, and each one had to be dealt with before the port could be reopened

 

[redcoat]

I Surely it was not just Eisenhower playing politics and keeping Patton and Monty happy by having a broad front.

Both Patton and Monty hated Ike's broad front advance, they both favoured a narrow front advance. In fact Monty wanted the type of advance so much he even stated that he would be prepared to see a US general command it

 

[koalaburger]

I was not aware of all the islands in the estuary, but I still think that at the planning stages in London the absolute priority for a port was obvious. They took Cherbourg early. It just seems that after 1. Secure Bridgehead 2. Patton breakout. 3. Would be capture Antwerp. It may have been difficult to clear the waterway but it was needed. The Red Ball Express and lack of supply is what held up the broad front anyway because neither ends of it had enough supplies to advance. Market Garden, I think was Monties way to grab the big share of the resources available. He used the capture of V2 sites as a reason and I think the Airborne Generals would have been hounding him for missions as well. I think it was thought up on the run and not planned in London beforehand. I have never read anywhere about the early planning regarding Antwerp, and from all I know about warfare it defies logic for it not to be a crucial component of the plan.

 

[LeEnfield]

Many of the ports in France were never captured as the allies just swung around them rather than get involved in a long and costly battle for them and they stayed that way until Germany Surrendered.

 

[lljadw]

Both Patton and Monty hated Ike's broad front advance, they both favoured a narrow front advance. In fact Monty wanted the type of advance so much he even stated that he would be prepared to see a US general command it

A prima donna as Montgomery willing to give a Yankee the possibility to emerge as the winner ?:lol::lol: