 Operation Varsity was a successful large @-@ scale airborne operation . All of the objectives that the airborne troops had been tasked with had been captured and held , usually within only a few hours of the operation beginning . The bridges over the Issel had been successfully captured , although one later had to be destroyed to prevent its capture by counter @-@ attacking German forces . The Diersfordter Forest had been cleared of enemy troops , and the roads through which the Germans might have routed reinforcements against the advance had been cut by airborne troops . Finally , Hamminkeln , the village that dominated the area and through which any advance would be made , had been secured by air @-@ lifted units . By nightfall of 24 March , 15th ( Scottish ) Infantry Division had joined up with elements of 6th Airborne , and by midnight the first light bridge was across the Rhine . By 27 March , twelve bridges suitable for heavy armour had been installed over the Rhine and the Allies had 14 divisions on the east bank of the river , penetrating up to 10 miles ( 16 km ) . According to Generalmajor Fiebig , commanding officer of one of the defending German formations , 84 Infantry Division , the German forces defending the area had been greatly surprised by the speed with which the two airborne divisions had landed their troops , explaining that their sudden appearance had had a " shattering effect " on the greatly outnumbered defenders . He revealed during his interrogation that his division had been badly depleted and could muster barely 4 @,@ 000 soldiers . 
