Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks ' XXX Corps ground force advance was delayed Change_event_time by the initial failure of the airborne units to secure bridges at Son en Breugel and Nijmegen .

Heavy rainfall damaged Damaging many unharvested crops and inundated Destroying numerous roads and bridges , isolating some communities for several days .

A complex of bridges , gates , fortifications and barrage dams linked Connect Kehl with Strasbourg .

On 18 September 1796 , the Austrians temporarily acquired Getting control Control of the `` tête-du-ponts '' ( bridgeheads ) joining Kehl and Strasbourg until a strong French counter-attack Attack forced Causation them to retreat Escaping , leaving the French in control Control of the bridges but the Austrians in control Control of the territory surrounding them .