Release of Belgium and the Netherlands

During the Second world war, the release of the Belgium and Netherlands was an important episode of reconquest of the European territory by the allied Armées which extended from September 1944 to May 1945.

September 1944

The Bataille of Normandy was completed on August 21st in the Poche of Cliff by the rout of the German armies, the Allies have also unloaded in Provence on August 15th and go up quickly towards the North of France. The German armies ebb in disorder towards the the Rhine. The Allied , launched to their continuation in a movement of gigantic rush, sink towards the borders of Reich. The Britanniques release Brussels the September 3rd, Antwerp the next day. The American are with Liege, while in the south, the 7th army American and the 1st French Army, coming from Provence make their junction with the troops unloaded in Normandy.

Only, some ports of the North of the France and the Belgium are still with the hands of the Germans. Their garrisons received Hitler the order to resist, costs which costs, in order to obstruct the arrival of the allied reinforcements whose lines of supply lengthen inordinately on more than 400 km, since the beaches of Normandy. During September, the Canadians seize Ostend, the Havre, Boulogne, Calais, and reach the estuary of the the Scheldt. The North of France and Belgium are released and England is thus delivered terrible attacks of V1 launched starting from the German bases of the Pas-de-Calais.

September 17th, British and Americans try what they hope to be the final opening towards the Rhine, while launching three powerful airborne operations on Holland. With Nimègue, the American parachutists seize the bridge and are maintained on the Meuse where they are joined by the men of the 2nd British army. But with Arnhem, beyond the Rhine, it is the failure. After 8 days of heroic resistance, the 2.500 survivors of the operation are constrained to fold up themselves under dramatic conditions.

Battle for Antwerp

The allied High command must then admit that Germany, still powerful and determined to resist to the last man, will not crumble before the winter. Consequently, to ensure the routing of the reinforcements and the supply necessary to the allied offensive whose ways of provisioning are stretched on more than 400 km since the beaches of unloading, it becomes imperative to make the wearing of Antwerp accessible to the ships from transport, as soon as possible.

The city, released since September 4th, is located at 80 km of the the North Sea, at the bottom of the estuary of the the Scheldt, whose banks are held by strong German artillery concentrations. It is the 1st Canadian army, ordered by the Simonds lieutenant-general, who will be in charge of the operation.

The estuary is bordered, in north, by the peninsula of Beveland and the island of Walcheren, in the south, by the area of Breskens occupied by 64.000 Germans determined to defend oneself. October 2nd, the Black Watch springs with the attack of the peninsula of Beveland and attacks in ground discovered. The combat is appalling, the regiment loses in only one day many its men and all its commanders of company. The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry manages to seize the entry of the peninsula which it defends successfully against powerful German counter-attacks, while the 4th Canadian armor-plated division cleans the back-country. During three weeks of fierce combats, the 4th brigade continues its progression, and occupies the peninsula with the support of the 52e British division at the time of the last phase of the battle.

The pocket of Breskens

In the south, the 3rd Canadian division has the role of cleaning the pocket of Breskens. The Germans are cut off there behind banks from the Canal Léopold which constitutes a frightening obstacle with the progression of the Canadian troops. The October 6th, the Canadian Scottish and the Regina Rifles Regiment cross the channel and establish two heads of bridge which the Germans counter-attack furiously. The following day, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles arrives in reinforcement. To the north of the pocket, the Highland Light Infantry and the North Nova Scotia , cross the handle of Braakman and constitute a third head of bridge. Three weeks of savage combat, will be necessary to clog the pocket.

Beveland and Walcheren

To north, the peninsula of Beveland is connected to the island of Walcheren by a narrow roadway, long 10 000 meters. The Calgary Highlanders force the passage and establishes a head of bridge in the island, but it is counter-attack so violently that it must be folded up. The following day, the Regiment of Maisonneuve restores the head of bridge under a fire relentless, but cannot progress beyond. The 152e British brigade comes to raise it. The Royal Air Force, with repeated bombardments, manages to open a breach in the dams by where the sea waters of North are engulfed, flooding part of enemy defenses. The 2nd Canadian division can thus intervene with its amphibious vehicles, while a commando and a brigade of infantry British unload with Westkapelle and Flessingue. The November 8th, the island of Walcheren is released. The banks of the the Scheldt are cleaned and, on November 28th, the first convoy of allied supply penetrates in the wearing of Antwerp.

December 1944

Hitler launches an offensive despaired on the solid mass of the Ardenne S. the American troops are taken with the trap with Bastogne where they resist heroically, without air support, because the execrable weather prohibited the exits of allied aviation. The German offensive, of average materials and gasoline for its armoured tanks, is blown quickly, but it stopped the advance of the American troops which will be able to take again the offensive only at the end of the winter.

February 1945

The Soviet armies reached the German border. In the west, Americans, British, Canadians and French start a massive onslaught on the whole of the face, of the Holland to the Alsace.

Battle for the Rhine

Starting from its base of Nimègue, the Canadian offensive will fit between the Meuse and the the Rhine to attack the Ligne Siegfried, considered invincible. The average volunteers are considerable: thousand heavy guns, thousand hunters, thousand bombers. The Crerar general has under his orders nearly 400.000 men… Canadians, English, Scot. On the left device, close to the Rhine, the roads impracticable, are covered by 1 meter with water.

The February 8th the attack starts with a shooting of stopping of an amazing power. Canadian divisions of infantry are started simultaneously on a face of 10 km.

The 3rd division progresses on a marshy ground, softened by the floods. Only the infantry and the light vehicles can venture in this mud sea. The German line of defense is inserted and the men of the 3rd division penetrate in the forest of Reichwald. After five days of fierce combats, the forest is cleaned and the Siegfried line is inserted.

March 1st, 2nd and the 3rd Canadian divisions attack in direction of the last German line of defense which covers the main forests of Hochwald and Balbergerwald. The Germans bitterly defend this vital territory for them, they manage to stabilize their line of defense and to preserve the control of the bridges on the Rhine. The Essex Scottish , in spite of heavy losses, seizes its objectives in the forest of Hochwald. During the night, the Régiment of the Boiler launches out to the attack of the forest of Balberger, but it is pushed back by a crushing counter-attack of artillery and mortars. It attacks again and, in the course of the day following, succeeds in removing the position. The Queen' S Own Riffles and the North Shore complete the cleaning of the forest. March 10th, the battle of the Rhineland is finished. The 1st German army withdrew largest from its divisions, decimated, but in good order, on the other side of the Rhine. The offensive cost the life of 15 000 men including 5 000 of the 1st Canadian army.

Allied general offensive

March 23rd, it is the general offensive. The allied troops cross the Rhine. The units of English, Canadian and American parachutists, released on the backs of the enemy neutralize the German positions and make their junction with the infantry. Germany which does not lay out any more sufficient reserves as men and material and whose natural defenses are destroyed, crumbles each day more, in spite of the keen resistance of some of its units which will continue until the last hour a pitiless fight.

Release of the north of Holland - Attack on the north of Germany

During last weeks of this atrocious war, the Canadian troops will have to still release the north of Holland, to seize the German coastal area until the Weser, finally to release the west of Holland. The men of the Simonds general sink along three axes towards the north of Holland where they run up against very obstinate pockets of resistance and dislodge the German parachutists of the cities where they were cut off. The 4th armor-plated division sinks towards the ports of Wilhelmshaven and Wesermunde in Germany of North. Mid-April, 2nd and the 3rd Canadian divisions reach Dutch banks of the North Sea after having released cities and villages where they are accommodated by a population in jubilation.

On the western face, the men of the 1st Canadian body, which made movement from Italy to the Rhine, release Arnhem after furious combat of house in house. They progress towards the west of Holland still occupied by 120.000 German and who counts the most important cities of the country. The population is weakened by the deprivations and the reprisals which since the beginning of the war the Police chief of Reich for Holland imposes to him, the Nazi Seyss-Inquart. The Government of the Netherlands, in exile with London, insists near the allied High-Command so that the Dutch population, which reached the extreme limit of the suffering, is helped. A truce is concluded. The allied bombers parachute tons of food and products of first need which are conveyed behind enemy lines to be distributed to the population. April 25th, the Americans make their junction on the Elba with the Soviets and the British seize Bremen.

The Canadians, after having released Holland, make movement towards the north of Germany where they liquidate the last pockets of resistance. April 30th, Hitler commits suicide in its bunker of the Chancellery of Reich. One week of engagements still, violent ones and pitiless, and any resistance will cease.

May 4th, the Foulkes lieutenant-general ordering of the 1st Canadian body, imposes rendering on the German troops of the West of Holland while those of Germany of North go to the Simonds general.

Sources

Jacques Teyssier, documentarist, Canadians and Release of Europe. 1939-1945: the War of mud , (text written under the supervision of Mr. Serge Bernier Dr. Histoire - Director History and inheritance - Ministry for National defense - Ottawa)

Random links: