Battle of the Scheldt

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Battle of the Scheldt
Part of World War II
Buffalo amphibious vehicles taking Canadians across the Scheldt in Holland, 1944.
Date October 2, 1944 – November 8, 1944 Location Northern Belgium and southwestern Netherlands Result Allied victory
Combatants
Canada United Kingdom Poland Belgium Norway	Germany
Commanders
Guy Simonds (acting) (First Canadian Army)	Gustav-Adolf von Zangen (German 15th Army)
Strength
?	?
Casualties
12,873 total; including 6,367 Canadian	?

The Battle of the Scheldt was a series of military operations which took place in northern Belgium and south-western Netherlands during the Second World War. Allied offensive operations were launched with the goal of clearing both banks of the Scheldt estuary of German forces so that Allied shipping could transport supplies safely into the recently liberated port city of Antwerp. Accomplishing this objective was vital to easing logistical burdens in the overall Allied push to the Siegfried Line, as supply lines were still stretching back hundreds of miles to Normandy.

After 5 weeks of difficult campaigning, including amphibious assaults, the crossing of canals, and assaults across open ground, formations of the First Canadian Army were successful in clearing the Scheldt. Three weeks after fighting ceased on Walcheren Island the ports at Antwerp were opened, easing logistical concerns in future operations on the western front until the end of the war in Europe.

[edit] Prelude

Allied forces landed in Normandy, France on D-Day, June 6, 1944 and engaged in protracted situational warfare at Caen and Falaise on the Commonwealth front, and in the bocage country on the American front, before the collapse of German resistance and breakout in August. Landings in Southern France also saw thousands more Allied soldiers join in the pursuit to the German and Belgian border in early September. This rapid and unexpected advance strained Allied supply efforts severely; more so because of the lack of port facilities available and the length of supply lines extending back to the only major deep water port in Allied hands at Cherbourg.^[1] First Canadian Army, activated in August, was assigned the left most position of General Eisenhower's "broad front" advance across Northwest Europe, and with it went the task of securing the channel ports north of Normandy.

September began with the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division liberating Dieppe. Several channel ports could not be taken and were "masked" as the army continued on to Ostend, Bruges and Ghent by the middle of the month. By October 1, the port cities of Boulogne, Cap Gris Nez, Calais, and Dunkirk were under Allied control, although largely destroyed by Allied bombing and German demolitions. The Canadians also captured many launching sites of German V-2 rockets, ending their attacks on southern England.

To their right, the British Second Army pushed forward into the Low Countries and captured Brussels on September 3 and Antwerp the next day, with its large port installations intact. Unfortunately, Allied logistics were strained to the limit by the rapid advances of all the armies under command (1st Canadian, 2nd British, 1st US, 3rd US, 9th US, and 1st French), coupled with a manufacturing fault which immobilised several hundred 3-ton lorries with cracked pistons. To make an armoured pursuit by the British 2nd Army possible, most of their infantry formations were temporarily "grounded" west of the Seine River, and no infantry units were available to consolidate the armoured divisions' gains. The advance therefore halted, with the British in possession of Antwerp but the Germans in control of the Scheldt Estuary which linked it to the sea.

Priorities had to be assigned, and the advance of all the armies was put on hold as resources were allocated to a bold plan for a single thrust into Germany. On September 17, three British and American airborne divisions, as well as a brigade of Polish parachute troops, landed deep behind enemy lines at Nijmegen, Eindhoven and Arnhem. Code-named Operation Market Garden, the mission's objective was to seize a bridge over the Rhine River at Arnhem. The operation failed with heavy losses, dashing hopes for a speedy end to the war. In the meantime, German forces in the Scheldt were able to reorganize and prepare to defend the estuary, though the two divisions in the area were low-quality Army units, eventually reinforced by paratroops of Battle Group Chill.

In the wake of Market-Garden, bringing a major port into use became the top priority once again, as adequate supply lines for the winter now became paramount. As Europe's second-largest port, Antwerp's 45 kilometres of docks was an ideal landing ground for supplies. The presence of heavily fortified large calibre weapons on Walcheren Island required a campaign to reduce these positions.

[edit] Opening the Scheldt

Map of the Battle of the Scheldt, October to November, 1944.

On September 12, 1944, the First Canadian Army under temporary command of Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds was given the task of clearing the Scheldt. Under command at that time was II Canadian Corps, with the Polish 1st Armoured Division, British 49th and 52nd Divisions attached, as well as British I Corps.

The plan for opening the Scheldt estuary involved four main operations conducted over daunting geography.

• The first task was to clear the area north of Antwerp and secure access to South Beveland.
• Second was to clear the Breskens pocket north of the Leopold Canal ("Operation Switchback").
• Third, dubbed "Operation Vitality", was the capture of South Beveland.
• The final phase would be the capture of Walcheren Island, which had been fortified into a powerful German stronghold.

Column of Alligator amphibious vehicles passing Terrapin amphibious vehicles on the Scheldt river, October 1944.

On September 21, the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division moved northwards roughly along the line of the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal, given the task of clearing an area on the south shore of the Scheldt around the Dutch town of Breskens called the "Breskens pocket". The Polish 1st Armoured Division headed for the Dutch-Belgian border further east and the crucial area north of Antwerp.

The 4th Canadian Armoured advanced from a hard-won bridgehead over the Ghent Canal at Moerbrugge to find themselves the first Allied troops facing the formidable obstacle of the double line of the Leopold and Dérivation de la Lys Canals. An attack was mounted in the vicinity of Moerkerke, crossing the canals and establishing a bridgehead before counter-attacks forced a withdrawal with heavy casualties.

The Northern Front.

The 1st Polish Armoured Division enjoyed greater success to the east as it advanced northeast from Ghent. In country unsuitable for armour, and against stiffening resistance, the Division advanced to the coast by September 20, occupying Terneuzen and clearing the south bank of the Scheldt eastwards to Antwerp.

It became apparent to Simonds that any further gains in the Scheldt would come at heavy cost, as the Breskens pocket, extending from Zeebrugge to the Braakman Inlet and inland to the Leopold Canal, was strongly held by the enemy.

[edit] Fighting North from Antwerp

On October 2, the 2nd Canadian Division began its advance north from Antwerp. Stiff fighting at Woensdrecht ensued on October 6, the objective of the first phase. The Germans, reinforced by Battle Group Chill, saw the priority in holding there, controlling direct access to South Beveland and Walcheren Island.

There were heavy casualties as the Canadians attacked over open, flooded land. Driving rain, booby traps and land mines made advance very difficult. October 13, on what would come to be known as "Black Friday", saw the Canadian 5th Infantry Brigade's Black Watch virtually wiped out in an unsuccessful attack. The Calgary Highlanders would follow up with a more successful action, and their Carrier Platoon succeeded in taking the rail station at Korteven. Heavy fighting at Hoogerheide also ensued but by October 16, Woensdrecht was finally secured, cutting the land link to South Beveland and Walcheren. The Canadians had achieved their first objective, but suffered heavy casualties.

Member of Canadian Provost Corps talking to members of the Belgian Resistance, Bruges, September 1944.

At this point, recognizing the opportunity, Field-Marshal Bernard Montgomery, issued a directive that made the opening of the Scheldt estuary the top priority of 21st Army Group. To the east, the British Second Army attacked westwards to clear the Netherlands south of the Maas River, securing the Scheldt region from counter-attacks.

Meanwhile, Simonds concentrated forces at the neck of the South Beveland peninsula. The 4th Canadian Armoured moved north from the Leopold Canal and took Bergen-op-Zoom. By October 24 Allied lines were pushed out further from the neck of the peninsula, ensuring German counterattacks wouldn't cut off the 2nd Canadian Division, now moving west along it towards Walcheren Island.

[edit] Operation Switchback

The second main operation of the Battle of the Scheldt opened with fierce fighting to reduce the Breskens pocket. Here, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division encountered tenacious German resistance as they fought to cross the Leopold Canal.

An earlier failed attempt by the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division at Moerbrugge had demonstrated the challenge they faced. In addition to the formidable German defences on both the Leopold Canal and the Dérivation de la Lys Canal, much of the approach area was flooded.

It was decided that the best place for an assault would be immediately east of where the two canals divided: a narrow strip of dry ground only a few hundred metres wide at its base beyond the Leopold Canal (described as a long triangle with its base on the Maldegem-Aardenburg road and its apex near the village of Moershoofd some five kilometres east).

Members of the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division demonstrating the use of flame throwers across a canal, Balgerhocke, October 1944.

A two-pronged assault commenced. The 3rd Canadian Division's 7th Brigade made the initial assault across the Leopold Canal, while the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade mounting an amphibious attack from the northern or coastal side of the pocket. The assault began on October 6, supported by extensive artillery and Canadian-built Wasp Universal Carriers, which were equipped with flamethrowers. The Wasps launched their barrage of flame across the Leopold Canal, allowing the 7th Brigade troops to scramble up over the steep banks and launch their assault boats. Two precarious, separate footholds were established, but the enemy recovered from the shock of the flamethrowers and counter-attacked, though they were unable to move the Canadians from their extremely vulnerable bridgeheads. By October 9, the gap between the bridgeheads was closed, and by early morning on October 12, a position had been gained across the Aardenburg road.

Corporal Kormendy, a scout from the Calgary Highlanders Scout and Sniper Platoon, in a shot from a series of staged photos by Army photographer Ken Bell, taken near Kappellen, October, 1944. PAC Photo

The 9th Canadian Brigade conducted an amphibious operation with the aid of Terrapin and Buffalo amphibious vehicles, crewed by the British 5th Assault Regiment, from the Royal Engineers. The brigade planned to cross the mouth of the Braakman Inlet in amphibious vehicles and to land in the vicinity of Hoofdplaat, a tiny hamlet in the rear or coastal side of the pocket, thus exerting pressure from two directions at once. In spite of difficulties in manouvering vehicles through the canals and the resulting 24-hour delay, the Germans were taken by surprise and a bridgehead was established. Once again, they recovered quickly and counter-attacked with ferocity; however, they were slowly forced back. The 10th Canadian Brigade, from the 4th Armoured Division, crossed the Leopold Canal and advanced at Isabella Polder. Then the 3rd Division's 8th Canadian Brigade was called to move southwards from the coastal side of the pocket. This opened up a land-based supply route into the pocket.

The 3rd Division fought additional actions to clear German troops from the towns of Breskens, Oostburg, Zuidzande and Cadzand, as well as the coastal fortress Fort Frederik Hendrik. Operation "Switchback" ended on November 3 when the First Canadian Army liberated the Belgian towns of Knokke and Zeebrugge, officially closing the Breskens Pocket and eliminating all German forces south of the Scheldt.

[edit] Operation Vitality

The third major operation of the Battle of the Scheldt opened on October 24 when the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division began its advance down the South Beveland peninsula. The Canadians hoped to advance rapidly, bypassing opposition and seizing operations over the Beveland Canal, but they too were slowed by mines, mud and strong enemy defences.

An amphibious attack was made across the West Scheldt by the British 52nd (Lowland) Division to get in behind the German's Beveland Canal defensive positions. Thus this formidable defence was outflanked, and the Canadian 6th Infantry Brigade began a frontal attack in assault boats. The engineers were able to bridge the canal on the main road. With the canal line gone, the German defence crumbled and South Beveland was cleared. The third phase of the Battle of the Scheldt was now complete.

[edit] Operation Infatuate: Capture of Walcheren Island

Soldiers of the Royal Regiment of Canada rest in Blankenberge, September 1944.

As the fourth phase of the Battle of the Scheldt opened, only the island of Walcheren at the mouth of the West Scheldt remained in German hands. The island's defences were extremely strong: heavy coastal batteries on the western and southern coasts defended both the island and the Scheldt estuary, and coastline has been strongly fortified against amphibious assaults. Furthermore, a landward-facing defensive perimeter had been built around the town of Vlissingen to further defend its port facilities should an Allied landing on Walcheren succeed. The only land approach was the Sloedam—a long, narrow causeway from South Beveland, little more than a raised two-lane road. To make matters more difficult, the flats that surrounded this causeway were too saturated with sea water for movement on foot, but had too little water for an assault in storm boats.

To hamper German defence, the island's dykes were breached by attacks from RAF Bomber Command: on 3 October at Westkapelle with severe loss of civilian life; on 7 October at two places, west and east of Vlissingen; and on 11 October at Veere. This flooded the central part of the island, forcing the German defenders onto the high ground around the outside and in the towns, but also allowed the use of amphibious vehicles.

The island was attacked from three directions: across the causeway from the east, across the Scheldt from the south, and by sea from the west.

The Canadian 2nd Infantry Division attacked the causeway on October 31, 1944. An initial attack by the Black Watch was rebuffed; The Calgary Highlanders then sent a company over which was also stopped halfway down the Causeway. A second attack by the Highlanders on the morning of 1 November managed to gain a precarious foothold; a day of fighting followed, and the Highlanders were relieved by Le Regiment de Maisonneuve who struggled to maintain the bridgehead. The "Maisies" withdrew onto the Causeway on 2 November, to be relieved by a battalion of the Glasgow Highlanders of the British 52nd (Lowland) Division. In conjunction with the waterborne attacks, 52nd continued the advance.^[2]

The amphibious landings were conducted in two parts on 1 November. Operation Infatuate I consisted mainly of infantry of the British 155th Infantry Brigade (4th and 5th battalions King's Own Scottish Borderers, 7/9th battalion The Royal Scots) and No. 4 Commando, who were ferried across from Breskens in small landing craft to an assault beach in the south-eastern area of Vlissingen, codenamed Uncle Beach. During the next few days they engaged in heavy street fighting against the German defenders.

Operation Infatuate II was the amphibious landing at Westkapelle, also conducted on the morning of 1 November. After a heavy naval bombardment by the British Royal Navy, troops of 4th Special Service Brigade (Nos. 41, 47 and 48 Royal Marine Commando and No. 10 Inter Allied Commando, consisting mainly of Belgian and Norwegian troops) supported by specialised armored vehicles (amphibious transports, mine-clearing tanks, bulldozers, etc.) of the 79th Armoured Division were landed on both sides of the gap in the sea dyke, using large landing craft as well as amphibious vehicles to bring men and tanks ashore. Heavy fighting ensued here as well before the ruins of the town were captured. Part of the troops moved south-eastward, toward Vlissingen, while the main force went north-east to clear the northern half of Walcheren and link up with the Canadian troops who had established a bridgehead on the eastern part of the island. Fierce resistance was again offered by some of the German troops defending this area, so that fighting continued until 7 November.

On November 6, the island's capital Middelburg fell after a calculated gamble on the Allies' part when the German commander was reported to consider surrendering only to an armored force. As Middelburg was impossible to reach with tanks, a force of amphibious Buffaloes were driven into Middelburg, forcing an end to all German resistance by November 8.

Meanwhile, the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division had pushed eastwards past Bergen-op-Zoom to St. Philipsland where it sank several German vessels in Zijpe harbour.

With the approaches to Antwerp clear, the fourth phase of the Battle of the Scheldt was complete. The Scheldt was then swept of mines, and on November 28, the first convoy entered the port, led by the Canadian-built freighter Fort Cataraqui.

[edit] Aftermath

Road flooded by German forces near Veurne, September 1944.

The waterlogged terrain and the tenacity of the well-fortified German defences made the Battle of the Scheldt an especially gruelling and costly campaign. Field-Marshall Bernard Montgomery noted that "The Canadians have proved themselves magnificent fighters. Clearing the Scheldt was a job that could have been done only by first-rate troops. Second-rate troops would have failed." At the end of the five-week offensive, the First Canadian Army had taken 41,043 prisoners, but suffered 12,873 casualties (killed, wounded, or missing), 6,367 of whom were Canadians.^[3]

After the first ship arrived on November 28, convoys started bringing a steady stream of supplies to the continent, which began to re-sustain the stalled 'Drive to the Siegfried Line'. Germany recognised the importance of the Allies having a deep water port, so in an attempt to destroy it, or at least disrupt the flow of supplies, the German military fired more V-2 ballistic missiles at Antwerp than any other city. In fact, nearly half of the V-2s launched during the war, were fired at Antwerp. The port of Antwerp was so vitally strategic, that during the Battle of the Bulge one of the primary German objectives was to retake the city, and its port. It has been suggested that without having secured the Scheldt estuary, the Americans would not have been victorious, and the Germans would have been able to hold the allies from advancing, if not push them back to France. In reference to the Canadian victory at the Battle of the Scheldt, Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower stated, "The end of Nazism was in clear view when the first ship moved unmolested up the Scheldt."

[edit] See also

[edit] Books

• Moulton, James L. 'Battle for Antwerp'
• Stacey, C.P. Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War. Volume III: The Victory Campaign: The Operations in North-West Europe, 1944-1945 (Ottawa: The Queens Printer, 1960)
• Whitaker, Denis and Shelagh Whitaker. Tug of War: Eisenhower's Lost Opportunity: Allied Command & the Story Behind the Battle of the Scheldt (Beaufort Books, 1985) ISBN 0-8253-0257-9

[edit] Wikipedia

• List of battles of World War II
• List of campaigns and battles of World War II

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

• Canadians on the Scheldt Photos, battle information, video and more on the Canadian role in the battle.
• Testaments of Honor, The Scheldt Official digital collection of experiences from WWII.
• BBC, The Peoples War.
• War Amps of Canada Against All Odds, a documentary by Cliff Chadderton
• Liberation of the Netherlands at the online Canadian War Museum
• The Calgary Highlanders Includes detailed history section with maps and descriptions of key battles such as Hoogerheide, The Coffin, and the storming of Walcheren Causeway.
• canadiansoldiers.com article on the battle, including maps and detailed information on German formations.