After the disappointment of Operation Market Garden the Allied Forces turned their attention to opening the Scheldt estuary. Montgomery’s intent to execute a fast and concentrated push into the heart of Germany by a surprise attack on Arnhem had failed. At this point Eisenhower re-emphasised the importance of the availability of Antwerp as a supply harbour for the Allied Forces. At first Montgomery continued to display his stubborn character but in the end he compromised.
In September 1944 the Canadian 1st Army, led by Lieutenant General Crerar, captured several places along the Channel coast and in Western Belgium. While the British 2nd Army followed a more eastern route towards Antwerp, the Canadians conquered Dieppe, Oostende, Ghent and Bruges at a great pace. Le Havre, Boulogne and Calais proved to be more difficult, but during the course of September the German resistance was also broken in these places. At this point they had a chain of major harbours on the Channel coast at their disposal. However, free passage along the Scheldt to Antwerp continued to be of essential importance to the Allies due to the capacity and strategic location of this seaport. The Germans were also aware of this.
General Von Zangen, who skilfully withdrew his 1st Army (almost 90,000 men) back to the North, settled the German 64th Infantry Division in Zealand, Flanders, and the 70th Infantry Division on Walcheren and South-Bevcland. The Germans had already constructed their “Atlantic Wall” on both sides of the Scheldt estuary so, at first the harbour of liberated Antwerp was useless to the Allied Forces. The (Canadians and Polish had to fight fierce battles near the Ghent-Bruges Canal and the Leie Canal in order to be able to form bridgeheads. The march towards eastern Zealand-Flanders seemed much easier. On 15 October the frontline ran from Zeebrugge in the West along the Leopold Canal and the Braakman towards Terneuzen and from there along the Scheldt towards Antwerp.