The Battle of the Scheldt Estuary (Overview)

From The Covenanter: The Regimental Journal of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 2005.

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.

Shortly after, the Canadian 1st Army, which was tasked with freeing the Scheldt estuary, attacked the new German line of defence.. From Antwerp they marched to the Kreekrakdam, and further attacks were carried out to the West across the Leopold canal. However, in both sectors they met strong German resistance. The Germans had an especially strong fortress in the partly flooded polders of western Zealand-Flanders A combined Canadian attack from Terneuzen and from behind the Leopold Canal (Operation Switchback) forced the Germans back on the line Breskens-Schoondijke-Oostburg-Sluis. Not until 1 November, after a severe battle lasting for days, in which the civilian population also suffered great losses, was the last town in this sector liberated by the Canadians, by then supported by a British brigade.

In the meantime the German troops on North and South-Beveland and on Walcheren were cut off on the eastern side because of the Liberation of Woensdrecht on 16 October. More than a week later the attack on South-Beveland was launched, also carried out by Canadians and British.

Operation Vitality I was a direct attack over the Kreekrakdam, and Operation Vitality II comprised a landing of amphibious craft hear Baarland. On 28 October the Allied Forces built a temporary bridge next to the destroyed bridges over the Canal through South Beveland. A day later both parts of the attack line met each other near Gravenpolder, The town of Goes and the western part of South Beveland were then liberated relatively easily.

Only Walcheren remained to be liberated.

On this island the Germans had a series of artillery batteries, concrete bunkers, machine gun nests and other enforcements. With the aim of limiting German manoeuvres, the Allied Forces decided to flood Walcheren before launching their attack. After the civilian population was warned of the coming danger by leaflets, the sea embankment near Westkapelle was bombed. Nevertheless dozens of civilians were killed during this bombardment and in the following flooding 46 people were killed in Westkapelle when their hiding place, a windmill, took a direct hit. Because the seawater spread only slowly over the land east of Westkapelle, the sea embankments of Vlissingen and Veere were bombed as well. At this point the Germans were forced to withdraw to the higher grounds of the peninsula, but their heavy artillery was situated in the dunes area. The RAF was not able to silence the German artillery before the battle began.

The attack on Walcheren comprised several actions. On the eastside the Sloedam was attacked, in the south there was a landing near Vlissingen (Operation Infatuate I) and in the west a landing near Westkapelle (Operation Infatuate II) took place. Alongside the Canadians fought British, French, Dutch, Belgian and Norwegian troops.

Near the Sloedam the attackers found themselves in an extremely difficult position. This dam was more than a kilometer long and completely bare, with only silt and salt marshes on both sides of it.

Between 31 October and 3 November a severe battle took place.

However, the Allied Forces managed to form a bridgehead, also thanks to a crossing through the Sloe-area (Operation Mallard). Meanwhile the Allied landing near Vlissingen had taken place in the night of 31 October on 1 November near the so-called Slijk-harbour but here, as well, several days of severe battle took place before the Germans surrendered. On 3 November the Allied Forces assaulted the hotel ‘Britannia’, which was transformed into a fortress, on the Boulevard Evertsen. This hotel was the headquarters of the German garrison commander Colonel Reinhardt. Not until after many hours of battle did Reinhardt surrender and Vlissingen was liberated.

Also near Westkapelle the Germans put up a staunch resistance. Although the villages of Westkapelle and Domburg were liberated quite quickly, the German artillery located in the dunes caused a lot of trouble. The attack on such artillery batteries near Dishoek, Oostkapelle and Vrouwenpolder took its toll. The liberation of Middelburg proved to be far less a struggle. Apparently the German General Daser was not inclined to fight to the last ditch. Finally the liberation of North Beveland quickly followed. The 450 man German occupation surrendered without notable battle.

It is a historical oversight that so little attention has been paid to the battle of the Scheldt estuary. The potential of Antwerp harbour as a supply harbour was of principal importance for the march to Berlin by the Allied Forces.

With hindsight Eisenhower should not have given in to Montgomery’s demands over Operation Market Garden, by which time the German 15th Army had been allowed the opportunity to organise the defence of the Scheldt estuary. The fierce battle and the clearing of the Scheldt of mines took almost three months. During this period, Antwerp could not be used as a supply harbour and so there was a hold-up in the supply to the Allied Forces and their march to Berlin came to a halt.. Because of this the Germans were able to launch the Ardennes-offensive. Not without reason Antwerp was the main goal of this German attack in December.

Later Montgomery admitted his error of judgement. By then, Antwerp harbour had already proven its utility. During November enormous effort had been applied to clear the harbour of mines. On 28 November 1944, with some ceremony, the first convoy of Liberty ships was welcomed. On 1 December more than 10,000 tons of supplies could be safely landed.

Before the Battle: A Soldier’s Tale

This article was translated by Annelies Verkerk, British Embassy from;

Text: 1980 Handboek van de tweede Wereldoorlog, Uitgeverij Het Spectrum Pictures: Zeeuws Documentatiecentrum van de Zeeuwse Bibliotheek, Middelhurg (www.zeeuwsebibliotheek.nl).

Studie en Documentatiecentrum Oorlog en Hedendaagse Maatschappij, Brussell (www.cejjesoma.be). Canadamuseum, Adegcm (www.candd.miuseum.be)