Operation Blockbuster was the completion of the larger
Operation Veritable by the
First Canadian Army, reinforced by the
XXX Corps from the British
Second Army from late February to early March, 1945. Veritable had been slower and more costly than expected and the Canadian commander, General
Harry Crerar, had decided on a fresh start for the operation. Three British and Canadian divisions advanced south-eastwards, capturing unprepared German positions in the , before advancing on
Xanten
Xanten (, Low Rhenish: ''Santen'') is a town in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the district of Wesel.
Xanten is known for the Archaeological Park, one of the largest archaeological open air museums in the ...
. They linked up with the
Ninth US Army at Berendonk, near
Geldern on 3 March.
Battle Honours
Attached to the
10th Canadian Infantry Brigade,
4th Canadian (Armoured) Division, the Canadian infantry and armoured
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation.
In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
s to earn battle honours for actions during Operation Blockbuster, emblazoned on their regimental colours as The Hochwald, include:
*
Algonquin Regiment
*
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada
*
Lake Superior Regiment (Motor)
*
Lincoln and Welland Regiment
*
Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment
*
South Alberta Regiment
*
Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
*
The South Saskatchewan Regiment
*
British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own)
The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) is a Primary Reserve armoured reconnaissance (recce) regiment of the Canadian Army; the regiment is subordinate to 39 Canadian Brigade Group of the 3rd Canadian Division. Established in 1883, ...
In popular culture
The Battle of the Hochwald Gap was the topic of an episode of the documentary series ''
Greatest Tank Battles.'' Veterans on both sides gave testimonies on the violence of the campaign. The Canadians in particular spoke of the tenacity of German soldiers in the Rhineland while former German soldiers gave testimonies on their own experiences with the Canadians.
See also
*
Canada in World War II
The history of Canada during the Second World War begins with the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939. While the Canadian Armed Forces were eventually active in nearly every theatre of war, most combat was centred in Italy, Northwes ...
Notes
Further reading
*
*''The Dukes'', D.E. Harker p179-181.
External links
"The Hochwald Gap" at Canadianheroes.org* Official history of the Canadian Army (Chapter XIX)
February 1945 in Europe
March 1945 in Europe
Western Allied invasion of Germany
Battles of World War II involving Canada
Military operations of World War II involving Germany
Blockbuster
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