The Küsten Canal, also known as the Coastal Canal (), is a
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
, about long, that links the
Dortmund–Ems Canal
The Dortmund–Ems Canal is a long canal in Germany between the inland port of the city of Dortmund () and the seaport of Emden. The artificial southern part of the canal ends after at Herbrum lock near Meppen. The route then takes the r ...
with the
Hunte
Hunte () is a long river in north-western Germany (Lower Saxony), a left tributary of the Weser.
The Hunte rises in the Wiehen Hills. In the North German Plain it flows through lake Dümmer. It flows generally northwards through the towns B ...
and thus the
Weser
The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports o ...
rivers.
It was built from 1922 to 1935 by widening an already existing drainage channel and is used today, especially by the peat industry and for transporting coal from the
Ruhrgebiet
The Ruhr ( ; , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr Area, sometimes Ruhr District, Ruhr Region, or Ruhr Valley, is a wikt:polycentric, polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 1,160/k ...
to
Bremen
Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
.
History
In April 1945, the wide canal was a significant obstacle to Allied forces advancing from the Ems estuary into Germany.
Forces of the
4th Canadian (Armoured) Division assaulted over the canal on 19 April and secured a bridgehead at Edewechterdamm, after Polish formations of the
1st Armoured Division had taken over the previous Canadian position at
Dörpen, 50 km. to the West. The Polish forces established a bridgehead towards
Papenburg
Papenburg (; East Frisian Low Saxon: ''Papenbörg'') is a city in the district of Emsland, Lower Saxony, Germany, situated at the river Ems. It is known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specializes in building cruise liners.
Ge ...
after two days of fierce fighting.
"Küsten Canal" was awarded as a
battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In ...
to both Canadian and Polish units participating in actions near this canal:
To the Canadian
British Columbia Regiment,
,
Algonquin Regiment,
Lake Superior Scottish Regiment,
Lincoln and Welland Regiment
The Lincoln and Welland Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army based in St. Catharines, Ontario.
The regimental colonel-in-chief is the Duchess of Edinburgh and the regimental motto is , "Not for us but for our countr ...
, and
Royal New Brunswick Regiment, and to the Polish 9th Light Infantry Battalion, 1st Light Anti-Air Artillery Regiment, and 2nd Motorized Artillery Regiment.
Data
* Length:
* Water depth:
* Bridge clearance:
* Category IV
inland waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other ways. A first distinction is necessary bet ...
Route
Ems Ems or EMS may refer to:
Places and rivers
* Domat/Ems, a Swiss municipality in the canton of Grisons
* Ems (river) (Eems), a river in northwestern Germany and northeastern Netherlands that discharges in the Dollart Bay
* Ems (Eder), a river o ...
near
Dörpen – southern
Papenburg
Papenburg (; East Frisian Low Saxon: ''Papenbörg'') is a city in the district of Emsland, Lower Saxony, Germany, situated at the river Ems. It is known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specializes in building cruise liners.
Ge ...
– northern
Friesoythe –
Hunte
Hunte () is a long river in north-western Germany (Lower Saxony), a left tributary of the Weser.
The Hunte rises in the Wiehen Hills. In the North German Plain it flows through lake Dümmer. It flows generally northwards through the towns B ...
in
Oldenburg Oldenburg may also refer to:
Places
* Mount Oldenburg, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica
*Oldenburg (city), an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany
**Oldenburg (district), a district historically in Oldenburg Free State and now in Lower Saxony
* Ol ...
In many places the canal runs parallel to the
B 401.
See also
c-Port, an association and trading estate on the canal.
References
External links
Wasser- und Schifffahrtsamt MeppenWasser- und Schifffahrtsamt BremenDas Projekt Küstenkanal der Grundschule Friedrichsfehn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kustenkanal
Canals in Lower Saxony
Emsland (region)
CKusten Canal
CKusten Canal
Federal waterways in Germany
Canals opened in 1935