Operation Pheasant
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Operation Pheasant, also known as the Liberation of North Brabant, was a major operation to clear German troops from the province of
North Brabant North Brabant ( ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, Dutch Brabant or Hollandic Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to ...
in the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
during the fighting on the Western Front in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. This offensive was conceived as a result of the failure of Operation Market Garden and the allied effort to capture the important port of Antwerp. It was conducted by the allied
21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established ...
between 20 October to 4 November 1944.Goddard p. 89 After overcoming some German resistance, this operation liberated the cities of
Tilburg Tilburg () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. With a population of 22 ...
,
's-Hertogenbosch s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 160,783. It is the capital of ...
, Roosendaal,
Bergen op Zoom Bergen op Zoom (; called ''Berrege'' in the Brabantian dialect, local dialect) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in southwestern Netherlands. It is located in the Province ...
,
Willemstad Willemstad ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that is a Countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was the cap ...
and
Breda Breda ( , , , ) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. ...
. As a result, the offensive cleared much of Brabant; the German positions which had defended the region along its canals and rivers were broken.Buckley pp. 244–47


Background

In September 1944, the Allies had launched Operation Market Garden, a major offensive from the Dutch-Belgian border across the south of the Netherlands through
Eindhoven Eindhoven ( ; ) is a city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, located in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant, of which it is the largest municipality, and is also locat ...
and
Nijmegen Nijmegen ( , ; Nijmeegs: ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the ninth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal River close to the German border, Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the ...
toward the
Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
bridge at
Arnhem Arnhem ( ; ; Central Dutch dialects, Ernems: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the German border. It is the capita ...
. The goal was to cross the
Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
and bypass the
Siegfried Line The Siegfried Line, known in German as the ''Westwall (= western bulwark)'', was a German defensive line built during the late 1930s. Started in 1936, opposite the French Maginot Line, it stretched more than from Kleve on the border with the ...
in preparation for the final drive towards
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
. Allied
airborne troops Airborne forces are Ground warfare, ground combat units airlift, carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in airborne units are also known as par ...
managed to take the bridges but delays and toughening resistance resulted in the defeat at the Rhine bridge in Arnhem. The advance stopped south of the
Lower Rhine Lower Rhine (, ; kilometres 660 to 1,033 of the Rhine) is the section of the Rhine between Bonn in Germany and the North Sea at Hook of Holland in the Netherlands, including the '' Nederrijn'' () within the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta; alternat ...
, resulting in a narrow salient that ran from the north of
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
across the south-east of the Netherlands and was vulnerable to attack. German assaults in this salient, particularly at Nijmegen were repelled, and the allies named this region "the island". German forces attacked another part of the salient from a bridgehead west of the bend in the river
Meuse The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of . History From 1301, the upper ...
(known as ''Maas'' in Dutch and
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
) near the city of
Venlo Venlo () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in southeastern Netherlands, close to the border with Germany. It is situated in the province of Limburg (Netherlands), ...
. Operation Aintree was launched to destroy this bridgehead and the threat was removed albeit at high cost in taking Overloon and Venray. However this meant that the flank further West towards
Tilburg Tilburg () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. With a population of 22 ...
and
's-Hertogenbosch s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 160,783. It is the capital of ...
became a threat also which needed to be extinguished as well as to broaden the front line. By 16 October Commander of 21st Army Group Field Marshall
Bernard Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and the ...
had reoriented the British 2nd Army so that this formation's full weight would be available for the Anglo-Canadian effort to open Antwerp as the Allied forces’ main supply port. The army's right would move along the Maas river and its left passing some south of
Tilburg Tilburg () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. With a population of 22 ...
. This placed
XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to: * 12th Army Corps (France) * XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army * XII ( ...
, commanded by Lieutenant-General
Neil Ritchie General (United Kingdom), General Sir Neil Methuen Ritchie, (29 July 1897 – 11 December 1983) was a British Army officer who served in the World War I, First and Second World Wars. During the Second World War he commanded the Eighth Army (U ...
, on the left flank of the Eindhoven-Nijmegen corridor, facing west. On the corps' right were the
53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought in both the First and Second World Wars. Originally raised in 1908 as the Welsh Division, part of the Territorial Force (TF), the division saw servic ...
and 7th Armoured Division, supported by the 4th Armoured Brigade and 33rd Armoured Brigade. The left flank composed of two Scots divisionsthe
51st Highland Division The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War from 1915 to 1918. The division was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as ...
and 15th Scottish Division – would be supported by the 6th Guards Tank Brigade.


Allied plan

An operation was devised in order to liberate the middle and Western sections of the North Brabant Province through a strong thrust westward on the axis from 's-Hertogenbosch to
Breda Breda ( , , , ) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. ...
. In order to support the ongoing battle of the Scheldt the Allied
21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established ...
would be launching the attackthe components of the
Canadian 1st Army The First Canadian Army () was a field army and a formation of the Canadian Army in World War II in which most Canadian elements serving in North-West Europe were assigned. It served on the Western Front from July 1944 until May 1945. It was Cana ...
would attack from
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
known as Operation Suitcase and the British 2nd Army would attack from the Netherlands on the exposed Western flank of the Nijmegen corridor. The overall operation codenamed Pheasant would start on 20 October. On the first day 53rd Welsh and 7th Armoured (Operation Alan) would clear 's-Hertogenbosch. The city with a population of 50,000 was effectively a medieval fortress with ramparts, a
moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. Moats can be dry or filled with water. In some places, moats evolved into more extensive water d ...
and a
citadel A citadel is the most fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of ''city'', meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. ...
intersected by waterways: the River
Dommel The Dommel is a small river in Belgium and the Netherlands, left tributary of the Dieze. It is 120 km long, of which 85 km are in the Netherlands. The Dommel takes in water from the Keersop, Tongelreep, Run (stream), Run, Gender (stream), Gender a ...
and the Zuid Willems Canal.Delaforce (2015) pp. 111–22 Operation Colin would involve the 51st Highland; they would attack along with the 15th Scottish on their left to capture the city of Tilburg and push north. The plan for the divisional attack from
Sint-Oedenrode Sint-Oedenrode () is a town in the Dutch province of North Brabant. Sint-Oedenrode is a moderately urbanized town in the Meierij of 's-Hertogenbosch. Sint-Oedenrode had a population of 18,360 as of and has an area of . On 1 January 2017 Sint- ...
was that 153 Brigade's objective was the town of
Schijndel Schijndel () is a town and former municipality in the province of North Brabant, in the south of the Netherlands. Schijndel is located approximately southeast of 's-Hertogenbosch. Schijndel was founded on 6 December 1309. On 1 January 2017 Schijn ...
, 152 Brigade to the left would clear the wooded area east of the River Dommel and 154 Brigade, mounted in
Kangaroos Kangaroos are marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use, the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern grey ...
, would be in reserve to exploit with the aim of taking Esch,
Boxtel Boxtel () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands. The name derives from Buchestelle and is presumably a combination of 'stelle' (Dutch for stable, safe place) and (deer) deer, buck.2019. Etymolog ...
and
Vught Vught () is a municipality and a town in the Province of North Brabant in the southern Netherlands, and lies just south of the industrial and administrative centre of 's-Hertogenbosch. Many commuters live there, and in 2004 the town was named "Best ...
as well as the towns and villages south-east and south of 's-Hertogenbosch.Delaforce (2017) pp. 174–84 The I British Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General John Crocker would support on the left flanks of ''Colin'' with the aim of the Polish 1st Armoured Division to capture the city of
Breda Breda ( , , , ) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. ...
and the Canadian 4th Armoured Division would attack towards
Bergen-Op-Zoom Bergen op Zoom (; called ''Berrege'' in the Brabantian dialect, local dialect) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in southwestern Netherlands. It is located in the Province ...
.Copp, Terry & Vogel, Robert p. 50 On the Poles' left flank the British 49th Infantry Division aimed to strike at the city of
Willemstad Willemstad ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that is a Countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was the cap ...
and to force a bridgehead over the River Mark, which was the German 15th Army's only ferry and bridge crossing points over the one-mile wide
Hollands Diep The Hollands Diep ( pre-1947 spelling: Hollandsch Diep) is a river in the Netherlands, and an estuary of the Rhine and Meuse rivers. Through the Scheldt-Rhine Canal it connects to the Scheldt river and Antwerp. The Bergse Maas river and the N ...
(part of the Maas Estuary). They would be assisted on its left flank with the US 104th ''Timberwolf'' Division which had been assigned to support the British I Corps.


German defences

Facing these two corps was the German 15th Army of ''Heeresgruppe'' ‘B’ ("Army Group B") commanded by General Gustav-Adolf von Zangen. This was itself composed of the LXXXIX Corps, LXVII Corps and LXXXVIII Corps.


Operation Pheasant


British XII Corps

The attack began on the night of 22 October – the Royal Artillery of XII Corps opened fire on known German positions in the village of
Nuland Nuland is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located about 8 km (5 mi) east of 's-Hertogenbosch. History In the Middle Ages, Nuland was part of the Kwartier van Maasland of the Meierij van 's-Hertoge ...
. The Corps advanced soon after but the weather conditions were so poor that they prevented air support. Later in the day visibility improved and all calls for immediate air support were met by elements of RAF
2nd Tactical Air Force The Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF) was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force (RAF) during and after the Second World War. It was made up of squadrons and personnel from the RAF, other British Commonwealth air forces, an ...
. With a strong force of medium bombers as well as
Hawker Typhoon The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. It was intended to be a medium-high altitude interceptor aircraft, interceptor, as a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, but several design problems we ...
and
Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
fighter-bombers they attacked the Maas/Hollands Diep bridges at Hedel and
Moerdijk Moerdijk () is a municipality and a town in the South of the Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. History The municipality of Moerdijk was founded in 1997 following the merger of the municipalities of Fijnaart en Heijningen, Klunde ...
. Their biggest success was the destruction of the 15th Army's headquarters at
Dordrecht Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Western Netherlands, lo ...
; two generals and seventy other staff officers were killed in the attack. The 53rd Welsh, consisting of the 71st and 160th Brigades with the 158th held in reserve near
Oss OSS or Oss may refer to: Places * Oss, a city and municipality in the Netherlands * Osh Airport, IATA code OSS People with the name * Oss (surname), a surname Arts and entertainment * ''O.S.S.'' (film), a 1946 World War II spy film about ...
launched their attack together with the 7th Armoured on Nuland. The 71st Brigade began pushing up from the Vinkel-Papendijk line in the south and the 160th from the Loonschestraat line just west of Geffen. Nuland was cleared by 0745 with two German battalions on the run, later in the day a counterattack was then held off by machine gun fire.


Operation Colin

The 51st Highland composing of the 152nd, 153rd and 154th Brigades would attack from the village of
Eerde Eerde is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is part of the municipality of Meierijstad, located about 500 m west of the built-up area of Veghel and 3 km southwest of the town centre of Veghel.''ANWB Topografische Atla ...
near
Veghel Veghel () is a town and a former municipality in Southern Netherlands. On 1 January 2017 Veghel, together with Schijndel and Sint-Oedenrode, merged into a new municipality called Meierijstad. This created the largest municipality of the provi ...
, about eleven miles from ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Facing the 51st was the veteran 59th Wehrmacht infantry division holding the 'Eerde Line' to Liempde between Boxtel and
Veghel Veghel () is a town and a former municipality in Southern Netherlands. On 1 January 2017 Veghel, together with Schijndel and Sint-Oedenrode, merged into a new municipality called Meierijstad. This created the largest municipality of the provi ...
. The attack took place at dawn on October 23 and the Highlanders took
Schijndel Schijndel () is a town and former municipality in the province of North Brabant, in the south of the Netherlands. Schijndel is located approximately southeast of 's-Hertogenbosch. Schijndel was founded on 6 December 1309. On 1 January 2017 Schijn ...
with relative ease and then pressed on despite stiffening resistance.Renouf pp. 172–75 152nd brigade attacked the woods east of the River Dommel and the area opposite Boxtel and the Schijndel dyke. Against hardened paratroopers the Scots took their objectives albeit with some loss. Eventually they reached Vught and liberated the
Herzogenbusch concentration camp Herzogenbusch (; ) was a Nazi concentration camp located in Vught near the city of 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. The camp was opened in 1943 and held 31,000 prisoners. 749 prisoners died in the camp, and the others were transferred to othe ...
– a ''Konzentrationslager'' (
concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...
) built on Dutch soil.Smith p. 181 The position in the town was confusing as 7th Black Watch were subjected to heavy shelling and mortaring from the area of Fort Isabella, but by 1500 this too was also overcome.Tout p. 43 Meanwhile, 7th Armoured Brigade had been halted by German guns at Loon op Zand – 153rd Brigade were sent to assist and together they took the town before moving north having reached Sprang on 30 October. 154th Brigade then exploited north west towards Raamsdonk which they reached by end of the day. Germans desperate not to be enveloped tried to keep the route open for as long as possible but the British crossed the Donge after having found an intact bridge and subsequently took the city of Geertruidenberg without any resistance. A small German counterattack failed to halt the British advance and they found the bridge over the River Maas blown up. After taking Schijndel and having reached
Boxtel Boxtel () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands. The name derives from Buchestelle and is presumably a combination of 'stelle' (Dutch for stable, safe place) and (deer) deer, buck.2019. Etymolog ...
the Scots moved in only to find it having been abandoned by the Germans. In the wild celebrations that followed 2nd Seaforth managed to rescue 100 escaped soldiers and airmen from 1st Airborne Division who had made it out of Arnhem. The bridge at Hal however was blown and held by the Germans in strength. ''Colin'' was now over and the division as a whole had a few days rest. Further to the south, the other Scots division the 15th moved toward Tilburg. After this successful phase there remained two German pockets south of the river Meuse of which the largest was around 's-Hertogenbosch.


Operation Alan – Battle of 's-Hertogenbosch

In the early hours of 24 October the 1/5th Battalion,
Welch Regiment The Welch Regiment (or "The Welch", an archaic spelling of "Welsh") was an infantry regiment line infantry, of the line of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1969. The regiment was created in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the am ...
and the 1st Battalion,
East Lancashire Regiment The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, a Line infantry, line infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot and 59t ...
began their night march along the railway under Artificial moonlight. Whilst in 's-Hertogenbosch the 53rd as a whole faced the veteran 712th Wehrmacht Infantry Division. Stiff opposition was met by the
Inniskilling Dragoons The 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1689 as Sir Albert Cunningham's Regiment of Dragoons. One of the regiment's most notable battles was the Battle ...
of 7th Armoured Division, particularly at Middelrode, but in hard fighting the 53rd Division gained a first footing in 's-Hertogenbosch in the early hours.Blake p. 508 By 04:30 am the leading elements had reached the north eastern edge of the city. They moved with speed against the Germans near the bridges over the small canals surrounding the city.Tout pp. 183–88 They bridged the network of waterways many of which were still intact which intersected the old citadel. The troops moved in with Churchill tanks in support, in addition C Squadron of
79th Armoured Division The 79th Armoured Division was a specialist armoured division of the British Army created during the Second World War. The division was created as part of the preparations for the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944, D-Day. Major-General Percy ...
with Churchill Crocodile flame thrower tanks were also in support. The 1/5th Welch attempted to clear the northern part of the city and capture the River Dieze bridge. The latter ended up going awry. A leading platoon of B company got lost and although the bridge was found intact it was later blown leaving the men trapped. German self propelled guns then moved in and within twelve hours an intense battle was fought. One of the self propelled guns was knocked out by a
PIAT The Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank (PIAT) Mk I was a British man-portable anti-tank weapon developed during the Second World War. The PIAT was designed in 1942 in response to the British Army's need for a more effective infantry anti-tank weapo ...
but with ammunition having run out the trapped platoon were forced to surrender, roughly fifty men in all, some attempting to swim back across the river. As the rest of the brigade moved in the 1st Battalion the East Lancs had cleared the South of the river. They ambushed a German column that withdrew into the city from the east along the Hintham road. Tanks and armoured carriers of the Inniskilling Dragoons rode on top of the railway line – a bumpy and exposed ride but they had soon linked up with the infantry. Supported by these tanks the East Lancs attempted to capture the two bridges over the River Aa and Zuid-Willemsvaart Canal in line on the road leading from Hintham. The River Aa bridge was taken intact, but the bridge over the Zuid-Willemsvaart Canal was blown. The battalion then took up positions between the two canals then moved into the town. They pushed through the eastern side of the city and their leading two platoons neared the railway bridge over the River Dommel. After some fierce fighting they reached the bridge only to find that it had been blown. By nightfall, however, a nearby lock over the canal opposite the Railway Station was found to be intact. The following day the 7th Royal Welch under the cover of smoke and supported by mortar fire, tanks and Crocodile flame throwers managed to cross the lock and overcame a German post nearby. Their assault took the Germans by surprise and they captured 25 prisoners – the rest of the battalion crossed and a strong bridgehead was secured on the western bank of the Dommel. Further along a
Bailey Bridge A Bailey bridge is a type of portable, Prefabrication, pre-fabricated, Truss Bridge, truss bridge. It was developed in 1940–1941 by the British Empire in World War II, British for military use during the World War II, Second World War and saw ...
was constructed by the Royal Engineers and completed, following which the area North was cleared. The 6th Battalion attempted to cross the canal by boats but after one was sunk they withdrew – the Germans had reinforced the area during the night. The East Lancs from the South continued to work their way northwards along the bank of the Dommel while the Royal Welch cleared the city to their west. The East Lancs linked up with the Welch at around 22:00 which meant all bridgeheads over the Dommel were thus secured. On October 26 the British worked their way northwards towards the Railway Station, which by this time was burning fiercely. The advance continued into the night. The German garrison resisted fiercely with heavy house to house fighting but gradually the British attackers wore them down and many key buildings were secured and prisoners taken. The German garrison's Commander, Major Riehl was later captured during a sweep of the North. The next day mopping up operations began with the city largely in British hands. A counterattack developed during the morning as three tanks and five self-propelled guns supported by a company of infantry advanced against the Railway Station from the west. Small arms fire and the mortars of the 7th Royal Welch dispersed the infantry and German armour was engaged by anti-tank guns. With the aid of smoke, two armoured vehicles were knocked out and the counterattack was repelled. Another four knocked out German vehicles were later captured by the 1st Welch. By the evening of 27 October German resistance had largely ceased and the city was liberated. 160th Infantry Brigade relieved the 158th, less the 7th Royal Welch, in the area to the west of the River Dommel the latter Brigade moved into reserve to the east of the city. The battle had been hard won – 145 British soldiers and 253 Dutch civilians were killed during the battle and many more Germans. File:The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 B11588.jpg, German prisoners are brought in along a ditch past
Universal Carrier The Universal Carrier, a development of the earlier Bren Gun Carrier from its light machine gun armament, was one of a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrongs and other companies. The first carriers – the Br ...
s of 6th Royal Welch Fusiliers during fighting around 's-Hertogenbosch File:Rosmalen1944.jpg, 'Crocodile' flame throwing tanks were used against German positions to the East of 's-Hertogenbosch. On the left of the picture is a German Red Cross train intact. File:The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 B11382.jpg, A Dutch civilian lifts his two children away from danger near a Sherman tank during fighting in 's-Hertogenbosch


Tilburg

Farther to the south, a column of the 15th Division and 6th Guards Tank Brigade from their position near Moergestel had captured
Oisterwijk Oisterwijk () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city in the south of the Netherlands. Population centres *Haaren, North Brabant, Haaren *Heukelom, North Brabant, Heukelom *Moergestel *Oisterwijk Topography ''Dutch top ...
in a brisk action in the early hours of the October 26. The main body of the 15th then joined in converging assaults on Tilburg, one of the largest industrial cities of Holland. The Scots were assisted by the
Royal Netherlands Motorized Infantry Brigade During the Second World War, the Royal Netherlands Motorized Infantry Brigade, later known as the Princess Irene Brigade () was a Dutch military unit initially formed from approximately 1,500 troops, including a small group guarding German prison ...
who attacked from the south. The Dutch were unable to get to Tilburg and were stranded at Broekhoven, where fighting took place and four soldiers were killed but this was enough to divert the Germans.Moulton pp. 99–100 As a result, the 44th Lowland Infantry Brigade leading the way into Tilburg encountered only minor resistance and liberated the town on 27 October after the Germans withdrew. There were then wild celebrations as the liberation took the Dutch as well as the Germans by complete surprise. The 15th Scots were thus held up from advancing further. The Scots Greys were able to advance towards the town of
Goirle Goirle () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and town in the southern Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. Part of the suburban area of the city of Tilburg, it shares with it its phone area code and public transport syst ...
where they were to link up with elements of the Polish 1st armoured Division.Tout p. 180 The 15th Division and later the 6th Guards Tank Brigade were ordered to rejoin VIII Corps with all haste on the eastern flank, where a German counterattack had started on the Peel marshes just south-east of Eindhoven.Hart p. 45


I British corps

The I British Corps launched their attack on October 23, in order to drive from the South Beveland isthmus towards the important
Hollands Diep The Hollands Diep ( pre-1947 spelling: Hollandsch Diep) is a river in the Netherlands, and an estuary of the Rhine and Meuse rivers. Through the Scheldt-Rhine Canal it connects to the Scheldt river and Antwerp. The Bergse Maas river and the N ...
waterway, hoping to squeeze the Germans into a smaller space. The Corps comprised the
4th Canadian Division The 4th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army. It is currently responsible for Canadian Army operations in the Canadian province of Ontario and is headquartered at Denison Armoury in Toronto. The division was first created as ...
, 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade,
1st Polish Armoured Division The Polish 1st Armoured Division ( Polish ''1 Dywizja Pancerna, Pierwsza Dywizja Pancerna'') was an armoured division of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II. Created in February 1942 at Duns in Scotland, it was commanded by ...
, the newly arrived US 104th ''Timberwolves'' infantry division and the British 49th ''Polar Bears'' Division supported by the 34th Armoured Brigade.Forty p. 136 Operation Suitcase commenced at the same time as ''Pheasant'' and the Belgian town of Esschen was taken two days later by the Algonquin Regiment. The advance was hindered by mines and road blocks but actual combat had been scarce so far. This changed dramatically after crossing the Dutch border when Wouwse Plantage was taken after some casualties.Zuehlke p. 407 On October 26, 1944, Field Marshal von Rundstedt ordered to


Bergen-op-Zoom

On October 27 the Canadian 4th Armoured Division were on the outskirts of
Bergen-op-Zoom Bergen op Zoom (; called ''Berrege'' in the Brabantian dialect, local dialect) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in southwestern Netherlands. It is located in the Province ...
, two infantry companies from the
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 ...
had moved ahead on tanks to a roadway just south and east of the city. The Canadian advance towards Bergen op Zoom forced Von Rundstedt to redeploy the elite 6th Parachute Regiment, which until then had been blocking the 2nd Canadian Division on the Beveland isthmus to the defence of Bergen op Zoom. The Algonquin Regiment trying to encircle German positions at
Steenbergen Steenbergen () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a town in the province of North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands. The municipality had a population of in and covers an area of of which is water. The municipality ...
just north of Bergen Op Zoom while the
Governor General's Foot Guards The Governor General's Foot Guards (GGFG) is the senior reserve infantry regiment in the Canadian Army. Located in Ottawa at the Cartier Square Drill Hall, the regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry unit, and the members are part-time soldiers. ...
headed towards Steenbergen.Copp, Terry & Vogel, Robert p. 131 After some confusion as to who was defending the city, mostly the 711th Infantry Division, the South Alberta Regiment and the Lincoln and Welland Regiment advanced on the town the following day and entered the Grote Market. They then liberated most of the city, in which they reported "the reception of the people of Bergen Op Zoom was as enthusiastic and wild as any yet seen". The Germans however were still holding the north of the city. The elite German 6th Parachute Regiment put up stiff resistance, using panzerfausts and self-propelled guns to knock out the Canadian tanks, but withdrew into Steenbergen when the Foot Guards threatened to cut off their line of retreat. The Germans abandoned Bergen Op Zoom completely on 30 October, and the following day the Algonquin Regiment and the Grenadier Guards attacked the village of Welberg just outside Steenbergen. The village however was defended vigorously by the 6th Parachute Regiment that ultimately most of the Canadian 4th armoured had to be committed to take Welberg over three days of fighting. Several days passed however before the whole of the I British Corps had been able to cross to the north along the length of the line linking Breda and Bergen-op-Zoom via Roosendaal.J. Williams p. 161 After taking Breda the Polish 1st Armoured Division along with the Canadian 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade drove through towards
Moerdijk Moerdijk () is a municipality and a town in the South of the Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. History The municipality of Moerdijk was founded in 1997 following the merger of the municipalities of Fijnaart en Heijningen, Klunde ...
and its all-important bridges across the Hollands Diep. They soon reached the line of the Mark river and its Canal. There followed hard fighting, but they were unable to establish a bridgehead across the canal before the end of October.J Williams p. 163 With the Canadian Army already in Esschen and Bergen Op Zoom, the formations of the German LXVII Corps in the area of Korteven were in danger of encirclement and Otto Sponheimer's LXVII corps had already been authorised to start a general withdrawal. The Canadians were thus able to take Korteven and the area between it and the sea were cleared which meant that they were able to turn their attention to the Scheldt battle in which they conducted Operation Vitality.


Breda & Mark Canal bridgehead

The I British Corps had continued to fight its way to the north in the coastal area and by the end of 27 October
Stanisław Maczek Lieutenant General Stanisław Władysław Maczek (; 31 March 1892 – 11 December 1994) was a Polish tank commander of World War II, whose division was instrumental in the Allied liberation of France, closing the Falaise pocket, resulting in the ...
’s Polish 1st Armoured Division, close to the inter-army boundary (First Canadian and Second British), had embarked on a flanking attack on the city of Breda after cutting the road from Tilburg. There the Division was divided into two battle-groups to start the liberation of Breda. A southern battle-group advanced from Gilze through Bavel to the southern outskirts of Breda. The northern battle-group attacked via the villages of Molenschot and Dorst, to later encircle the northern outskirts of the town. In the early hours of October 29 both battle-groups started the attack on the town of Breda. Gilze was soon in Polish hands followed by the villages of Molenschot and Dorst. The advance on Breda though was hampered by German artillery and a German counter-attack near Dorst which, although repelled, delayed the liberation of the town. The Germans retreated to the North and in the course of the next day the whole of the town was liberated. Wild celebrations took hold as the Poles were greeted but in the fighting 42 Polish soldiers were killed (along with two Canadians) and double that number wounded but civilian casualties were light as was damage to the city. In order to seize the bridges of the River Meuse the Mark Canal had to be crossed which would broaden the allied line. On October 31 the town of
Moerdijk Moerdijk () is a municipality and a town in the South of the Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. History The municipality of Moerdijk was founded in 1997 following the merger of the municipalities of Fijnaart en Heijningen, Klunde ...
was captured by the Poles who were supported by the
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
away near Zevenbergen. They noted the steady increase in range called for by the FOOs as the Poles advanced rapidly. The Poles then managed to cross the canal but as reinforcements were brought up however the Poles were hit by a number of heavy German counterattacks. The Poles managed to beat off the attack but the following day the Germans reacted in more strength; throughout the day and into the evening the Poles desperately held on to the bridgehead. Only when artillery was brought down on their own position was when the momentum of the German attack stopped.Koskodan p. 173


US drive to Mark River

The American 104th ''Timberwolves'' infantry division had travelled from its staging points in France to join 21st Army group and help assist in the operations there. They were positioned on the left flank of the British 49th Infantry Division and the Polish 1st Armoured Division on the right. They joined in offensive operations from October 20. On 30 October, after five days of continuous operations the division had pushed about fifteen miles to within sight of the Mark river and had liberated the town of
Zundert Zundert () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and town in the south of the Netherlands bordering Belgium, in the province of North Brabant. Zundert is the birthplace of Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter Vincent va ...
after a hard fight. Soon after they had gained control of the Breda-Roosendaal Road, and had overrun the Vaart Canal defenses. Achtmaal, Leur and Etten fell as the division advanced to the Mark River, arriving there by 31 October. A coordinated attack over the Mark River at Standdaarbuiten on 2 November established a
bridgehead In military strategy, a bridgehead (or bridge-head) is the strategically important area of ground around the end of a bridge or other place of possible crossing over a body of water which at time of conflict is sought to be defended or taken over ...
and the rest of the division crossed the river. For the next two days, the Timberwolves pursued German remnants north to the Hollands Diep.
Zevenbergen Zevenbergen is a Dutch city which is a part of the municipality of Moerdijk. Zevenbergen is located in the northwest of the province of North Brabant near Breda. History Zevenbergen (literal translation: Seven Mountains) is presumably named aft ...
was captured and the Hollands Diep was reached on 5 November.


Operation Rebound – Roosendaal to Willemstad

The British 49th Division along with the 4th Canadian Armoured Division moved in the direction of Breda. The ''Polar Bears'' were to attack towards Loenhout, and then unleash Clarkeforce to exploit the breakthrough and move up the main road to Wuustwezel in Operation Rebound. On 20 October Rebound started with a barrage following which Clarkeforce was launched at 16.00, bypassing some strongpoints to be mopped up by supporting troops, and reached an area known as 'Stone Bridge'.Sainsbury, pp. 239–40. The fight for this point took most of the remaining afternoon, but the bridge was seized before it could be completely demolished, and Clarkeforce pushed across it and into Wuustwezel from the rear taking about 500 prisoners during the day. The tanks then pushed on in the darkness until halted by German made roadblocks.107 RAC War Diary October 1944, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 171/876. The division then advanced towards Nieuwmoer. The spearhead of Clarkeforce was halted by German held woods, until it was pounded by artillery and the advance continued. On 22 October, Esschen, was reached and taken after clearing scattered German pockets.Sainsbury, pp. 240–41. 56th Infantry Brigade prepared the way by advancing from Esschen to Nispen during the night of 25/26 October. Clarkeforce made for its push towards Brembosch the following morning against strong German rearguards. Many obstacles were encountered as well as German resistance – a massive anti-tank ditch had to be crossed which they achieved. Soon the 49th Division would face a German counterattack. The loss of the Esschen and its vital crossroads angered ''
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht The (; abbreviated OKW ː kaːˈveArmed Forces High Command) was the Command (military formation), supreme military command and control Staff (military), staff of Nazi Germany during World War II, that was directly subordinated to Adolf ...
'' realising this had been its weakest point. Withdrawal was refused and the commander of LXVII Corps Otto Sponheimer launched a large counterattack.Zuehlke p. 371 The 49th felt the full brunt of 245th Infantry Division's counterattack which had been instructed to retake Wuestwezel with the support of their parent LXVII Corps’ artillery. The counterattack fell heavily on the Leicestershire Regiment when two platoons of its A Company were overrun – and six German tanks then broke through. Nevertheless, the rest of the Leicester's fought back and accompanied by Churchill tanks, four German tanks were knocked out. The Germans continued the attack until the evening when they had withdrawn having suffered heavy losses in men as well as having thirteen tanks and Self propelled guns knocked out in total.Delaforce (2013) pp. 165–67 By 31 October, Clarkeforce had moved through Wouw and reached Roosendaal. A requested set-piece artillery and armour supported assault on the city was ordered as they were expecting heavy resistance. A patrol under cover of a mist discovered however that the Germans had in fact pulled out, which saved the city and its populace from further destruction. The 49th Division's final objective was the town of
Willemstad Willemstad ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that is a Countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was the cap ...
on the
Hollands Diep The Hollands Diep ( pre-1947 spelling: Hollandsch Diep) is a river in the Netherlands, and an estuary of the Rhine and Meuse rivers. Through the Scheldt-Rhine Canal it connects to the Scheldt river and Antwerp. The Bergse Maas river and the N ...
. This was away across terrain unsuitable for armour, so Clarkeforce was disbanded and the division carried out a conventional infantry advance. Willemstad was liberated with virtually no resistance on 6 November after the German garrison withdrew across the Hollands Diep.Ellis, Vol II, pp. 126–27.


German withdrawal

Von Rundstedt realised the danger of this offensive and intended to divert British manpower. On 26 October two German mechanized divisions struck Dempsey's thinly held positions in the Peel marches much further South. The US 7th Armoured Division bore the brunt of this attack and was in danger of being cut off near the town of Meijel. Dempsey reacted quickly however and moved the 15th Scottish and 6th Guards Tank Brigade from Tilburg so that within a day they concentrated behind the Americans. From October 29 to November 7 in tough fighting often in mud and rain, this force drove the Germans back to their original positions and that threat was removed.Guderian p. 233 With the complete failure of the counterattack von Rundstedt, in an effort to ensure that the 15th Army was not destroyed, authorised a withdrawal to the line of the Mark river and the Mark Canal. The German front along the line between Bergen-op-Zoom and ‘s-Hertogenbosch via Breda had already been broken as well as the area to the south of the Maas river. Von Rundstedt reported to Hitler that the 15th Army must pull back across the line of the Waal river, but Hitler ordered that it must stand fast in the area to the south of the Maas. As the situation of the 15th Army continued to deteriorate, von Rundstedt asked for new orders. Hitler's response merely reiterated his demand, and said that a major reinforcement of the 15th Army had been ordered. More significant, in operational terms, was the order that Generaloberst Kurt Student, commanding the
1st Parachute Army The 1st Parachute Army () was a combined forces between airborne forces (Fallschirmjäger), armoured, and mechanized infantry unit of German Army, formed in September, 1944, comprising 30,000 men. History Its first commander was Colonel Gene ...
on the 15th Army's left, should take command of all German forces in the north-western part of the Netherlands known as ''Army Group Student''. This came formally into existence on 11 November and was later renamed
Army Group H Army Group H () was a German army group during World War II, active between November 1944 and May 1945. It was deployed mainly in the German-occupied Netherlands. The staff was known as Supreme Commander North West () from 7 April. The army grou ...
with three army groups on the Western Front.


Final operations

On 4 November the 51st Highland Division commenced an attack across the Afwaterings Canal, a small remaining bridgehead just to the west of 's-Hertogenbosch. Known as Operation Guy Fawkes the Highlanders were assisted by the 7th Armoured Division on its left flank. Against scattered resistance they cleared a 24 square mile area and eliminated the bridgehead within a few days. By 5 November the implacable pressure exerted by the formations of I Corps, much assisted by RAF fighter bombers, had broken the German held Mark river line. Over the course of the following three days the corps closed up to the Maas river, though not quickly enough to prevent the Germans from destroying the
Moerdijk bridges The Moerdijk bridges in the Netherlands are bridges that connect the Island of Dordrecht with the Dutch province of North Brabant (''Noord-Brabant'') across the '' Hollands Diep''. The first bridge was built at the end of the 19th century, and wa ...
.Van Der Zee p. 67 This ended the offensive altogether.


Aftermath

After the completion of Pheasant, Canadian troops then took over responsibility for the line of the Maas river upstream as far as Maren and also the Nijmegen sector from the XXX Corps. The German retreat never collapsed into a rout; it used delaying tactics in determined resistance against the attacking allies. The allies themselves were unable to deliver a knock-out blow but they were nonetheless able to achieve the principal result of clearing the German forces from the region between Antwerp and the Maas to secure allied supply lines. In addition the offensive completely cut off the Germans who were left holding their positions at the mouth of the Scheldt River. As result, of the end of that offensive in November and with Walcheren fully secured; over 40,000 Germans capitulated. With the Scheldt river cleared of obstacles and Germans guns, Antwerp became the most important port the allies would need in the coming months. The Germans had suffered heavy losses; the 15th Army during this operation lost a total of 8,000 prisoners and as many killed or wounded. The 712th Division, which had lost nearly 1,700 prisoners and many killed or wounded during the battle, was reformed and sent to the eastern front. The 59th Infantry Division was withdrawn to the 'island' to defend it from attack. For the Dutch the liberation was a welcome relief – Brabant was now almost completely free. The liberated towns and cities suffered only minor damage; with the exception of 's-Hertogenbosch – Tilburg, Wilemstadt, Breda, Roosendaal and Bergen op Zoom were all captured relatively unscathed and civilian casualties were light. This was because major fighting was spared as the Germans had withdrawn from those places. After the success of ''Pheasant'' and the defeat of the German counter-attack at Meijel, there remained two German pockets to the south of the lower part of the Maas river. This was in the form of a small bridgehead just to the west of ‘s-Hertogenbosch facing XII Corps and another along the line of the Mark river facing British I Corps. In November and December North-West Limburg was liberated by the 2nd British Army. By this time the vast majority of the Southern Netherlands south of the Rhine was now free from German occupation. Eastern North Brabant was liberated after the
Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...
. The final step in liberating the Netherlands south of the Rhine was the British and Canadian operations which succeeded in entering northeast Limburg with Operation Blackcock in January 1945, and then finally through to the German Rhineland with Operation Anger in April.


Legacy

File:Polar Bear (Roosendaal).jpg, 49th 'Polar Bear' division monument in Roosendaal File:Pools Monument, Breda 03.JPG, 1st Polish armoured memorial in Breda File:Monument 15th Scottish Division Frans Broers Stadhuisplein Tilburg.JPG, 15th Scottish memorial in Tilburg File:53rd Welsh Division Memorial(1).jpg, Memorial to the 53rd Welsh division in ‘s-Hertogenbosch File:Bergen op Zoom Canadian War Cemetery Entrance.jpg,
Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...
's Canadian cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom
In 's-Hertogenbosch there is a memorial which commemorates the fallen soldiers of the 53rd Welsh Division. The square behind the memorial is called the ''53rd Welsh Division Square''. There is an annual commemoration on October 27. There are memorials or monuments to respective divisions that liberated Tilburg, Breda and Roosendaal. ;Media An episode of Who Do You Think You Are? from 2009 featured British comedian
Rory Bremner Roderick Keith Ogilvy "Rory" Bremner,"Rory Bremner". '' Who Do You Think You Are?''. Wall to Wall for BBC One. 2 February 2009. No. 1, series 6. (born 6 April 1961) is a Scottish impressionist and comedian, noted for his work in political sati ...
whose father –
Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
Donald Bremner of the 1st Battalion, East Lancashires was involved in the fighting of 's-Hertogenbosch.


References


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pheasant, Operation Urban warfare Siegfried Line campaign Battles of World War II involving Canada Battles and operations of World War II involving the Netherlands Battles and operations of World War II involving Poland Battles and operations of World War II involving the United States Military operations of World War II involving Germany Land battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom
Pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Eura ...
Operation Pheasant October 1944 in Europe November 1944 in Europe
Pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Eura ...