Editing No. 3 Commando (section)

===Final operations===
[[Image:British commandos in the shattered outskirts of Wesel.jpg|right|thumb|alt=A black and white photograph of a battle scene in which two Vickers machine guns are firing from behind cover of a pile of rubble. Each machine gun is crewed by two men, a firer and an observer with a pair of binoculars. Another soldier is looking on from behind the crews|Men from the 1st Commando Brigade fight on the outskirts of Wesel 1945.]]
Throughout 1944, plans were made to send the brigade, which had been renamed the 1st Commando Brigade, to the Far East; however, the effect of the German [[Ardennes Offensive]] resulted in these being cancelled.<ref>Durnford-Slater 2002, p. 212.</ref> In January 1945, under the command of Brigadier [[Derek Mills-Roberts]], No. 3 Commando was deployed to Asten on the [[Meuse River|Maas]].<ref name=Saunders289/> Later in the month, the unit took up positions at [[Maaseik|Maeseyck]] and on 24–25 January, with snow falling on the streets and a heavy German artillery barrage on the town, they took part in an assault on [[Linne]].<ref>Durnford-Slater 2002, p. 213.</ref> The assault was only partially successful and due to the destruction of the bridges that spanned the frozen Montforterbeek Canal, the Allies were unable to bring up armour to support No. 3 Commando which had moved across the ice on foot. When the Germans brought up their own tanks, the advance came to a halt.<ref>Saunders 1959, p. 290.</ref>

The Commandos were forced to spend the night freezing in the open in a ditch. The following day, after sappers from the [[Royal Engineers]] managed to erect a temporary bridge across the canal, a number of [[Churchill tank|Churchill]] and [[Sherman tank]]s from the [[8th Hussars]] managed to get across and No. 1 and No. 6 Troops climbed on top and advanced across the open ground and into the centre of the town.<ref name=Saunders291>Saunders 1959, p. 291.</ref>

A brief period of lull followed as the 1st Commando Brigade prepared to resume operations<ref name=Saunders291/> and on 13 February they were relieved in Linne by [[46 Commando|No. 46 Royal Marine Commando]] and went back to Maasbrecht for a rest.<ref>Durnford-Slater 2002, p. 214.</ref> The rest did not last long, however, and later in the month they relieved the marines at Smakt and began preparing for [[Operation Plunder]], the crossing of the [[Rhine]]. At 22:00 on 23 March 1945, No. 3 Commando crossed the river in [[Landing Vehicle Tracked|Buffalo landing vehicles]] and began moving on [[Wesel]], where, on 25 March they cleared the centre of the town and captured a large number of German prisoners.<ref>Durnford-Slater 2002, pp. 216–217.</ref><ref>Saunders 1959, pp. 296–297.</ref>

After this the brigade continued to advance, moving through [[Ruddenburg]] and [[Greven]] before carrying out an attack on Osnabruck, which No. 3 Commando led, on 4 April 1945.<ref>Durnford-Slater 2002, p. 217.</ref> The next day, they crossed the [[Weser River]] in assault boats and under the cover of darkness carried out a flanking manoeuvre on the Germans occupying the town of Leese. As other elements from the brigade attacked from the east, No. 3 Commando, now under the command of Peter Bartholomew<ref name=Saunders296>Saunders 1959, p. 296.</ref> after Komrower had been posted to the Commando Training Depot, carried out a follow-up operation to the north.<ref>Durnford-Slater 2002, p. 218.</ref> The operation was an attack on a factory that had been producing [[V-2]] rockets and after No. 3 Commando had captured it with the support of a number of tanks, a search found a number of these weapons, along with about 100 scientists who had been working in the factory.<ref name=Saunders300>Saunders 1959, p. 300.</ref>

The advance continued throughout the month and by 29 April, No. 3 Commando crossed the [[Elbe]] and carried out an attack on Lauenberg.<ref>Durnford-Slater 2002, p. 220.</ref> No. 6 Commando led the assault, with Brigade Headquarters and No. 3 Commando following shortly behind them and established themselves on the high ground, before being clearing operations in Lauenberg itself.<ref name=Saunders302>Saunders 1959, p. 302.</ref> By the end of the month all German opposition in the area had ceased and it marked the end of No. 3 Commando's offensive operations.<ref name=Saunders302/> On 7 May, when the Germans surrendered, No. 3 Commando was firmly established in [[Lübeck]], where they began the next phase of their service history as occupation troops.<ref>Durnford-Slater 2002, p. 221.</ref>