Editing Siegfried Line campaign (section)

====Battle of the Scheldt====
{{main|Battle of the Scheldt|Operation Pheasant}}

The logistics situation was becoming critical, so opening the [[Port of Antwerp]] was now a high priority. On 12 September 1944, the Canadian First Army was given the task of clearing the Scheldt of German forces. The 1st Army comprised the [[II Canadian Corps]], which included the [[1st Armoured Division (Poland)|Polish 1st Armoured Division]], the British [[49th (West Riding) Infantry Division|49th]] and [[52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division|52nd Division]]s and the [[I Corps (United Kingdom)|British I Corps]].

The task involved four main operations: The first was to clear the area north of Antwerp and secure access to [[South Beveland]]. The second was to clear the [[Breskens]] pocket north of the [[Leopold Canal (Belgium)|Leopold Canal]] ([[Operation Switchback]]). The third—[[Operation Vitality]]—was the capture of South Beveland. The final phase was the capture of [[Walcheren]] Island, which had been fortified into a powerful German stronghold.

On 21 September 1944, the advance began. The [[4th Canadian Division|4th Canadian Armoured Division]], moving north toward the south shore of the Scheldt around the Dutch town of Breskens, were the first Allied troops to face the formidable obstacle of the double line of the Leopold and Dérivation de la Lys Canals. The canals were crossed and a bridgehead established, but fierce counter-attacks by the Germans forced them to withdraw with heavy casualties. The 1st Polish Armoured Division had greater success, moving northeast to the coast, occupying [[Terneuzen]] and clearing the south bank of the Scheldt eastward to Antwerp. It was by then clear, however, that any further advances would be at tremendous cost.

[[File:British Landings on Walcheren BU1255.jpg|thumb|British assault troops advancing near [[Flushing, Netherlands|Flushing]] with shells bursting ahead during the Scheldt operation.]]

The [[2nd Canadian Division|2nd Canadian Infantry Division]] began its advance north from Antwerp on 2 October. Heavy casualties ensued, including the almost total destruction of the [[5th Canadian Infantry Brigade]]'s [[The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada|Black Watch Battalion]] on 13 October. However, on 16 October [[Woensdrecht]] was taken, following an immense artillery barrage which forced the Germans back. This cut South Beveland and Walcheren off from the mainland and achieved the objective of the first operation.

Montgomery issued a directive that made the opening of the Scheldt estuary the top priority. To the east, the British Second Army attacked westward to clear the Netherlands south of the [[Meuse]] (''Maas''). This helped secure the Scheldt region from counter-attack.

In Operation Switchback, the [[3rd Canadian Division|3rd Canadian Infantry Division]] mounted a two-pronged attack, with the [[7th Canadian Infantry Brigade]] crossing the Leopold Canal and the [[9th Canadian Infantry Brigade]] launching an amphibious assault from the coastal side of the pocket. Despite fierce resistance from the Germans, the [[10th Canadian Infantry Brigade]] crossed the Leopold Canal and the [[8th Canadian Infantry Brigade]] moved southwards, opening a supply route into the pocket.

''Operation Vitality''—the third major phase of the Battle of the Scheldt—began on 24 October. The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division began its advance toward South Beveland, but was slowed by mines, mud and strong enemy defences. The British 52nd Division made an [[Amphibious warfare|amphibious attack]] to get in behind the Germans' Beveland Canal defensive positions. Thus, this formidable defence was outflanked, and the [[6th Canadian Infantry Brigade]] began a frontal attack in assault boats. The engineers were able to bridge the canal on the main road. With the canal line gone, the German defence crumbled and South Beveland was cleared. The third phase of the Battle of the Scheldt was now complete.

The final phase, Operation Infatuate was the attack on the heavily fortified island of Walcheren at the mouth of the West Scheldt. The island's dykes were breached by attacks from [[RAF Bomber Command]] on 3, 7, and 11 October. This flooded the central part of the island, forcing the German defenders onto the high ground and allowing the use of amphibious vehicles. Units of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division attacked the causeway on 31 October, and after a grim struggle, established a precarious foothold. They were relieved by a battalion of the British 52nd Division. In conjunction with the waterborne attacks, the 52nd continued the advance.
[[File:German POWs captured during the Allied assault on Walcheren Island in Holland, November 1944. BU1267.jpg|thumb|German prisoners on [[Walcheren]] – around 40,000 were taken after the [[Operation Infatuate]] had terminated]]

The amphibious landings began on 1 November with units of the British 155th Infantry Brigade landing on a beach in the south-eastern area of [[Vlissingen]]. During the next few days, they engaged in heavy street fighting against the German defenders. Also on 1 November, after a heavy naval bombardment by the British [[Royal Navy]], troops of [[4th Special Service Brigade|4th Commando Brigade]], (with units of 10th Inter Allied Commando, consisting mainly of [[Belgium|Belgian]] and [[Norway|Norwegian]] troops), supported by specialised armoured vehicles of the [[79th Armoured Division (United Kingdom)|British 79th Armoured Division]] were landed on both sides of the gap in the sea dyke. Heavy fighting ensued. A smaller force moved south-eastward, toward Vlissingen, while the main force went northeast to clear the northern half of Walcheren to link up with the Canadians who had established a bridgehead on the eastern part of the island. Fierce resistance was again offered by German troops defending the area, and fighting continued until 7 November. However, the action ended on 8 November after a force of amphibious vehicles entered [[Middelburg, Zeeland|Middelburg]], the capital of Walcheren.

Meanwhile, Operation Pheasant was launched in on October 20 which was intended as a major operation to clear German troops from the Province of [[North Brabant]] in conjunction with the battle of the Scheldt. The offensive after some resistance liberated most of region; the cities of [[Tilburg]], [['s-Hertogenbosch]], [[Willemstad, North Brabant|Willemstad]] and [[Roosendaal]] were liberated by British forces. [[Bergen Op Zoom]] was taken by the Canadians and the Polish 1st Armoured Division led by General [[Stanisław Maczek|Maczek]] liberated the city of [[Breda]]. As a result, the German positions which had defended the region along its canals and rivers had been broken. The operation was also a success in that civilian casualties were relatively light.

Meanwhile, the 4th Canadian Armoured Division had pushed eastwards past Bergen-op-Zoom to [[Sint Philipsland (island)|Sint Philipsland]] where it sank several German vessels in [[Zijpe]] harbour. With the approaches to Antwerp free, the fourth phase of the Battle of the Scheldt was complete; on 28 November, the first convoy entered the port.