Liberation of Arnhem
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Mention of the "Battle of Arnhem" brings to mind the doomed Operation Market Garden, which has become synonymous with the name of the town. Less discussed, though not less important to the history of the city, is the battle which resulted in the liberation of Arnhem in April 1945. This Second Battle of Arnhem, although overshadowed in popular memory by the events of September 1944, actually caused the greatest damage to the city during the Second World War.
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[edit] Post Market Garden
For the citizens of Arnhem left in the city after Market-Garden, who had prematurely celebrated their liberation on Sunday 17th September, there came only months of hardship. Over four hundred and fifty- civilians had been killed during that battle in and around Arnhem. The result of the fighting was continued German control of the city, sections of which were substantially damaged during the fighting. As September 1944 drew to its undesirable close, the surviving citizens were ordered to leave the area, taking only a bare minimum of their belongings. Their homes were promptly looted and belongings sent to Germany, where they were distributed amongst the bombed-out residents of their cities.
The winter that followed was exceptionally cruel and cold. Desperately short of food, the winter months were particularly severe for the Dutch, and 18,000 civilians lost their lives as a consequence. The spring of 1945 brought renewed hopes of liberation as the First Canadian Army - who had liberated The Netherlands to the south of the Maas during Battle of the Scheldt, was preparing to advance north after the great battles to cross the Rhine River.
[edit] The Battle
The task of the First Canadian Army in the last days of the war was to open up a supply route to the north through Arnhem, and then to clear the northern Netherlands and the coastal belt of Germany eastward to the Elbe River. First Canadian Army was recently reinforced by I Canadian Corps, which had fought with distinction in the Italian Campaign and had completed a transfer to North-west Europe in March. Both divisions of the corps - 1st Canadian Infantry division and the 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division - were tasked to secure Arnhem.
The terrain in and around the town presented several challenges. The high ground on the right bank of the Rhine, the Rhine itself, and the Ijssel, each presented a natural and effective defensive obstacle. The prized Arnhem bridge - object of the fighting in September - was now in ruins as well. The German defenders would be fighting from prepared defensive positions, and on familiar ground.
The assault that resulted in the liberation of Arnhem began on the afternoon of April 12, 1945, with Typhoons equipped with rockets and Spitfire fighters attacking German defenses entrenched in the city and in the surrounding area. Armoured support included the powerful AVRE version of the Churchill tank, and Sherman "Crab"s, which were equipped for clearing mines.
The main artillery preparation began on the evening of April 12, and the Allied fire was extremely effective in suppressing the German positions. At 10:40 pm, the British 56th Infantry Brigade crossed the Ijssel in "Buffaloes" (armoured amphibious personnel carriers); German guns fired on the forward areas but the attackers were able to penetrate the southeastern outskirts of Arnhem with little difficulty. The Allies fought off a German counter-attack on the morning of the 13th and established control over the initial bridgehead. Assisting the assault were the Royal Canadian Engineers who built Bailey bridges and rafts for crossing the waterways. Tanks of the Ontario Regiment of the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade (also veterans of Italy that repatriated with I Corps) crossed, and supported the infantry by fighting off snipers and machine-guns. Arnhem was completely cleared on the 14th, after two days of intense house-to-house fighting. The shattered German forces which held the city were forced to withdraw with the Canadians on their heels.
[edit] Aftermath
A truce was signed with the Germans in The Netherlands only two weeks later. Relief supplies began to flow to the desperate and starving Dutch. The Canadian liberators were welcomed enthusiastically and the joyous "Canadian summer" that ensued forged deep and long-lasting bonds of friendship between the Dutch and Canadian peoples. A memorial in Arnhem commemorates the role of the Canadian Army in the liberation of The Netherlands.
[edit] Canadian Battle Honours
The Princess Louise Fusiliers were granted the honour ARNHEM 1945 in 1999 after research by Captain Sanchez King was able to demonstrate the regiment's entitlement to this honour. Only one other Canadian regiment - The Ontario Regiment (RCAC) - was granted the Honour ARNHEM 1945 as a result of the fighting in the city proper.
[edit] Links
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=feature/Holland00/thehistory/liberation
[edit] References
- King, Captain S.F. Operation ANGER: The Little Known Canadian Victory at Arnhem in 1945 (The Army Doctrine and Training Bulletin, Winter 2001-2002).
