by Mark Zuehlke
The advance up the highway from Antwerp towards Hoogerheide progressed smoothly for about two and a half miles.21 Then, at 0930 hours, with dense woods crowding either side of the highway, the Canadians closed on the Mutse Straat crossroads. Here, “the enemy had felled many large trees across” the highway. No sooner was the roadblock sighted than a 20-millimetre antitank gun and several machine guns opened fire from behind it.
Carrier drivers spun their vehicles off the road to find cover, the infantry spilled off the Shermans, and the tank troop, commanded by Lieutenant Holt, tried to engage the antitank gun. Unable to locate it, Holt drew back. As the tanks pulled clear, Major J.B. Halladay led ‘A’ Company into an assault that resulted in it being “pinned down by overwhelming fire” and went to ground to avoid unnecessary casualties.22
Whitaker came up at 1300 hours and ordered Halladay’s men to hammer the roadblock with fire to cover ‘B’ Company’s move along a rugged track, which hooked through the woods to the left to gain the Mutse Straat and outflank the Germans. Supporting the infantry was another troop of Fort Garry tanks. Before leading his men into the attack, however, Major H.A. “Huck” Welch took a section of men and crept out to take a look at the stout defensive works. Closing in, he discovered the Germans had abandoned it.
The advance recommenced with ‘C’ Company leading, but for the next four hours it had to fight one small firefight after another to keep going. By the time the sand dunes were gained, twenty-four men had been wounded, one mortally.
Meanwhile, the Royal Regiment of Canada had started out at about 0500 hours and, taking the Germans by surprise, ‘D’ Company was soon astride Middel Straat. This road brought the company to a position atop the Brabant Wall at a hamlet named Hageland. About a mile northwest, Ossendrecht crowded up against the Brabant Wall’s flank.
From Hageland, the Royals snaked along a path running close to the edge of the ridge to enter the eastern outskirts of Ossendrecht. ‘D’ Company held up at the outskirts, providing a firm fire base from the ridge line, while ‘A’ and ‘C’ Companies moved into the town supported by armoured cars of the 14th Canadian Hussars. It was 0730 hours. Suddenly, resistance stiffened, particularly as a hidden self-propelled gun began firing on the advancing troops.23 Captain George Blackburn was the 4th Canadian Field Regiment’s forward observation officer. ‘D’ Company commander Major Bob Suckling and Blackburn set about hunting the hidden gun that was supporting a force of advancing infantry. Having spotted the gun, Suckling broke into a nearby house and guided Blackburn to a window overlooking it. The gun had been concealed on a culvert crossing a tree-choked little creek. Blackburn called in a Mike Target on the gun, but while that was in the works the Germans seemed to sense the presence of the two officers and began smashing rounds into the row of buildings containing their observation post. As the German shells marched from one house to another towards their position, Blackburn feared the artillery fire would come too late. Then, just as it seemed he was staring straight into the German gun barrel, the artillery salvo fell. The German gun disappeared in an inferno of explosions.
But there was no time to relax. The German infantry were still counterattacking, coming at the Royals in an odd v-shaped formation that perhaps indicated the man out front was an officer leading reluctant men forward. Blackburn ordered the guns swung to intercept them. Even though the first salvo fell behind the Germans, they all hit the dirt. Then, before Blackburn could adjust the range to zero a salvo onto them, the Germans retreated right into the line of a second concentration. When the smoke cleared, only the crumpled grey-clad bodies of a few dead remained.24 The artillery broke the German resistance. Within a few hours, the Royals reported Ossendrecht cleared. By 2130 hours, they were enjoying a hot meal that had been brought forward and receiving the welcome news that 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade would pass through 4 CIB’S lines to carry out the morning’s advance to Woensdrecht.25
Even though 2 CID was making good progress in its push to Woensdrecht, its right flank was growing more acutely exposed with every mile gained. Ostensibly, this flank was covered by I British Corps, until 4th Canadian Armoured Division could complete its planned move from the Leopold Canal to join operations here. But Lieutenant General John Crocker’s corps was still marching to Field Marshal Montgomery’s orders to secure the left flank of the British Second Army’s salient won during Operation Market Garden, by driving the Germans back behind the Maas River to the north of s’Hertogenbosch. So Crocker was advancing on a line north from Turnhout towards the parallel-positioned cities of Breda and Tilburg. That put his divisions about twenty-five miles east of 2 CID, creating a huge gap where the Germans could move with impunity.
The porosity of 2 CID’S lines was driven home to the gunners of 4th Canadian Field Regiment on October 6, when they moved to a new firing position just north of Putte. To ensure that two of the three batteries were always available to support the advance on Ossendrecht, the move was carried out in stages. First, an advance party, including ‘A’ Troop’s Gun Position Officer Lieutenant Bob Grout, arrived in the area of sand dunes and scrubby pines. Grout quickly located positions for each of the troop’s guns and then “went to sleep in the sun… As far as he was concerned there was not a human anywhere within miles, and the fact did not bother him that the country on the right flank of the position had not been gone through by the infantry,” the regimental historian later wrote.26
Things seemed far less benign as the gun troop began to arrive in the area just before sunset. Passing through Putte and entering Holland, they were greeted by German shells falling “right and left of the road,” Bombardier Ken Hossack recalled. “Rifle bullets sing over the position as we try to get the guns accurately oriented… all work ceases while preparations are made to deal with what may be a fanatical sniper. The firing increases, many more rifles are firing now. Patrols are organized and set out to do battle.”
Twenty-nine-year-old Gunner Frederick “Eddie” Edwards of Calgary “fires his Bren gun from the hip at close range but the gun jams, a heavy enemy MG opens up, and Edwards is seriously wounded.” Troop Sergeant Major George Phillips “crawls to Edwards and places a shell dressing over the largest wound. Gunner [John] Rawlings catches a rifle bullet in the shoulder and crawls back for aid–a jeep takes him to the MO [Medical Officer]. Tin hats are in vogue now. As the enemy rifle and MG fire increases it is decided to use a 25-pounder, ‘open sights,’ in an effort to dislodge them.” The highly respected thirty-one-year-old Phillips “has worked his way back to the Command Post and, since he knows the enemy’s exact location, behind a crest… will direct the gun’s fire. No. 3 gun… is selected and several rounds are fired” at a range of about six hundred yards. “The enemy’s MG turns onto No. 3 gun and sprays in from right to left. The bullets crash through its protective shield and the gun crew drops flat but not before [Phillips] is hit and instantly killed. The Bofors AA gun also opens up and rains many shots into the enemy’s position. Their fire ceases and we presume that they have withdrawn. An armoured car goes out to pick up Edwards but he is dead. Evening brings the end to a sad day and we appoint extra guards for the night but no further small arms fire is forthcoming. Targets are engaged at various ranges during the night; the following day finds us firing frequently–sometimes to our immediate rear, requiring the gun barrels to describe a half-circle in order to aim in the right direction.”27
MORE OFTEN, THE guns fired in support of 5 CIB’S advance on Woensdrecht, which had run into trouble soon after the Calgary Highlanders crossed the start line near Ossendrecht. Reveille had come at 0430 hours. The night had been clear and cold, so the rum ration portioned out after breakfast “helped chase the chill out of many bodies.” Dawn found the men on the march towards the front line of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, which they passed through at 0800.
About twenty minutes later, Major Ross Ellis’s ‘B’ Company out on point, with five tanks from the Fort Garry Horse’s ‘C’ Squadron grinding along close beh
ind, moved into some deep woods to the east of the road running from Ossendrecht to Hoogerheide and started taking light small-arms fire. The machine guns on the Shermans quickly quelled it with long bursts. The Calgarians made good time, but at 0900 they heard heavy firing off to the right, where Le Régiment de Maisonneuve should have been covering their flank.28 Both battalions were to converge on Hoogerheide to gain control of the high ground above Woensdrecht. Although also on the Brabant Wall, Woensdrecht was lower than neighbouring Hoogerheide. In fact, the pinnacle of Woensdrecht’s Roman Catholic church tower was precisely the same height as the floor of the Roman Catholic church in Hoogerheide.
The plan was to first secure Hoogerheide and secondly Woensdrecht, which would enable the Canadians to effectively sever the link between South Beveland and the mainland. After Woensdrecht fell, the Black Watch would pass through and push a mile north to seize Korteven and establish a blocking position there. This would prevent any German attempts to re-establish a connective link between South Beveland and their mainland units.29
But the plan quickly went awry when the Maisonneuve, supported by six Fort Garry Horse tanks, closed on a roadblock of fallen trees and were fired upon by heavy mortars, machine guns, and antitank guns. In less than five minutes, the German fire, coming from positions behind the roadblock and from inside two deep antitank ditches dug along either side of the road to prevent the barrier being easily bypassed, had killed or wounded thirty-seven Maisies. Repeated attempts either to storm the roadblock head on or to outflank it were broken by intense fire, and the tanks were unable to find firing positions that did not expose them to the well-concealed antitank guns.
Realizing that the attack was stonewalled, tank commander Captain Bill Little jumped from his Sherman and ran to find a better position. While he was doing this, Lieutenant Livingstone rolled his tank to within fifty yards of the roadblock and started pounding it with shells and raking the antitank ditch with the machine guns. But this failed to quell the German fire, and when the Maisies fell back to the cover of some nearby bushes, Livingstone–almost out of ammunition–also withdrew. An antitank round had damaged the tank engine, so that it barely limped to cover. Livingstone commandeered one of his sergeant’s tanks.30 By this time, Little had returned from his reconnaissance and quickly described the firing position he had discovered. Deliberately moving his tank so it was badly exposed, Little drew the enemy fire so that the other tanks “could dash to the flank position… Although his tank was hit several times, it was not knocked out.” Once the other tanks were set, Little pulled out. Spotting a self-propelled gun hidden in some trees on the way back, he engaged and knocked it out. Little’s actions resulted in a Military Cross.31
From their new position, the tankers proved still exposed and the Maisonneuves were unable to put in an effective attack. Whenever the tankers slipped out of the trees and brush to zero in on targets, the Germans lashed out with a stunning rate of antitank fire. During one such foray, the tank commanded by Sergeant Williamson took a direct hit on the turret and he was severely wounded in the shoulder.32 By evening, Lieutenant Colonel Julien Bibeau sought to break the deadlock by sending a company of Maisies out on either flank through the woods to get behind the roadblock. Nightfall caught the troops still deep in their respective woods, so Bibeau ordered them to hunker where they were until dawn.33
On the left flank, the Calgary Highlanders had enjoyed easier going until No. 12 Platoon emerged from woods about a thousand feet from where No. 12 Highway intersected the road they were following. At that point, a line of machine guns dug in behind the cover of a slight rise just south of Hoogerheide forced it back. Platoon commander Lieutenant Alexander Keller hurried over to Captain Fraser’s tank to get the Fort Garry Horse Shermans to suppress the German position with main gun fire while he led his men in a frontal charge. The tanks quickly deployed and started pumping out shells. Keller stood up, tersely told his men to follow, and walked into the open field directly towards the enemy position without a backward glance. After a moment’s hesitation, his men rushed to follow. Fortunately, the tank fire was so heavy and accurate that the Germans were forced to ground and unable to man their guns, so the platoon crossed the killing zone without casualties. As they closed on the rise, the tankers ceased fire at the last moment and Keller led his men over the top into the German position. Caught by surprise, the sixteen troops manning eight deadly MG 42 machine guns surrendered. Keller’s dash resulted in a Military Cross.
Pushing on through thickening small-arms fire backed by generous doses of mortar and artillery rounds, ‘B’ Company on the right and ‘C’ Company on the left pushed into the outskirts of Hoogerheide. By evening, the two companies were well into the southern half of the village, but resistance remained stiff. Having been subjected to heavy shelling to break the German defences, many of the buildings were in ruins, streets and yards badly cratered. The body of a girl caught in the bombardment lay near a smouldering house. Most of the villagers cowered in cellars, hoping the battle would soon pass.
When ‘D’ Company pushed two platoons through ‘B’ Company’s lines, fire from three pillboxes stopped the advance in its tracks. Realizing that the infantrymen were helpless to knock out the heavily fortified position, Sergeant T.J. Reed decided to deploy his antitank gun platoon. To do so, he had to get the guns to a good line of fire, and the route was covered by a German self-propelled gun. Reed’s six-pounders were towed by Bren carriers, and the sergeant ordered his men to crouch low to gain the protection of the thinly armoured walls. The carriers broke into the open, zigzagging wildly at top speed to elude the SPG’S fire. Everyone made it, but no sooner had the guns been unhitched and prepared to fire than another SPG rolled out of the gloom of the gathering night, gun cracking. One antitank gun was disabled and the crews of the others dove for cover. Ignoring the incoming shells, Reed dashed to one gun and started manhandling it around to fire at the SPG. Soon the gun crew rushed to join in and their fire managed to knock out the enemy gun. Reed received a Distinguished Conduct Medal for bravery.34
As the approaching darkness shrouded the battered village, the fighting became increasingly chaotic. The five Fort Garry Horse tanks were prowling around, trying to support the infantry and searching for the elusive SPG guns. On the hunt, Sergeant Gregory John Eno turned a corner and was staring directly at what he thought looked like a Panther’s silhouette. A battlefield behemoth weighing forty-five tons, protected by 120-millimetre-thick frontal armour, and mounting a high-velocity 75-millimetre gun, a round from a Panther could easily slice through the Sherman’s 75-millimetre-thick armour. It also had far longer range than the Canadian tank’s less powerful 75-millimetre gun. Range was no issue here, the two tanks just yards apart. But the German was ready and positioned for a shootout. Its gun spoke as Eno began swinging his turret to meet it. The round smashed into the Sherman, disabling it. Despite the risk that the Sherman would live up to its nickname of “Ronson Burner” by bursting into flames, Eno ordered the crew to stay put even as a second shot careered harmlessly past. Eno’s first shot punched through a weak point in the tank’s armoured hide and set it ablaze. The sergeant, who had distinguished himself often since coming ashore on D-Day, received what his comrades considered a long overdue Military Medal.35
A pale moon rose to wash the village and surrounding fields in a cold light. Sporadic gunfire broke out as Canadians and Germans stalked each other. Major Wynn Lasher, another officer, and a Bren gunner spotted a German sitting on the back step of a house calmly plucking a chicken. The Bren gunner raised his weapon to fire a burst into the man, but Lasher reached out and pushed its barrel down. “No, wait until he finishes plucking the chicken,” the officer whispered. When the German finished, the three Canadians took him prisoner and confiscated the chicken for their dinner pot.36
The battlefield had become so fluid that the advance party for the battalion headquarters had to drive a group of Germans away from the farmhouse about half a mile south of th
e village that had been selected for the night’s base. The day’s battle had proven less costly than the intensity of fighting had suggested–four dead and two wounded. Although they had not won all their objectives, the Calgarians were in control of the Hoogerheide crossroads and a route lay open for a westward advance into Woensdrecht. While the number of German dead remained undetermined, the battalion had taken sixty-two prisoners. These “were not,” the war diarist recorded, “all old, sickly men but rather young, fairly well-built men. However, some of them spoke English and informed us that it was the first battle for many of them… It was generally accepted that the day had been a hard fight.”37
“ON THIS DAY Ossendrecht was lost after a battle,” lxvii Corps’s Chief of Staff, Oberst Elmar Warning, gloomily reported. “The situation was becoming more and more threatening. There were no more reserves available.” Until Kampfgruppe Chill entered the fray, the Germans could only delay Woensdrecht’s fall. “During the night of 7–8 Oct[ober]… the enemy pushed into Hoogerheide. Violent fighting developed, which led to the loss of the south half of the village.” Oberstleutnant Friederich von der Heydte reported that he could not commit Kampfgruppe Chill’s three parachute battalions, which were just beginning to arrive, until the afternoon of October 8.38 Warning told von der Heydte that Hoogerheide must be recovered immediately, “otherwise the overland connection with the Island of Walcheren is in danger.”39 With the front held by a host of ad hoc forces, corps command gave Warning overall command, but Kampfgruppe Chill remained largely independent because the corps Chief of Staff recognized that von der Heydte was the more experienced combat officer.40