Liberation of Arnhem

Operation Anger Part of the Allied Liberation of the Netherlands A Sherman Crab Flail Tank outside burning buildings in Arnhem, 14th April. Date 12 April–16 April, 1945 Location The Netherlands Result Allied Victory Belligerents  United Kingdom Canada  Germany Commanders Henry Crerar Charles Foulkes Stuart Rawlins Philipp Kleffel Strength 1 infantry division 1 armoured brigade *Estimated over 1,000 Casualties and losses 62 killed 134 wounded #Casualties unknown 600 captured *More details of the German strength can be found in the 'German forces' section #More detailed information is available in the 'losses' section

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Operation Anger (sometimes known as Operation Quick Anger), was a military operation to seize the city of Arnhem in April 1945. It is occasionally referred to as the Second Battle of Arnhem or the Liberation of Arnhem. The operation was part of the Canadian First Army’s liberation of the Netherlands and was led by the British 49th (West Riding) Division, supported by armour of the Canadian 11 Armoured Ontario Regiment, Royal Air Force air strikes and boats of the Royal Navy.

The operation began on 12 April 1945 and proceeded almost perfectly to plan, as the three infantry brigades of the 49th Division leapfrogged each other through the city. Within five days Arnhem was totally under Allied control, allowing the Canadians to advance further into Axis territory. Less than two weeks after the battle a general truce brought major combat operations in the Netherlands to an end. Within four weeks the Germans unconditionally surrendered bringing the war in Europe to an end.

Background

The first battle of Arnhem

In September 1944 the Allies launched Operation Market Garden, an effort to advance around the Siegfried Line and open a route to the Ruhr. The British 1st Airborne Division landed at Arnhem and fought for nine days in the surrounding towns and countryside, but the British 2nd Army's advance failed to reach them and they were nearly annihilated.^[1] After withdrawing south of the Lower Rhine the front line stabilised on the “Island” (the polder between Nijmegen and Arnhem) over the winter.^[2]

The residents of Arnhem and Oosterbeek (over 450 of whom had been killed in the battle) were evicted from their homes which were then systematically looted of anything of value to aid refugees in Germany.^[2] The shattered towns were then turned into strong defensive positions to resist future Allied advances.^[3] Arnhem was extensively shelled over the winter^[2] and the Arnhem road bridge that the British had fought so hard for was bombed by the Allies in October 1944 to deny its use to the Germans.^[2] In retaliation for a Dutch railway workers strike supposed to aid the Allies September advance, the Germans banned all inland freight movement.^[4] This prevented food being grown in the north from reaching the south and west of the country and caused thousands of deaths amongst the Dutch population in the Hungerwinter over the winter.^[4]

Allied advance into Germany

In February 1945 the Allies launched Operations Veritable and Grenade, striking east from land captured during Market Garden directly into Germany. These paved the way for Operations Plunder and Varsity, crossing the River Rhine further upstream from Arnhem. 21st Army Group then advanced rapidly into north-west Germany. Whilst the British 2nd Army advanced west, General Henry Crerar’s Canadian First Army was given the task of liberating the Netherlands.^[5]

Liberating the Netherlands

The 1st Canadian Army had been instructed to plan advances across the Lower Rhine when it first assumed responsibility for the Nijmegen salient in November, but any plans were delayed by the winter and the subsequent allocation of resources for Operation Veritable.^[6] However, after Operation Veritable Crerar saw advantages to seizing Arnhem and opening a route to Emmerich during the coming crossing of the Rhine.^[7] The first draft of Operation Anger was compiled in February as a subsidiary operation to Plunder, but Lt General Charles Foulkes, commander of the recently arrived I Canadian Corps (see Operation Goldflake), thought it safer to wait until the Rhine had been crossed before launching an action on Arnhem, and Anger was shelved.^[8]

During Plunder the II Canadian Corps under Lt General Guy Simonds, seized Emmerich and struck west, approaching the River IJssel from the right to secure the land east of Arnhem.^[9] Crerar saw an opportunity to take Arnhem and open a route between the city and Zutphen to the north, and ordered his two Corp commanders to co–ordinate their advances accordingly.^[8] However, he was wary of trying to seize Arnhem before the Ijssel had been bridged further north.^[10]

I Corps launched Operation Destroyer to clear the Nijmegen Island on 2 April, carefully timing the initial attack to coincide with II Corps clearance of the east bank of the IJssel at Wehl.^[11] The island was seized in two days and the Allies occupied the southern bank of the Lower Rhine in preparation for the assault on Arnhem. On 11 April, II Corps launched Operation Cannonshot, the crossing of the IJssel further north at Deventer, prior to striking west toward Apeldoorn.^[9]

Preparations

Allied forces

The 49th (West Riding) Division (nicknamed The Polar Bears) had been on the Island since November and came under the command of I Canadian Corps when they arrived in March.^[10] They led Operation Destroyer with support from the Canadians and successfully cleared the Island in two days.^[12] The original (February) plan for Operation Anger had called for an immediate crossing of the Lower Rhine near Oosterbeek as soon as the river was reached, if the situation allowed it (Operation Quick Anger). Alternatively, if the German defenses were considered too strong, a more prepared crossing downstream at Renkum could be made (Operation Anger).^[11] In the event, reconnaissance patrols on the 3 and 4 April determined that the Westerbouwing Heights and German Observation Posts overlooking the river would have made crossing the Lower Rhine difficult.^[13] Attempts to lay smokescreens across the river were unsuccessful due to a lack of generators and strong winds, so on the 7th April Foulkes decided Arnhem must be attacked from the east, across the IJssel.^[14]

A Buffalo crosses the IJssel on the 13th. Notice the demolished railway bridge in the background.

The attack was necessarily delayed whilst the Polar Bears moved to Westervoort and II Corps prepared to cross the IJssel further north.^[13] The move caused serious logistical problems as the roads around the Island and Westervoort became jammed with traffic.^[13] This delay caused concern that the enemy would have time to prepare for the assault, but in the event it appeared they had neither the troops or equipment to improve their situation.^[15]

The attack was planned to proceed in three phases. The initial assault would be carried out by the British 56th Infantry Brigade who would cross the IJssel at night in Buffalo IVs of The Ontario Regiment before clearing the eastern and southern districts of the city.^[16] In phase two, the British 146th Infantry Brigade would move forward and attack the high ground north of Arnhem.^[17] In the third phase, the British 147th Infantry Brigade would advance through 56th's positions and secure the high ground and north bank of the Rhine west of the city.^[17] With the heights around Arnhem secure the 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division would advance through the city and head north.^[18] The British took several Canadian units under command and most of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division were placed in support.^[18] There had been plans to parachute a troop of the Special Air Service (SAS) into Holland to disrupt German activities during the attack (Operation Keystone), but in the event the units used jeeps to enter enemy territory and did not aid the assault.^[19]

The river crossing would be assisted by the Royal Navy's Force U who would provide several Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM's) previously used in Plunder, and by I Corps' Royal Canadian Engineers (RCE), who built a prefabricated Bailey Bridge upstream at Doornenburg and floated it down-river to Westervoort early in the battle.^[20] The RCE would also build and operate a ferry and the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) would run DUKWs across the river during the operation.^[5]

Allied Order of Battle

49th (West Riding) Infantry Division GOC Major General Stuart Rawlins

• 56th Infantry Brigade, CO Brigadier R.H. Senior
  • 2nd Battalion, The Essex Regiment
  • 2nd Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment
  • 2nd Battalion, The South Wales Borderers

• 146th Infantry Brigade, CO Brigadier D.S. Gordon
  • 4th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment
  • 1/4th Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
  • The Hallamshire Battalion, The York and Lancaster Regiment

• 147th Infantry Brigade, CO Brigadier H. Wood
  • 1st Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment
  • 1/7th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
  • 11th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers

• Attached:
  • 11th Canadian Armoured Regiment, The Ontario Regiment

German forces

German forces in the Netherlands had recently been re-designated Festung Holland (Fortress Holland),^[5] although this name change had little effect on the units on the ground. The rout of forces the previous year, the formation of ad hoc Kampfgruppe (Battle Groups) and cannibalising of units made it difficult for Allied intelligence to determine German strength north of the Rhine, and still does today.^[21] Approximately 10,000 troops of the 30th German Corps were believed to be in the Arnhem–Apeldoorm area, under the command of General Philipp Kleffel.^[15] There were believed to be up to 1,000 men of the 346th Infantry Division, the 858th Grenadier Regiment and other miscellaneous units occupying Arnhem,^[20] including paratroopers and Dutch-SS.^[22][23] As well as the natural defence provided by the rivers and the high ground north and west of the city, Arnhem itself had been turned into a strong defensive position after the battle the previous year.^[20] On the very day of the opening assault on Arnhem, Heinrich Himmler issued a decree that all cities should be defended at any price, failure to do so being punishable by death.^[24]

Battle

Infantry and a Humber Scout Car advance through Arnhem on the 14th April

On the morning of the 12th April it became clear that Operation Slingshot was well underway and Foulkes immediately ordered the 49th Division to commence their attack that evening.^[19] The day was spent bombarding the enemy in Arnhem using artillery and ground attack aircraft. The RAF laid on 36 Spitfire and 83 rocket firing Typhoon sorties to soften up the German positions^[25] and the attack was preceded by one of the heaviest artillery barrages ever fired by I Canadian Corps.^[19] A diversionary barrage from south of the Rhine provoked a strong German response suggesting they had probably prepared for an attack to be made from the south rather than the east.^[25]

Phase one - the initial assault

The assault was delayed by the late arrival of several assault craft and the failure of several explosive charges on the enemy bank of the river (designed to clear a path through mines and the 'bund') to detonate.^[25] Despite this the four companies of 2nd Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment made the crossing under cover of machine guns, mortars and searchlights and reached the west bank of the IJssel at 11.15pm.^[25][26] There was some light opposition as German artillery fired on the Buffaloes, but the British companies quickly seized their objectives and secured a foothold on the west bank.^[20] By 3.00am the 2nd Battalion The South Wales Borderers had crossed over and reached the main railway junction in the east of the city.^[19] Between 6.30–8.30am the 2nd Battalion The Essex Regiment made their way across the river, and the RCE set up a Class 40 ferry across the river^[19] so that tanks of the Ontario Regiment could begin to cross too.^[20]

Phase two

Troops on patrol on the 14th April

The Royal Canadian Engineers began moving the Bailey bridge into position at 12.50am and assembled it throughout the morning. By 10.30, less than 12 hours after H-Hour, traffic was rolling across the IJssel.^[27] This allowed phase 2 of the operation to proceed and soon troops of 146 Brigade and tanks of the Ontario Regiment were moving up to 56th Brigade's positions.^[25] There was relatively little resistance in the morning, although the South Wales Borderers had to beat back a counter attack near the Railway Junction.^[27] In the late morning the British advanced towards a large Enka BV factory complex in the eastern area of the city where a battalion of the 346th Infantry and troops of the 46th Festungs Machine Gun Battalion had set up a strong point.^[28] The Germans had moved in from Oosterbeek that morning and had thus escaped the earlier bombardments.^[28][29] The 4th Battalion The Lincolnshire Regiment were tasked to clear the complex^[30], although the Germans, being comparatively fresh, were able to offer some resistance.^[29] With support from the tanks of the Ontario Regiment, AVREs and flame throwers the Germans were eventually overwhelmed in a battle which lasted most of the day.^[28] By the evening of the 13th April most of the resistance in the city had broken and the 147th Brigade were preparing to cross the IJssel.^[30]

Phase three

The 147th crossed into Arnhem overnight and were prepared to move through 56th Division's positions by the morning of the 14th.^[29] The German resistance had largely crumbled but significant numbers of mines and demolitions were encountered.^[20] The 7th Battalion The Duke of Wellington's Regiment repulsed what they believed to be a German counter attack led by three French Renault Tanks, although prisoners captured later claimed they had no idea the British were there.^[28] The battalion also encountered units of the 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Landstorm Nederland.^[23] By the end of the day the Allied units had reached their objectives and controlled the high ground overlooking the city.^[29] The 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division began moving onto the high ground north of the city to prepare for its next advance.^[29] The Germans were cleared out of the precinct of Velp and the surrounding area on the 15 and 16 April, bringing Operation Anger to an end.^[23]

Aftermath

The Allies liberated a ruined city. After the looting the previous year, houses were no more than shells - devoid of furniture, household good and even doors.^[31] The 49th Division war diary noted that "a town had never been more wantonly destroyed"^[30]

The Canadian advance resumed almost immediately, although in a change to its plan it headed north towards Apeldoorn rather than west.^[29] A few days later the 49th Division attacked the town of Ede, occupied by the Dutch SS, pushing the Axis forces back further.^[32] Less than two weeks after the battle General Johannes Blaskowitz allowed a temporary truce with the Canadians so that food aid could be delivered to the starving Dutch civilians in areas under German control (See Operation Manna) and on 5 May German forces in the Netherlands unconditionally surrendered.^[33]

Losses

The British recorded 62 killed and 134 wounded in the action,^[23] although it is unclear if this includes Canadian casualties. German figures are imprecise with POWs being recorded as 601 in some sources^[30] and up to 1,600 in others.^[23] Casualties are similarly unknown, although could have been as high as 3,000.^[23]

Honours and Memorials

Most of the Allied men killed in the battle were buried at the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery after the war. Germans who had been buried at localised cemeteries or in field graves were eventually re–interred at Ysselsteyn, along with most Germans killed in the Netherlands during the war.^[34]

Units involved in the battle were awarded the battle honour Arnhem 1945.^[30] In 1999 the Princess Louise Fusiliers were granted the honour after research by Captain Sanchez King was able to demonstrate the regiment's entitlement.^[1]

References

Bibliography

• Corry, Lt G.D; Oglesby, Major R.B. "Report No 39: Operations of 1 Canadian Corps in North-West Europe, 15 March - 5 May, 1945" (PDF). National Defence and the Canadian Forces, Army Headquarters Reports 1948-1959. http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/rep-rap/ahqrd-drqga-eng.asp?txtType=3&RfId=228. Retrieved 2009-07-04. 
• Delaforce, Patrick (1995). The Polar Bears, Monty's Left Flank: From Normandy to the Relief of Holland with the 49th Division. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-3194-9. 
• Evans, Martin (1998). The Battle for Arnhem. Pitkin. ISBN 0-85372-888-7. 
• King, Sanchez (2001-2002). "Operation Anger: The Little Known Canadian Victory at Arnhem in 1945". The Army Doctrine and Training Bulletin 4 (4): 49-53. http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/caj/documents/vol_04/iss_4/CAJ_vol4.4_09_e.pdf. Retrieved 2009-07-02. 
• Middlebrook, Martin (1994). Arnhem 1944: The Airborne Battle. Viking. ISBN 0-670-83546-3. 
• Stacey, Colonel Charles Perry. "Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War: Volume III. The Victory Campaign: The operations in North-West Europe 1944-1945" (PDF). The Queen's Printer and Controller of Stationery Ottawa. http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/oh-ho/detail-eng.asp?BfBookLang=1&BfId=29. Retrieved 2009-07-04. 
• Steer, Frank (2003). Battleground Europe - Market Garden. Arnhem - The Bridge. Leo Cooper. ISBN 0-85052-939-3. 
• Waddy, John (1999). A Tour of the Arnhem Battlefields. Pen & Sword Books Limited. ISBN 0-85052-571-3. 

External links

• National Defence and the Canadian Forces Official Histories
• National Defence and the Canadian Forces Army Headquarters (AHQ) Reports (1948-1959)