THE BATTLE OF THE REICHSWALD: Rhineland February 1945

1-236220

Originally hoping to use the frozen winter ground for a speedy assault, a thaw set in days before Operation Veritable began attack the wooded Reichswald Plug between the rivers Rhine and Maas. On the morning of 8 February, after protracted bombardment but in the worst possible ground conditions, the Allied attack slowly progressed against the German 84th Division.

It took all of the first day to break through the mud and defenses into the Reichswald, while to the north, Canadians and Scots struggled across equally sodden open country with the Rhine floods rising fast. Despite the conditions, overnight the Canadians took to the flood waters to seize what were now island villages and the Scots dashed to capture the vital Materborn, which overlooked Kleve.

With heavy rain compounding difficulties, mud and flood waters made movement of men and supplies increasingly difficult. Despite this and the arrival of German reinforcements, the Allies fought their way forward, forcing the Reichswald Plug and opening the way into the Rhineland and the final phases of the war.