Battle of the Scheldt

The 1944 Allied campaign to clear the Scheldt estuary in Belgium and the Netherlands, enabling shipping to reach the port of Antwerp.

Operation Switchback: The Canadian operation to clear German forces from the Breskens pocket south of the Scheldt estuary. It secured the southern bank and west side of the estuary.
Battle of Woensdrecht: A 1944 battle for the South Beveland isthmus, fought chiefly by Canadian forces against German troops. Control of Woensdrecht cut German access to South Beveland from the mainland.
Bernard Montgomery: British field marshal who commanded the 21st Army Group in northwest Europe during the Second World War. His focus on Operation Market Garden delayed the effort to open Antwerp.
Port of Antwerp: A major Belgian seaport on the Scheldt River, captured by Allied forces in September 1944. The campaign’s purpose was to open this port to Allied ocean shipping.
Capture of Antwerp: The Allied occupation of Antwerp in early September 1944, before the Scheldt estuary was cleared. Capturing the city did not by itself permit ships to reach its port.
Operation Vitality: The Canadian operation to capture South Beveland and approach Walcheren Island. Its capture of South Beveland opened an approach to the island guarding the estuary.
Battle of the Breskens Pocket: The Canadian campaign to destroy German forces in the coastal pocket west of the Leopold Canal. It cleared the southern approaches to the Scheldt from German resistance.
Harry Crerar: Canadian general who commanded the First Canadian Army during the campaign. He directed the army responsible for most of the fighting to clear the estuary.
Allied logistics in the Northwest Europe campaign: The supply systems that sustained Allied armies advancing through France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Antwerp’s eventual use eased the supply constraints facing Allied forces.
Battle of the Rhineland: A 1945 Allied campaign to clear German forces from the Rhineland and prepare for crossing the Rhine. It followed the Scheldt campaign and pursued a different route into Germany.

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