Deventer

The change in command resulted in the British 2nd Army now being ordered to secure the line of the Weser River, where it lay within the boundaries of the Army, to capture Bremen, and cross the Weser, Aller and Leine rivers in a general advance to the Elbe, which it was to be prepared to cross.

Meanwhile, 1st Canadian Army's tasks had been outlined on 9 March, even before the crossing of the Rhine. These tasks included instructions to:

"(a) attack the Ijssel defences from the rear, i.e. from the east.

"(b) capture Deventer and Zutphen.

"(c) cross the Ijssel and capture Apeldoorn and the high ground between that place and Arnhem.

"(d) bridge the river [Neder Rijn] at Arnhem and open up a good communication and supply route from Nijmegen, northwards through Arnhem, and thence to the north-east."

Afterwards, the Army's new instructions in early April read as follows:

11. One Corps, of at least two Divisions, will then operate westwards to clear up western Holland. This may take some time; it will proceed methodically until completed. See para 14.

12. Simultaneously with the clearing of western Holland, the remainder of Canadian Army will operate northwards to clear northeast Holland, and then eastwards to clear the coastal belt and all enemy naval establishments up to the line of the Weser. During these operations Canadian Army will operate with one armoured division on the axis Almelo—Neuenhaus—Meppen—Sogel— Friesoythe—Oldenburg, so as to afford a measure of security to the left flank of Second Army.

13. Having cleared Northeast Holland and the coastal belt, as outlined in para 12, Canadian Army will he prepared to take over Bremen from Second Army to operate eastwards on the Hamburg axis. It will have the task of protecting the left flank of Second Army in the advance to the Elbe, and of clearing the Cuxhaven peninsula.

14. In the operations of Canadian Army the available resources in engineers, bridging equipment, etc, may not be sufficient for all purposes. In this case the operations vide para 12 and 13 will take priority; the clearing of western Holland will take second priority.

In early April, the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division was making rapid progress on the flank of the 3rd, which was preparing to liberate Zutphen and Deventer in accordance with Field Marshal Montgomery's plans.¹

Zutphen

While the latter formation was also making good progress north from Hoch Elten, clearing the right bank of the Ijssel, the 2nd Division's progress was so much better than the 2nd Canadian Corps commander, Lieutenant General Simonds, advised that formation they should take Zutphen if opposition was not heavy. This was not to be the case, as the enemy showed every intention of holding the town, and the 2nd Division was rapidly moving north out of the area.

While the 8th Infantry Brigade contained Doesburg, and the 7th cleared the western end of the Twente on 5 April, the 9th Brigade closed in on the south and eastern approaches to Zutphen. This sector was defended by the 361st Infantry Division of the 88th Corps, with a parachute training battalion under command."' These troops, many of them "teen-aged youngsters", fought very fiercely. The 9th Brigade encountered stiff resistance at Baronsbergen and Warnsveld, on the outskirts of the town, which was covered by old water defences connected with the Ijssel. To pass one drainage ditch the pioneer platoon of The Highland Light Infantry of Canada built a bridge "with 4.2" mortar boxes, reinforced with timber and ballast"-and it proved strong enough to carry the supporting tanks of "A" Squadron of the 27th Armoured Regiment (The Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment).²

The 9th Brigade was withdrawn on the 7th of April, adding their weight to the drive north of the Twente Canal while the 8th Canadian Brigade continued operations aimed at reducing Zutphen. It's two-pronged thrust westward into the town had begun on 6 April. The North Shore Regiment on the right ran into heavy opposition and hand-to-hand fighting while Le Régiment de la Chaudière on the left made good progress. As a result, the plan changed, with the North Shores being pulled back to pass through the Chauds' right flank. Fighting continued through 7 April.

Fighting continued on the 7th. Sometimes our infantry were pinned down by snipers and machine-gun fire. Nevertheless, as in the operations on the Twente Canal, "for the first time there was evidence that the enemy's attitude was gradually changing and although he fought well at times, the old tenacity was lacking". The coup de grace was given on the morning of the 8th, when the brigade penetrated the factory area with the help of Crocodiles. By midday the historic old town had been completely cleared, some of the defenders escaping across the Ijssel in rubber boats.³

As the 8th Brigade finished its task at Zutphen, the 9th established a bridghead across the Schipbeek Canal five miles north of the Twente Canal and the 7th Brigade prepared to assault the town of Deventer - a necessary precursor to 2nd Canadian Corps' attack across the Ijssel River, and the operations of 1st Canadian Corps at Arnhem.

Deventer

Deventer and Zutphen both lay on the right bank of the Ijssel, with approaches protected by a network of waterways, forcing the Canadians to attack from the east. The 7th Brigade crossed the Zijkanaal on the evening of 9 April with The Canadian Scottish Regiment in the lead, with Schalkhaar falling with little difficulty. A German counter-attack by infantry supported by three tanks on the morning of 10 April was beaten back with the assistance of  "B" Squadron of the 27th Canadian Armoured Regiment (The Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment), destroying one tank and causing the other two to retreat.⁴

This entire action lasted under two hours, and by its excellent performance the section (of carriers commanded by Sgt. A. R. Minnis) beat back a counter-attack launched by an enemy five times its strength, of which some two dozen were captured and as many killed or wounded. for his great personal courage and exceptional leadership, Sgt. Minnis was awarded the Military Medal.⁵

At noon, the main attack by the Brigade began, and the Canadian Scottish wend forward on the right, with The Royal Winnipeg Rifles to their left. The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, temporarily attached, maintained pressure on the town's south-eastern approach.

The enemy was forced back to his last major defensive line-an anti-tank ditch surrounding the town-but this did not long delay our troops. Resistance crumbled as many Germans were captured and others attempted to escape across the Ijssel, a manoeuvre rendered hazardous by the cooperating artillery of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. By the evening of the 10th the brigade had occupied the main part of Deventer and, during the night, The Regina Rifle Regiment passed through the Winnipegs, clearing the south-eastern suburbs. Twenty-four hours after the main attack began Deventer was entirely in our hands, much of the credit for the speedy clearing of the town being due to "the extremely-well-organized Dutch Underground". The 7th Brigade's total infantry casualties (including those of the Queen's Own) were 126; the brigade reported capturing about 500 prisoners.⁶

Battle Honours

The following Canadian units were awarded the Battle Honour "Deventer" for participation in these actions:

3rd Canadian Division

• 7th Canadian Reconnaissance Regiment (17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars)

• The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (MG)

7th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The Royal Winnipeg Rifles

• The Regina Rifle Regiment

• The Canadian Scottish Regiment

8th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada

2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade

• 27th Canadian Armoured Regiment (The Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment)

Notes

1. Stacey, C.P. Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War, Volume II: The Victory Campaign. pp.548-551
2. Ibid
3. Ibid
4. Ibid
5. Roy, Reginald H. Ready for the Fray (Deas gu Cath): The History of The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) (Bunker to Bunker Publishing, Calgary, AB, 2002) ISBN 1-894255-11-9 pp.420-421
6. Stacey, Ibid