|
History |
|
Wars & Campaigns |
|
►Boer
War
►First
World War
►►Western
Front
►►►Trench
Warfare: 1914-1916
►►►Allied
Offensive: 1916
►►►Allied
Offensives: 1917
►►►German
Offensive: 1918
►►►Advance
to Victory: 1918
►►Siberia
►Second
World War
►►War
Against Japan
►►North
Africa
►►Italian
Campaign
►►►Sicily
►►►Southern
Italy
►►►The
Sangro and Moro
►►►Battles
of the FSSF
►►►Cassino
►►►Liri
Valley
►►►Advance
to Florence
►►►Gothic
Line
►►►Winter
Lines
►►North-West
Europe
►►►Normandy
►►►Southern
France
►►►Channel
Ports
►►►Scheldt
►►►Nijmegen
Salient
►►►Rhineland
►►►Final
Phase
►Korean
War
►Cold
War
►Gulf
War |
|
Operations |
|
|
|
Battle Honours |
|
Boer War
First World War
Western Front
Trench Warfare: 1914-1916
Allied Offensive: 1916
|
►Somme, 1916 |
1
Jul-18 Nov 16 |
|
►Albert |
.1-13
Jul 16 |
|
►Bazentin |
.14-17
Jul 16 |
|
►Pozieres |
.23
Jul-3 Sep 16 |
|
►Guillemont |
.3-6
Sep 16 |
|
►Ginchy |
.9
Sep 16 |
|
►Flers-Courcelette |
15-22
Sep 16 |
|
►Thiepval |
26-29
Sep 16 |
|
►Le Transloy |
.
1-18 Oct 16 |
Allied
Offensives: 1917
|
►Arras 1917 |
8
Apr-4 May 17 |
|
►Vimy, 1917 |
.9-14
Apr 17 |
|
►Arleux |
28-29 Apr 17 |
|
►Scarpe, 1917 |
.3-4
May17 |
|
►Hill 70 |
.15-25
Aug 17 |
|
►Messines, 1917 |
.7-14
Jun 17 |
|
►Ypres, 1917 |
..31
Jul-10 Nov 17 |
|
►Pilckem |
31
Jul-2 Aug 17 |
|
►Langemarck, 1917 |
.16-18
Aug 17 |
|
►Menin Road |
.20-25
Sep 17 |
|
►Polygon Wood |
26
Sep-3 Oct 17 |
|
►Broodseinde |
.4
Oct 17 |
|
►Poelcapelle |
.9
Oct 17 |
|
►Passchendaele |
.12
Oct 17 |
|
►Cambrai, 1917 |
20
Nov-3 Dec 17 |
German Offensive: 1918
|
►Somme, 1918 |
.21
Mar-5 Apr 18 |
|
►St. Quentin |
.21-23
Mar 18 |
|
►Bapaume, 1918 |
.24-25
Mar 18 |
|
►Rosieres |
.26-27
Mar 18 |
|
►Avre |
.4
Apr 18 |
|
►Lys |
.9-29
Apr 18 |
|
►Estaires |
.9-11
Apr 18 |
|
►Messines, 1918 |
.10-11
Apr 18 |
|
►Bailleul |
.13-15
Apr 18 |
|
►Kemmel |
.17-19
Apr 18 |
Advance to Victory: 1918
|
►Arras, 1918 |
.26
Aug-3 Sep 18 |
|
►Scarpe, 1918 |
26-30 Aug 18. |
|
►Drocourt-Queant |
.2-3
Sep 18 |
|
►Hindenburg Line |
.12
Sep-9 Oct 18 |
|
►Canal du Nord |
.27
Sep-2 Oct 18 |
|
►St. Quentin Canal |
.29
Sep-2 Oct 18 |
|
►Epehy |
3-5
Oct 18 |
|
►Cambrai, 1918 |
.8-9
Oct 18 |
|
►Valenciennes |
.1-2
Nov 18 |
|
►Sambre |
.4
Nov 18 |
|
►Pursuit to Mons |
.28 Sep-11Nov |
Second World War
War Against Japan
South-East Asia
Italian Campaign
Battle of Sicily
Southern
Italy
The Sangro and Moro
Battles of the FSSF
|
►Anzio |
22
Jan-22 May 44 |
|
►Rome |
.22
May-4 Jun 44 |
|
►Advance
|
.22
May-22 Jun 44 |
|
to the Tiber |
. |
|
►Monte Arrestino |
25
May 44 |
|
►Rocca Massima |
27
May 44 |
|
►Colle Ferro |
2
Jun 44 |
Cassino
|
►Cassino II |
11-18
May 44 |
|
►Gustav Line |
11-18
May 44 |
|
►Sant' Angelo in
|
13
May 44 |
|
Teodice |
. |
|
►Pignataro |
14-15 May 44 |
Liri Valley
|
►Hitler Line |
18-24 May 44 |
|
►Melfa Crossing |
24-25 May 44 |
|
►Torrice Crossroads |
30
May 44 |
Advance to Florence
Gothic Line
|
►Gothic Line |
25 Aug-22 Sep 44 |
|
►Monteciccardo |
27-28 Aug 44 |
|
►Point 204 (Pozzo Alto) |
31 Aug 44 |
|
►Borgo Santa Maria |
1 Sep 44 |
|
►Tomba di Pesaro |
1-2 Sep 44 |
Winter Lines
|
►Rimini Line |
14-21 Sep 44 |
|
►San Martino- |
14-18 Sep 44 |
|
San Lorenzo |
. |
|
►San Fortunato |
18-20 Sep 44 |
|
►Sant' Angelo |
11-15 Sep 44 |
|
in Salute |
. |
|
►Bulgaria Village |
13-14 Sep 44 |
|
►Pisciatello |
16-19 Sep 44 |
|
►Savio Bridgehead |
20-23
Sep 44 |
|
►Monte La Pieve |
13-19
Oct 44 |
|
►Monte Spaduro |
19-24 Oct 44 |
|
►Monte San Bartolo |
11-14
Nov 44 |
|
►Lamone Crossing |
2-13
Dec 44 |
|
►Capture of Ravenna |
3-4
Dec 44 |
|
►Naviglio Canal |
12-15 Dec 44 |
|
►Fosso Vecchio |
16-18 Dec 44 |
|
►Fosso Munio |
19-21 Dec 44 |
|
►Conventello- |
2-6 Jan 45 |
|
Comacchio |
. |
Northwest Europe
Battle of Normandy
|
►Quesnay Road |
10-11 Aug 44 |
|
►St. Lambert-sur- |
19-22 Aug 44 |
Southern France
Channel Ports
The Scheldt
Nijmegen Salient
Rhineland
|
►The
Reichswald |
8-13 Feb 45 |
|
►Waal
Flats |
8-15 Feb 45 |
|
►Moyland
Wood |
14-21 Feb 45 |
|
►Goch-Calcar
Road |
19-21 Feb 45 |
|
►The
Hochwald |
26
Feb- |
| . |
4
Mar 45 |
|
►Veen |
6-10 Mar 45 |
|
►Xanten |
8-9
Mar 45 |
Final Phase
|
►The
Rhine |
23
Mar-1 Apr 45 |
|
►Emmerich-Hoch
|
28
Mar-1 Apr 45 |
|
Elten |
. |
Korean War
|
|
Domestic Missions |
|
►FLQ
Crisis |
|
International
Missions |
|
►ICCS
Vietnam 1973
►MFO
Sinai 1986- |
|
Peacekeeping |
|
►UNTEA |
W. N. Guinea 1963-1964 |
|
►ONUCA |
C. America
1989-1992 |
|
►UNTAC |
Cambodia
1992-1993 |
|
►UNMOP |
Prevlaka
1996-2001 |
|
|
Exercises |
|
Moerbrugge
|
Moerbrugge was a
Battle Honour granted to Canadian units participating in actions
near this town from 8 Sep 1944 to 10 Sep 1944, as part of the
overall battle to clear the Channel Ports.
Overview
The 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division, free of the close-in terrain
and high force concentrations in Normandy, enjoyed a long advance
from Normandy into Belgium alongside the British 2nd Army in the
opening weeks of Sep 1944. On 6 Sep, the division was organized into
two battle groups: STEWART Force and MONCEL Force and tasked with
pursuing the retreating German armies; the Canadians were to advance
on Eeklo, a town northwest of Ghent while the divisional recce unit,
the 12th Manitoba Dragoons, was to reconnoiter the coast. |
|
With Antwerp having fallen
to the British, the Canadians were optimistic that German resistance was
crumbling and had been effectively routed. Staff officers at First
Canadian Army headquarters realized, however, that the Germans had
designated positions on the Scheldt Estuary as fortresses. Antwerp's
port would be useless to the Allies until the Scheldt could be cleared.
The ease with with the Manitoba Dragoons took Nieuport and Ostend gave
the Canadians a false indication of German organization in the Scheldt
area.
Reckless optimism was certainly the mood at Major-General Harry
Foster’s divisional headquarters when orders were issued to seize a
crossing of the Ghent Canal at Moerbrugge. At the time, artillery
was only available on call due to an ammunition shortage. It is also
worth noting that there was no time for reconnaissance and that no
assault boats were available. With Brigadier J.C. Jefferson in
hospital, suffering from a recurrence of malaria, Lt.-Col. Dave
Stewart of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada was in
command and he selected his own battalion to make the crossing.1
STEWART Force (two
battalions of the 10th Infantry Brigade) was tasked with crossing the
Ghent Canal about five kilometers south of Bruges at a small village
called Oostkamp. Directly across the canal from Oostkamp, which was
about 20 metres wide and very deep, was another village named Moerbrugge.
Opposition was not expected and The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of
Canada were chosen to make the assault. Two batteries of the 15th Field
Regiment, RCA were placed in support, though ammunition was not
available in large quantities and supporting fire was provided on an on
call basis, with no prepatory fires planned.
The 29th Armoured Recce Regiment (South Alberta Regiment) also sited its
Sherman Tanks on the friendly side of the canal to cover the crossing.
Vickers Guns of The New Brunswick Rangers were also sited to provide
cover. Ammunition was also low for the 3-Inch Mortars of the Argyll's
Mortar Platoon, and for the 4.2-Inch Mortars of the New Brunswick
Rangers.
"A" Company of the Argylls, Argyll Scout and Sniper Platoon, and one
squadron of the SAR were moved to a point north of the crossing to
provide a diversion and to test German defences.
The Argylls, under command of the Deputy Commanding Officer Major B.
Stockloser, ordered "B", "C", and "D" companies to cross the canal but
had not arranged for assault boats stating that the operation would be
"a crossing of opportunity". The companies moved to Oostkamp at 1530hrs
on the 8th, where two civilian boats were found by the OC of "D"
Company, Major Mackenzie. The boats ferried all three companies over the
canal, though the crossing was contested by mortar and artillery fire.
Major Mackenzie was wounded, with his "D" Company being driven to the
bank of the canal by German counter-attacks, with "C" Company cut off by
German infiltrators. "C" Company lost 17 of 63 men in two hours, but by
midnight a bridgehead had been created by all three companies at the
cost of 5 dead and 26 wounded.
German Forces
The Canadian assault came at the junction of Infanterie Division 711 and
Infanterie Division 245.
9 September
The Lincoln and Welland Regiment crossed the canal on the 9th to secure
the right flank of the Argylls, facing several German counter-attacks.
"C" Company remained cut off, as well as out of contact due to failed
wireless sets. Company Sergeant Major George Mitchell managed to lead an
ammunition party forward - an act for which he was awarded the
Distinguished Conduct Medal.
One Bren Gunner, Lance Corporal L.A. Webb, inflicted an estimated 15 to
20 casualties on German soldiers in a matter of a few minutes during one
counter-attack, despite enemy machinegun and 20mm fire. Despite heavy
losses, the German counterattacks managed to overrun an entire platoon
of Argylls, killing their platoon commander.
Engineers found it difficult to bridge the canal, owing to heavy
shelling and mortar fire, and had to ferry ammunition across by boat.
Supporting fire increased as 25-pounder ammunition became available.
At 1400hrs, "A" Company and the Scout and Sniper Platoon of the Argylls
rejoined the main action, taking up positions on the friendly side of
the canal. Enemy pressure created a fear that the six companies in the
bridgehead might need to be evacuated.
At 1500 hours the Argylls' CO, Lieutenant Colonel Stewart, returned to
the unit and was placed in charge of the crossing by the brigade
commander. At 1900hrs an intense German mortar barrage fell in support
of another counter-attack, which was also beaten off, though bridge
construction was again delayed by the fire. Canadian counter-battery
fire managed to suppress German artillery and mortar positions by
midnight; the casualty total for the 9th included 7 Argylls killed, 22
wounded, and 12 captured.
10 September
A Bailey Bridge was completed by the morning of 10 Sep, allowing tanks
of the SAR to establish contact with "C" Company of the Argylls.
Approximately 150 captured Germans were sent back across the canal. The
Germans suffered 700 casualties at Moerbrugge, with twenty 20mm FlaK
guns and six 81-mm mortars also captured.
The struggle for
Moerbrugge continued for three days, drawing in the Lincoln and
Welland Regiment who put all four rifle companies across the canal
to support the Argylls. Supplies were the real problem and the men
carried double loads of ammunition into battle.2
The fighting was heavy
and in the end, the Germans broke contact and withdrew behind the
Leopold Canal.
At the end of the three days, The Algonquin Regiment, as part of MONCEL
Force, crossed the Ghent canal as well, for their own attack on
Moerkerke and an attempt to cross the Leopold; a major water obstacle
that would be very problematic for Canadians in the days ahead.
Battle Honours
The following Canadian units were awarded the Battle Honour "Moerbrugge"
for participation in these actions:
4th Canadian Division
10th Canadian Infantry Brigade
Notes
- Copp, Terry. "The Liberation of
Belgium", article in Legion Magazine published in
November/December 2000.
- Copp, Ibid.
References
- Maps adapted from Graves, Donald E.
South Alberta: A Canadian Regiment at War (Robin Brass
Studios, Toronto, AB, 1998)
|
