|
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 |
|
Zutphen
|
Zutphen was a
Battle Honour granted to Canadian units participating in actions
near this Dutch town in April 1945 during the Final Phase of the North-West
Europe campaign in the Second World War.
Background
When the U.S. 9th Army was withdrawn
from the command of the 21st Army Group at midnight on 3-4 April
1945, the plan for the post-Rhine campaign had to be modified
accordingly. That plan, outlined on 28 March, had included the
outline points to subordinate Army commanders:
6. To advance to the line of the
Elbe with Ninth Army and Second Army.
7. The right of Ninth Army to be
directed on Magdeburg; the left of Second Army to be directed on
Hamburg.
8. Canadian Army to open up the
supply route to the north through Arnhem, and then to operate to
clear Northeast Holland, the coastal belt eastwards to the Elbe,
and West Holland.
9. Having reached the Elbe, Ninth
and Second Armies will halt. Ninth Army will assist 12 Army
Group in mopping up the Ruhr. Second Army will assist Canadian
Army in its task of clearing the coastal belt vide para 8. The
large area of Germany occupied by 21 Army Group will be brought
under military government.
|
|
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.
Battle Honours
The following Canadian units were awarded the Battle Honour "Zutphen"
for participation in these actions:
3rd Canadian Division
8th Canadian Infantry Brigade
9th Canadian Infantry Brigade
-
The Highland Light Infantry of Canada
-
The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
-
The North Nova Scotia Highlanders
2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade
Notes
- Stacey, C.P. Official History of the Canadian Army in the
Second World War, Volume II: The Victory Campaign. pp.548-551
- Ibid
- Ibid
|
