Corporal Preston Duncan Campbell
Operation SUITCASE
The Battle to Open Antwerp
Background to the Operation
By the latter part of September, 1944, the war in the European Theatre of Operations had started to bog down. It had been nearly a month since the final defeat of the German armies in Normandy when the Falaise Gap was finally closed, and for several weeks after that the Allies pursued the retreating German army at high speed across Northern France. But as we have seen, from the time the Allies entered Belgium at the beginning of September, the Germans had reorganised themselves sufficiently to start mounting very effective defence in territory that was well suited to it. The multiple canals, rivers and estuaries of the low countries made formidable natural obstacles for an advancing army and the Germans knew how to take full advantage of these positions. The protracted battle that the 4th Armoured Division, and Preston Campbell's Algonquin Regiment, had just recently fought to clear the Breskens Pocket on the south bank of the Scheldt, had stopped the Allied advance in its tracks. Any hope of capturing Berlin and ending the war by Christmas had been bitterly dashed.
Complicating the task of overcoming the German defences in the low countries were the overextended supply lines for the Allies; all of their logistical support was still having to come across the beaches back in Normandy and then be transported across France to get to the front lines. The channel ports had all been destroyed by the retreating Germans and were of no use to the Allies until they could be repaired. Only Antwerp had been captured in tact, but to open the port to Allied shipping, the Scheldt estuarty must first be controlled. The capture of the Breskens pocket had secured the south bank, but the South Beveland peninsula, which formed the north bank, was still firmly in Nazi hands.
The failure of Operation MARKET-GARDEN
About the same time that Preston and his comrades were attacking at Moerkerke, Operation MARKET-GARDEN, the famous airborne assault intended to capture the bridges between Belgium and the Rhine, had ended in a disappointing defeat. It had been a gamble that nearly paid off, aiming to end the war in '44, but with its demise the reality was setting in that the Allies would need to steel themselves for another winter in the field followed by a renewed offensive in the spring. More than ever, gaining access to the port of Antwerp would be vital to the future combat capability of the Allies.
Many argue that Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery, Commander-in-Chief 21st Army Group, let his ego get in the way of good strategy; Operation MARKET-GARDEN had taken priority for most of the aviation resources available ahead of the Scheldt operations. There were therefore only a small portion of the bombers and fighters available that would normally be used to soften up German Defensive positions available to the Canadian Army during the Scheldt Operation.
Only after the failure of the MARKET-GARDEN adventure did Montgomery finally place sufficient priority on securing the Scheldt estuary necessary to finally gain acess to Antwerp. Operation SUITCASE was conceived as part of the larger Operation PHEASANT to finally secure the areas east and north of the Scheldt estuary, thereby permitting the port to be used.
Relocation and Recuperation
By the 17th of October the 4th Canadian Armoured Division had been relieved of their duties around Isabella by the Scottish 52nd Lowland Division who were preparing to conduct an amphibious assault across the Scheldt. The 4th Canadian Division, including Preston's Algonquin Regiment, were relocated further to the east to a town north-east of Antwerp called Westmalle.
The battalion set up its headquarters in the former home of a Nazi collaborator that Cassidy says '...looked like the set of a Hollywood movie.' So they decided to have a party but when men were sent into the town in search of locals to invite, they found that the other battalions had all had the same idea and beat the Algonquins to it!
For this operation, 4th Armd Div and 2nd Cdn Div were to be placed under 1st British Corps command. 4th Div was to attack as two brigade groups of combined armoured/infantry. On the left, Brigadier Moncel led 4th Armoured Brigade Group, while on the right, 10 Infantry Brigade Group under Jefferson incorporated Preston's Algonquin Regiment. The Algonquins would lead 10th Brigade out of Camp de Brasschaet towards their 1st objective, the town of Esschen; this was the first step on their way to capturing the Dutch town of Bergen Op Zoom. If Operation SUITCASE succeeded, and Bergen Op Zoom fell to the 4th Armoured Division, it would go a long way to cutting off the only lines of retreat available to the 15th Army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Von Zangen, who still occupied the South Beveland peninsula, the North Bank of the Scheldt estuary, and were still preventing Allied shipping from reaching Antwerp.
The operation would begin on the morning of the 20th of October.
Westmalle to Esschen
20-22 Oct 1944
H hour was 0730 on the 20th which was a grey misty morning with minimal visibility. The Algonquiins were given the task of leading the 10th Brigade out of Westmalle that morning. Throughout the day, the battalion came up against small pockets of stiff German resistance that slowed the advance but in general the Algonquins were having the better of their enemies. Preston's 'C' company captured a village named Kruistraat that they were then able to use as a temporary base when the attack continued the next day.
On the 21st, the Algonquins set off towards the next town, Acterbroek, encountering no resistance other than road blocks. They came under stiff resistance just outside of Acterbroek, with the lead tank being knocked out. Nonetheless, the Algonquins reached Roosendaal and firmed up there. The battalion had advanced roughly 3 miles during the day and prepared to push into Esschen the following day.
Prisoners taken on the previous days indicated the presence of fanatical, highly trained German Paratroops of the 85th Division led by Lieutenant-General Kurt Chill. This force had become known as the 'Fire Brigade' of the 15th Army and was used by Von Zangen to shore up the German Defence wherever they appeared to be most threatened. It was assessed that their presence would make daylight attacks by the armoured columns along the roads into Esschen very hazardous, and so Brig Jefferson decided to have all infantry units of the Brigade attack Esschen by first light on the 22nd. This meant a night march to get into position '…totally unsupported by heavier weapons.” The attack, including a river crossing, was to be silent, maximising the use of surprise and followed up quickly by tanks and vehicles. Cassidy notes that there were some very nervous officers prior to this attack; they knew this was a high-risk, high-reward proposition. At 11:30pm they stepped off, each soldier carrying extra rations and ammunition with about a four mile march as the crow flied ahead of them.
The advance was slow but about 0130 the column arrived at and crossed the river. About 0300 while passing a farmhouse, two German soldiers stepped out of the front door but blinded by the light couldn’t see the column until they walked into it. They were both rapidly shot up and ‘…left riddled with bullets from five or six Brens’ but thankfully the noise did not alert the main German body of troops ahead. Finding an abandoned Chateau, the battalion stopped for a rest and to finalise plans for the attack into Esschen. With the other companies attacking from the North and East, Preston's C Company would attack from the south and clear the route for the tanks and vehicles to follow. C company with the Battalion command group and a squadron of tanks found strong enemy opposition at the main road junction in the south end of the town. Thankfully, A and D companies made their way around to their positions easily enough, and B company, at the north end of town, caught a strong German contingent completely unawares. The Germans evacuated shortly after and by noon on the 22nd, Esschen was firmly in Algonquin Regiment hands.
Overall, the operation had been a success, and a badly needed confidence and morale boost after the events around Moerkerke and Isabella in September and early October. Cassidy notes, “…the whole operation was an entire success, and the low casualties certainly convinced everyone that a surprise night operation, if carefully controlled and pressed with vigour, paid off every time.” But the job wasn't done yet.
Esschen to Bergen Op Zoom
25 - 29 Oct 1944
The next phase of the battle was to attack in two battle groups against Wousche Plantage and then on to Bergen Op Zoom and Steenbergen. The Infantry Battle Group would cut through a hilly, wooded area directly towards Bergen. The Armoured Battle Group on the right flank had to traverse open country (good for both tanks and anti-tank guns) with the aim of encircling a large part of the remaining German forces in this area.
By the evening of the 25th the Algonquins were in position and prepared to conduct a two company attack against the Wousche Plantage but the position was reinforced overnight by more German troops and the attack the next day was more difficult than the Algonquins expected. Due to heavy casualties, by the 26th B Company was being commanded by a Lieutenant. Eventually Preston's company, C Company, conducted a quick attack with tanks to relieve B Company who were in a very dangerous situation. Cassidy describes the German defences of the Wousches Plantage at this point.
“While the losses had not been excessively high, and in fact were moderate in comparison to those of other operations, this wood was a sticky place to take. The defences were elaborate and well concealed. Tank movement was limited, particularly in fire effect. The enemy possessed, (and, since he planned an eventual retirement, was prone to use) large stores of shells and mortar bombs dumped here for just such a stand. The presence of many anti-personnel mines, wire, and other obstacles concealed in the underbrush made infantry infiltration difficult, particularly at night. […] By the evening of the 26th, things had slowed up to a snail’s pace […] [T]he entire 4 Div advance had almost ground to a halt.” (p.183)
The battalion reorganised and regrouped and pushed the advance forward toward Bergen. Later that evening, Canadian tanks entered Bergen but the Algonquins were held south of the town as brigade reserve. While most of the town had been abandoned, a steep canal bank running east-west through the north end of the town was well defended with road blocks. The town was defended by two battalions of elite German Paratroops who were well dug-in on the top of a 50 foot bank. The plan was to capture the town and immediately push on further to drive any remaining German forces across the Maas River and out of South Holland.
The Algonquins didn't get into the action straight away in Bergen. The initial attack went into the town on the 28th, but the Algonquins acting as the Brigade reserve force didn't get called up until 2pm on the 29th and shortly after that the Germans withdrew. At this point, a very strange thing happened. “On the strongest recommendation of the senior medical officer in the division, two days of rest were ordered for all troops. Billeted in what was left of the houses on the canal bank, and maintaining only security guards, the companies got a chance to relax and at the same time reorganize.”
It was during this period that Preston and his mates came across a distillery in the town. “The troops, reluctant at first, soon caught the spirit [...] and swarmed into the building. Containers were at a premium, for the liquors were all in large vats. Enough was smuggled out, however, to cause a fairly complete relaxation of a good portion of all the Canadian troops in Bergen. The exotic nature of some of the brands, plus the fact that many stomachs were not accustomed to the heady stuff, led to a plethora of headaches on the morning of the 31st, but in no way incapacitated the unit as a fighting force.”
Bergen Op Zoom, the main objective of Operation SUITCASE had been captured by 4th Canadian Armoured Division, blocking the retreat of German troops still occupying South Beveland, the peninsula that forms the northern bank of the Scheldt river. While Preston's 4th Armoured Division would not be directly involved in clearing the South Beveland peninsula, they had set the conditions in Operation SUITCASE that made that possible. A recent Netflix film portrays that brutal battle across the narrow isthmus onto South Beveland in superb detail. The link below will take you to the film.
Notwithstanding the success of SUITCASE, many German troops had escaped, including the Paratroop battalions from Bergen, and had now all retreated to Steenbergen and that town would be the next target for The Algonquins and the rest of 4th Armoured Division.
Steenbergen
31 Oct - 1 Nov 1944
While Preston and the rest of the Infantry Brigade Group fought their way through the hilly, wooded terrain towards Bergen, the Armoured brigade group had been sweeping quickly around further east, seeking to cut off the German 15th Army's lines of retreat. Fearing being surrounded, the troops in Bergen had evacuated to Steenbergen and here was their only escape route across the formidable Maas River. Here, they would establish a rigourous defence as a holding effort while the bulk of German forces were by now escaping across the Maas.
The Infantry brigade with tanks from the Governor General's Foot Guards in support now planned for the assault on Steenbergen. The attack would go across flat boggy ground, restricting the tanks to the roads. To counter the German rear-guards, the attack was planned to take place at night, using cover, speed and surprise to defeat the enemy. The main feature of the area were two small villages that dominated the southwestern approaches to Steenbergen; deBogt and Welberg. These villages occupied slightly higher ground and therefore made excellent defensive positions. The attack by the Algonquins was designed to neutralise any threat from these two villages and then procceed on to occupy the west side of Steenbergen. From there they could cover the approach from the rest of the battalions. The tanks and one company of infantry would be held in reserve and then form the assault force to attack Steenbergen itself.
After spending most of the day on the 31st of October finalising their preparations, the advance began late that evening and encountered little opposition over the first hour, taking 30 German prisoners without firing a shot and quickly securing the small villages of De Bogt and Welberg. About 11pm one of the companies of the Algonquins came under heavy artillery fire as the Germans in Steenbergen finally awakened to the threat. A road block prevented them getting further and hearing German troops arriving, they dug in and awaited the inevitable German counter-attack.
They spent the whole night alert to possible further attacks, but the counter-attack came not along the main road, but at Welberg, one of the villages which had already been captured the previous evening. At approximately 8 am a German tank, two German self-propelled guns, and supporting infantry launched an effective counter-attack into the Welberg dispersing the soldiers and forcing a withdrawal. More importantly, they captured the temporary Company headquarters for two of the Companies including the Company commanders and most of their staff. This was a disastrous result to an attack that had started off very promisingl
Steenbergen - The Sequel
1-2 Nov 1944
After the failure of the first attack, the Brigade now prepared for a second attack that night against Welberg, which was considered the ‘kingpin’ of the area. If it fell, it was assessed then Steenbergen would likely fall too. Observations of Germans reinforcing Welberg indicated they were preparing for a big fight.
On the positive side, recce patrols had identified an alternative road approaching Welberg from the SE that wasn’t held, and the planning that day focused on using that approach and how to correct the mistakes of the first attack. The second attack would have an even more robust artillery support and would be supported by Royal Air Force Typhoons, who could fly virtually unopposed, and were able to conduct multiple 500lb bombing runs. The attack was also going to be supported by two troops of M10 tank destroyers and the rifle companies were provided with plenty of anti-tank ammunition.
The plan for this attack differed slightly than the previous attack of 30-31st Oct. Rather than attempting to pin down any outlying forces around Welberg and then having the remainder of the battalion bypass and attack Steenberg, the whole regiment would attack Welberg in a wide pincer movement. This effectively provided a heavier concentration of infantry in the attacking approach route than the previous attempt. Tanks, self-propelled guns, and pioneers all were assisting to add more firepower, although most was being held in reserve, considered not very effective for night fighting assault, but strong firepower to repel counter-attacks in due course.
Commencing at 7pm on 2 November with the artillery blazing away at both Welberg and Steenbergen, two companies of the Algonquins (A and B Company) set off on a direct route towards Welberg from the Southwest. Meanwhile D company approached from the unguarded dirt track to the East of the town. While the two southwesterly approaches were pinned down by heavy German shelling and accurate rifle and machine gun fire, D company approaching from the East made their way to the edge of the town with little resistance and reported their objective attained by 2100. Preston's C company, held in reserve up until this point, were now tasked with following the eastern dirt road into the town, passing through D company and then conducting a flank attack on the German resistance currently pinning down A/B companies.
Before that could happen, though, a counter-attack towards C/D company was organised by the Germans consisting of a large platoon of infantry, a tank, and a self-propelled gun. They were in a strong position and none of the Algonquins could get a clear shot amid the town's buildings. The only way to deal with it was to call in support from the medium artillery batteries far to the south, but this was very risky in an urban setting where friendly infantry and civilians were scattered through the buildings. Cassidy writes about the result: “We sent a message to all troops to dig dep in their slits and cellars and hang on. Within a few minutes an absolutely beautiful concentration came down. Not one round was wide, and the target was plastered. It was the finest sort of artillery co-operation, and well deserved a bouquet.”
The artillery support worked, allowing D Company to relocate their anti-tank guns into a good firing position. It took the shot through a barn concealing his position and got a direct hit igniting the German gun and killing the crew. The German tank, and the rest of the German infantry were forced to retire out of the town; the Germans broke and ran, and the Algonquins continued the advance in pursuit. Welberg had been taken and the final objective, Steenbergen, was reported clear by midnight that night. Over the next two days, the other Divisions fighting as part of Operation SUITCASE also captured their objectives, South Beveland was in Allied hands, and by the 5th of November the Battle of the Scheldt was finally complete. Cassidy writes; “[T]he campaign for the Scheldt had come to an end. On the 20th of October we had been given the deadline of 15 Nov. Here the task was completed with ten days to spare. Everyone felt pretty self-congratulatory, but also pretty tired.[…] By this time we all knew that a long winter campaign was inevitable, that the Allied drive had lost its spark because of shortage of petrol and ammunition, and that it would require time to mount an offensive again, time that the German would also be taking advantage of. ” Most importantly, with the Scheldt estuary clear at long last, the Allies were able to finally clear the estuary of mines and reopen the port of Antwerp on 26 November. Preston and his comrades had helped achieve one of the most important strategic objectives of the campaign thus far in western Europe. The port of Antwerp would permit the necessary build up of forces and material for a push into Germany in 1945.
The Scheldt campaign capped off a very tough few months of fighting for the Algonquin Regiment.. Since the beginning of their fighting in Normandy in August until 5th November (97 days) only 8 days had been spent when the battalion was neither moving nor engaged in fighting. 77 of those days had been spent in action and in those 77 days, the regiment had suffered 816 battle casualties. To make matters worse, it looked as though the Algonquin Regiment and the rest of the 4th Armoured Division were going to be spending a cold and wet winter on the Maas River. Now was the time to recuperate their strength and prepare for the battles to come by learning from the battles of the past 97 days.