On to Victory by Mark Zuehlke

Author:Mark Zuehlke
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre
Published: 2010-08-09T16:00:00+00:00

[18]

Piece of Cake

WHEN II CANADIAN Corps’s divisions had begun their drive through Holland and western Germany, the attached 1st Infantry Division had remained at the IJssel River to prepare for Operation Cannonshot—the precursor to any I Canadian Corps advance into western Holland to liberate the great cities there. The selected crossing site was in front of the village of Gorssel, midway between Zutphen and Deventer. Here the river followed a wide westward dog-leg, and Major General Harry Foster planned to gain the opposite shore square in the middle of this natural salient that thrust into Twenty-Fifth Army’s front line. Because the launching sites and approaches were exposed to German observation, all sides of the dog-leg would be masked by a giant smokescreen created by a heavy bombardment of smoke shells and deployment of many mobile generators. Crossing in Buffaloes, 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade would establish the beachhead with the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada on the left, the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry the right, and the Loyal Edmonton Regiment staying back in reserve. The Shermans of 1st Hussars Regiment’s ‘A’ Squadron would be rafted into the beachhead as soon as possible.1

In the next phase, 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade, supported by the rest of the 1st Hussars, would advance on Apeldoorn. The 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade would come up on the left and make for the Apeldoorn Canal running south from the city. Once Apeldoorn fell, Cannonshot would be concluded, and the division would return to I Canadian Corps command for whatever operations westward followed.2

“It’s a clever, well-thought-out plan,” PPCLI Captain Syd Frost concluded. “Whatever harsh words I’ve had for generals and the staff in the past, I’ve got to admit they occasionally come up with some bright ideas.”3 Frost was impressed that the plans gave him time to thoroughly reconnoitre the assigned river crossing site and study the battalion plan in detail. “It was such a sensible way to go to war compared to the Italian campaign, where we had been thrown into river crossings so many times with no chance for any recce or planning. The more I saw of the orderly, deliberate way the [First] Canadian Army went about its tasks, the more I liked doing business with them.”4

What Frost disliked was the selected crossing site, although he admitted it was likely as good as any possible. From a covering wood the battalion’s officers spent hours studying the ground. With binoculars, Frost could see his company objective—“a group of houses about 1,000 yards from the crossing place, but they were sheltered by a dyke that could mean real trouble. The river itself seemed about 100 yards wide, muddy and sluggish. From our vantage point to the near bank of the dyke, the area was as flat as a billiard table and no cover was available.”

Turning to Major J.M.D. Jones, whose ‘C’ Company would be on the left of Frost’s ‘D’ Company, he asked, “Does this remind you of anything we’ve seen before? ”

“Christ, it’s the Italian plains all over again,” Jones responded.

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