CANADIAN GAIN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 251, 23 October 1944, Page 5

CANADIAN GAIN

BRESKENS CAPTURED

Chief Port Of Scheldt Pocket And Vital Hun Post

N.Z. Press Association—Copyright Rec. noon. LONDON, Oct. 22. The Canadians to-day captured Breskens, the chief port in .the Scheldt pocket and entered the fort of Frederikhendrik, from which German coastal batteries dominated the gateway to Antwerp, says Reuters correspondent with the Canadian First Army. They found the fort heavily mined.

The Canadians have thus almost completed the first stage of the operations designed to render Antwerp useable as a port, but German guns on Walcheren and South Beveland still deny a passage to shipPing. ,

_ All the four big guns near Flushing stopped firing during the attack by Lancasters on Saturday morning, according to reports by the First Canadian Army. They have not fired again, according to the latest infor* mation. These guns.had kept up a .persistent harassing fire and were a serious impediment to the operations of the Canadian Army. Bomber Command was asked to deal with them yesterday, and in unfavourable weather at once sent out the Lancasters. The British and Canadian push to the Belgian-Dutch border is already influencing the battle for control of South Beveland- causeway. German counter-attacks against Woensdrecht have diminished and a number of crack German troops in Bergenopzoom area are believed to have moved eastward in an effort to halt the Allied thrust to Rozendaal. Fighting is. expected to become heavy as the British and Canadians approach the main German line across south-western Holland, where the Germans are well equipped with tanks and infantry.

Canadian troops, pushing forward in Breskens pocket were given the closest possible support by Typhoons. Fort Hundreik was heavily attacked by British Typhoons and Norwegian Spitfires. Port Breskens was also attacked. A big explosion and fire were seen. Five hundred sorties were flown despite unfavourable weather. Only two aircraft were lost.