CLEARING SCHELDT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25053, 17 November 1944, Page 5

CLEARING SCHELDT

STORY OF OPERATIONS WALCHEREN ISLAND ATTACK (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 15 Operations to clear the Scheldt were the subject of a statement in the House of Commons by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr A. V. Alexander, who said these operations were undertaken by the Canadian Army and were planned to'culminate in an attack on Walcheren Island, the most heavilydefended area in the approaches to Antwerp. Attacks were to be made simultaneously across South Beveland causeway, across the Scheldt from Breskens to Flushing, and a landing at Westkapelle mounted from Ostend. By breaching the dyke in three places, Royal Air Force heavy bombers previously flooded a large part of Walcheren, thus preventing mutual support by sections of the garrison and enabling our assault troops to use amphibious vehicles. The assault on Flushing was to be made by one commando landing from assault landing craft and that on Westkapelle by three commandos, with supporting engineer troops, largely mounted in amphibious vehicles carried in tank landing craft. In view of the vital need to clear the Scheldt as early as possible and the paramount advantages to be gained by a simultaneous assault, it was decided to proceed with the operations on schedule, in spite of unfavourable weather. A commando landing was made at Flushing before daylight on November 1 without casualties and our force was soon established on the waterfront. Three and a-half hours later, in daylight, the Westkapelle force approached the coast and when close inshore was engaged by the coast defences. A support squadron stood close inshore ana engaged the batteries _at point-black range, while the landing craft were beached. This process was slow, as the cratt could only beach two at a time in a gap previously breached by the R.A.F. Once ashore the commandos came up against tough opposition at nearly all enemy batteries and strongpomts, which they cleared. Difficulties were experienced in landing stores for the force. Stores were dropped by air. A British infantry brigade landed to reinforce the commando put ashore at Flushing had hehvy fighting before the town was finally cleared. Of the 25 support craft engaged nine were sunk and eight were damaged, and of the crews 172 officers and men were killed and 200 wounded. Of 47 other major landing craft engaged four were sunk and others damaged. The casualties in these craft and in the attack on LMUsning were 21 officers and men killed and missing and 84 wounded The Royal Marine commandos suffered 67 otneers and men killed. 37 missing and 20J wounded.

VISIT TO MOSCOW PLANS OF DE GAULLE PAKIS, Nov. 15 It is officially announced that General de Gaulle, leader of the Provisional Government in France, has provisionally accepted an invitation trom tiie Soviet Government to visit Moscow. He plans to make the journey accompanied by the Foreign Minister, M. Bidault. AIRBORNE SUPPLIES LONDON, Nov. 16 The Exchange Telegraph Company's correspondent in Italy reports that nearly 500 Royal Air Force planes dropped 600 tons of supplies to Matsha Tito's Army in Yugoslavia in 48 hours. This is the largest quantity of airborne supplies ever dropped to resistance forces in the wea J ll a j similar fcerjo&T ' '