FALL OF BRESKENS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25674, 24 October 1944, Page 5

FALL OF BRESKENS

SUCCESS FOR CANADIANS GERMANS HEMMED IN CORNER t ' LONDON, Oct. 22. ' The' Canadians to-day captured Breskens, chief __ port in the Scheldt pocket, and entered Fort Frederik Hendrik, from which German coastal batteries dominated the gateway to Antwerp, says Reuter’s correspondent with the Canadian First Army. They found the fort heavily mined. The Canadians thus have almost completed the first stage of the operation designed to render Antwerp usable as a port, but German guns on Walcheren and South Beveland still deny a passage to shipping. The Germans in the Scheldt pocket are now hemmed in the north-western corner, where they are strongly resisting behind good natural defences. The Canadians north-east of Antwerp to-day captured Esscheri;--while British troops on their right flank beat off several German armoured counterattacks.

The British and Canadian push to the Belgian-Dutch border is already influencing the battle, for control of the South B&veland causeway. German counter-attacks against Woensdrecht have diminished, and a number of crack German troops in the Bergen op Zoom area are believed to have moved eastward in an effort to halt the Allied thrust to Rozendaal. The 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 infantry. The Typhoon squadron which, killed Rommel took a prominent part in today’s attack by R.A.F. fighter-bombers on the " heavily-defended headquarters area” of the Breskeiis pocket. They flew to an important road junction, where, within an area of some 400 yards square, were building surrounded by barbed wire, and defended positions. The squadron dropped 16 5001 b bombs, sending several of the buildings skywards. Fully a dozen of the bombs landed inside the wire and burst among houses and barns. Rhodesian Typhoons had previously fired rockets into the area.

Canadian troops, pushing forward in the'Breskens pocket, were given the closest support by other Typhoons. The port of Breskens was attacked and a big explosion and fire were seen. Five hundred sorties were flown despite unfavourable weather, and only two aircraft were lost,.