3 Mar 2020
May, 1945, opened with good news: Hitler was dead. His successor, Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz, wasn’t a big time Nazi like Heinrich Himmler or Hermann Goering, meaning the war would not be prolonged. The weather too was improving.
In Holland, 2nd Div, under Maj-Gen Bruce Matthews, had wrapped up the Battle of Groningen, a remarkable feat of urban combat. To protect the civil population, the Canadians fought without artillery support, relying only on direct fire from tank main guns. The success of that battle created the Delfzijl pocket which 5th Div, under Maj-Gen Bert Hoffmeister, cleared up by May 2nd. Thus ended organized resistance in Holland.
Meanwhile, the 2nd Canadian Corps protected the British left flank. Operation Duck saw a forced crossing of the Ems and Leda Rivers in Lower Saxony and the capture of the North Sea port town of Leer. Duck was conducted by a reinforced 3rd Div, under Maj-Gen Ralph. Keefler, The 9th Bde, under Brig John Rockingham, attacked across both rivers and established a bridgehead. 7th Bde,, under Brig Thomas Gibson, passed through the 9th, and captured the town of Loga, The 8th Bde, under Brig J.A. Roberts, on May 1st began a drive northward towards Aurich, reaching it on the 4th. Meanwhile, the 1st Polish Armoured Division, under Stanislaw,Maczek, captured Emden and Wilhelmshaven.
On May 2nd, before Hamburg surrounded and Lubeck fell, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion saved Denmark from Soviet occupation. Churchill promised the Danes that the British would liberate Denmark, and Monty planned Operation Eclipse accordingly. To make sure the Soviets didn’t get there first, he ordered the 3rd and 5th Parachute Brigades of the British 6th Airborne Division to dash across the base of the Jutland peninsula from Lauenburg to Wismar on the Baltic coast - a distance of over one hundred kilometers.
Spearheading the 3rd Brigade was the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, B Coy riding on the Churchill tanks of the Royal Scots Greys, while A and C Coys were carried on board RASC trucks. The tanks were refueled in Lutzow, and there the Canadians encountered nearly three thousand rear echelon German troops and thousands of civilians who together were ready to surrender to allied forces, escaping the Soviets. The Germans were instructed to toss their arms by the side of the road and walk, unescorted, westward. Racing eastward at top tank speed again, the Canadians reached Wismar early on the afternoon of the 2nd and established a roadblock, supported by 17 pdr anti-tank guns, east of the town. Thousands more Germans and several hundred allied PWs reached Canadian lines at Wismar.
Before nightfall, the Soviets arrived. Tense negotiations, facilitated by Russian-speaking Canadian paratroopers, took place between Maj-Gen Eric Bols, GOC 6th Airborne Division, and the Soviet commander. The 3rd Guards Tank Corps was stopped from trying to roll over the rapidly strengthening British-Canadian position.
On May 4th, German forces in the Netherlands, northwest Germany, Denmark, and Norway surrendered unconditionally to 21st Army Group, coming into effect on May 5th. On the 5th, British forces began occupying and liberating Denmark while the Red Army cooled its heels east of Wismar.
In 2nd Canadian Corps area, the town of Bad Zwischenahn, site of a major Luftwaffe base, was summoned into surrender by 4th Div on May 1nd and was immediately reserved as the next HQ location for 2nd Corps. Oldenburg fell to 2nd Div on May 2nd.
The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders had the distinction of being the last formation in 21st Army Group Command to encounter opposition. Advancing towards Spohle, they were hit with heavy SA and 20 mm fire and AP shells fired from a German SP gun. A SAR tank was knocked out at noon. KIA/DW May 4th – 5th were: Sgt Robert W. Johnston, L/Cpl Romeo Ciccone, Pte Ubald W. Laneville, and Pte Joseph Mitchell; a further eight were wounded.
Then, relief. Dazed German soldiers streamed into allied hands, and beginning May 6th attention turned to organizing the peace.
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