Vicious in Vlierden WTO (id:#67377)

(View From The Trenches #127 ID: V31)   [next]   [previous]

Vlierden, Netherlands 1944-09-24 (8 others)

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Overview:

On September 4th 11th Armoured Division famously captured Antwerp before pushing on into the German occupied Netherlands. It met with much resistance, not least at Vlierden. When the leading carrier came over a slight rise at the entrance to the village it was hit by fire from a 75mm gun. Subsequently, just as it was getting dark on the night of the 23rd, it was decided to send two carriers ahead as scouts. They advanced down the road and were fired on by panzerfausts. As a result of this attack, it was decided to wait until morning and to leave a standing patrol out on the outskirts of the village. In the morning this section found itself pinned down by machine gun fire and panzerfausts which the Germans were using as man-portable artillery to fire at the British infantry. And so, 15 Platoon supported by tanks and carriers was sent to attack the houses on the outskirts which were occupied by Germans.

Defender: German (Ersatz und Ausbildungs-Bataillon 65, Grenadier-Ersatz und Ausbildung Regiment 269, Einsatz-Division 180)  

Errata (source)