Load photos Black Friday in Woensdrechtĭriving rain, traps and landmines made the Canadian advance difficult, and a major assault on Woensdrecht only began on 7 October. As the Germans controlled both banks of the river, it was impossible for Allied minesweepers to clear the heavily mined waterway, meaning supply ships couldn’t safely pass through it.īy loading the photos, you accept that uses cookies to share data with third parties as described in our privacy statement (/privacy). Due to supply problems and the Allies prioritizing Operation Market Garden, the German army had managed to retreat the bulk of their forces across the estuary, transporting around 86,000 men, 600 guns and 6,000 vehicles to the island. This victory was important for the Allies who needed a large port to help supply its army – at that point about two million strong – in Western Europe and continue its advance towards Germany.Īlthough the Allies controlled Antwerp, the Germans had heavily fortified Walcheren island – today a part of mainland Zeeland – at the mouth of the Western Scheldt estuary, partly burying their heavy guns to make them impervious to air attacks.
After a few short fights, by the end of the day the British controlled the city.
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