Operation Plunder · The British and Canadian Operations by Saunders, Tim -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Battleground series: Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Introduction Acknowledgements CHAPTER ONE - Background

The Winter War The Strategic Situation Second British Army

CHAPTER 2 - The German Defenders

Volkssturm The Hitler Youth Fallschirmjäger Defence on the Rhine

CHAPTER THREE - Planning and Preparation

Ground Resources 21st Army Group Plan Air Operations Second British Army’s Plan Training Preparations

CHAPTER 4 - Operation TURNSCREW 51st Highland Division

Final Preparations and the Bombardment The Assault Crossing 154 Brigade 153 Brigade The Attack on Rees DD Tanks 152 Brigade 9 Canadian Brigade Summary The Death of General Rennie

CHAPTER 5 - Operation WIDGEON

1 Commando Brigade’s Plan The Crossing Into Wesel Communications Counter-Attack The Clearance and Occupation of Wesel

CHAPTER 6 - Operation TORCHLIGHT 15th (Scottish) Division

Enemy Forces 15th Division’s Training and Preparations 15th Division’s Plan 44 Lowland Brigade – Codeword POKER 227 Highland Brigade – Codeword NAP Divisional Reserve 46 Highland Brigade – Codeword WHIST The Attack on Haffen 44 Lowland Brigade XII Corps Evening Situation Report German Counter-Attack

CHAPTER 7 - Operation VARSITY

Enemy Forces The Airborne Plan Corps Plan 6th Airborne Division’s Plan The Parachute Drop – 3 Para Brigade 5 Para Brigade Later Action 6 Air Landing Brigade The Landing Zone Hamminkeln Conclusion

CHAPTER EIGHT - The Capture of Rees

The Defence of Rees The Clearance of Rees The Second Day

CHAPTER 9 - The Capture of Speldrop and Bienen

Speldrop Bienen 24 – 25 March 1945 Bienen – Operation ASTER The Fall of Bienen

CHAPTER 10 - Tours of the PLUNDER Battlefields

General Tour One – Bislich and Haffen (Operation TORCHLIGHT) Tour Two – The Wesel Tour (Operation WIDGEON) Tour Three – Rees and the XXX Corps Battlefields (Operation TURNSCREW) Reichswald Forest Cemetery Rheinberg War Cemetery The German Cemeteries