RHINE CROSSING 1945: The Rees bridgehead (30 Corps in operation 'Turnscrew')

IMG 0989 German Map AOK/FSAOK. 24/25 März 1945
Last German Niederrhein Map. (Situation Operation Plunder).

 

IMG 0234 This is the right one!

 

153 Bde on to Isselburg (27 - 28 March 1945)


Soldiers of the 1st Gordon Highlanders resting in a street at Rees.The units of the 153 Bde had been given a day of rest after the enemy resistance in the town had been subdued during the night of 25th/26th March 45. The fight for the town had lasted non-stop for almost 48 hours. After a peaceful night and the chance to catch up some sleep, 153 Bde was ordered to advance to Isselburg on the 27th. I'm still searching for the exact location of this picture.

Two other (rare) images of the Gordons at rest at Rees:



On March 26th Horrocks visited the Highlanders in the town of Rees, which had been cleared the night before. This picture was taken at the market place in front of the town hall. The houses in the background form the eastern facade of the market (the same that are visible on the far end of the market on the attached pre-war picture).The acting Bn CO of the 1st Gordons, Major Lindsay - in his book So Few got Through - relates: "(...) I met him in the town later and took him to see the battlefield. He was very interested in it all and most complimentary. Afterwards he took the trouble to explain the situation to our company commanders whom he had picked up in the course of our wanderings, with his big map placed on the bonnet of his jeep. He said that the next week might be bloody since we (ourselves and the 43rd Division on our left) had the best German troops in front of us, but after we had broken them down the armour would go through and, since the Huns had nothing much behind, we should then start motoring". (photo: © IWM (BU 2411))


Two other pictures of the same scene. Note the completely destroyed Town Hall in the background (photo: © IWM (BU 2409) above and (BU 2410) below).




In stark contrast with the above images stands this pre-war photo of a picturesque market place of Rees; the castle like building is the town hall. The houses on the far end of the market place form the background of the above picture; Horrocks was standing in front of the Town Hall.

See also (from 01:54 onwards) : Churchill & Monty - Rhine Scenes

 

Fragment of the 153 Bde's War Diary for the attack towards the southern outskirts of Isselburg (courtesy of Horsapassenger):


The last stage of the Bde operation on the 27th was carried out by the 5th Black Watch. The Regt History - Spirit of Angus - relates: "The battalion left Rees at 17:30 hrs for the wood at Klauenburg and waited there until called forward at 22:15 hrs. The companies moved forward with 'A' and 'C' leading and reached their objectives with no opposition but collected a few more prisoners on the way. 'B' and 'D' then came through and secured the road junctions. 'D' met some oppostion, which they dealt with, and they took 35 prisoners. Then, with artillery support, 'C' Company attacked and secured the road junction and bridge at the south end of Isselburg."

Map from the War Diary of the 5th Black Watch showing the battalion's advance to Isselburg during the night of 27/28 March 45 (courtesy of Horsapassenger):



Below: At Heelden, at the point indicated as ALF on the above map, almost adjacent to the Autobahn, is one of the smallest German War Cemeteries. It has ten graves of soldiers fallen in the attempt to stem the British advance (5th Black Watch) in this area.



Other German War Cemeteries related to the Rhine Crossing can be found at Rees, Westring (109 burials), Bienen (90), Haldern (871), Diersfordt (581), Anholt (84), Emmerich (903 among these are also the civilian casualties of the air bombardment) and Emmerich/Elten (34). More casualties are spread over different smaller municipal/church cemeteries. In the area of Haldern and Rees these contain a total of 85 German war graves. The German soldiers who fell on Dutch soil (Megchelen, Dinxperlo, 's Heerenbergh and Gendringen) after the war were concentrated in the large German War Cemetery at IJsselstein, Holland. For more info see: Listenansicht Kriegsgräberstätten | Volksbund.de

 

Unfinished Autobahn


The 'Autobahn', running east-west across the axis of advance, at the time was still under construction. The heaped-up embankement of this unfinished motorway offered excellent fields of fire and therefore another likely point for a German defensive line. Picture of the 'Autobahn' underpass north of Rees today. The picture was taken from the small country road An der Landwehr with a view to the north, at the point where the N67 (in the foreground), leading northward to Bocholt/Isselburg, passes underneath.


The raised roadbed of the unfinished 'Autobahn' was easily overcome by the 51st HD. Resistance of the 8. FJ Division, which was responsible for the defense of the main road leading north out of Rees, began to fracture after the 15.Panzergrenadier Division was pulled out of the line at Empel and redirected towards Bocholt to counter the advance of the British 12 Corps. The FJ Division was incapable of making a stand along the 'Autobahn' and instead fell back on the River Issel at Isselburg. The Highland Division was aided by the fact that 43rd Wessex Division, which had encountered determined opposition earlier that afternoon, already had taken the nearby stretch of the embankment to the west. The motorway is running right behind the foliage (note the truck behind the trees).

For the 43rd Wessex attack on the Autobahn, see: RHINE CROSSING 1945: The Rees bridgehead (51st Highland Div in operation 'Turnscrew')

 

The 5th Camerons seize Isselburg

Isselburg was only a small town with a wartime population of a few thousand. The old castle (or Burg) which gave the town it's name, had long since disappeared. Instead the town was dominated by an old foundry called 'Isselburger Hütte'. Started as a small plant as early as 1792, the foundry over many years had grown out into a large industrial site that offered work to many of the residents. The foundry, situated on the NW side of the town, still exists and is still in use. The River Issel skirts along the northern edge of the town and splits the foundry complex into two. Four small bridges connected both halves of the factory site. Besides these there were two main bridges in the town, one in the road to Anholt, next to the foundry complex (labeled A on the map), and one in the minor road running NE out of the town, near the Catholic Church (labeled B on the map). The former lay on the planned main axis of 30 Corps advance. The advance towards the bridges had to funnel through the narrow main street, which were flanked by close up built rows of houses on either side of it. The Germans were prepared to defend the line of the Issel River. The II.FS Korps, for the night of 27 to 28 March, ordered its units to relinquish the line of the Autobahn and fall back behind the Issel River, or as they called it the "Issel Stellung".

As the 5th Queens Own Cameron Highlanders entered the town in the very early hours of the 28th they encountered virtually no opposition, but found all bridges, including the smaller ones in the foundry complex of the Isselburger Hütte, blown by the retreating Germans. By 07:00 hours the whole town south of the R.Issel was in the hands of the battalion. Fragment from the battalion war diary (courtesy of Horsapassenger):


The plight of the 8. FJ Division, responsible for the defense of Isselburg, is well illustrated by this captured and translated Situation Report of 28 March from the G Ops of the division to the II. FJ Korps. The FJ Division is in urgent need of reinforcements of men and SP-guns, without these the overstretched division is no longer capable of holding the front. It credits the German artillery for maintaining the defense that day, but also warns for a shortage of gun and howitzer ammunition. Notable is how the report in an almost apologetic manner indicates that the town of Isselburg was lost after hard house-to-house fighting, which, as we have seen, is far from the truth; on the contrary most of the town had been captured without opposition:



Two pre-war images of Isselburg, showing the Minerva Strasse, the main road running through the town to Anholt. The windmill on the first picture was torn down before the war (courtesy of Isselburg Historie - Heimatkreis Isselburg e.V.):


Wartime map dated 17 March 45 showing all the bridges inside Isselburg. The railroad bridge west of the town was also blown:



A wartime aerial of Isselburg (courtesy Pen & Dagger)


The main bridge in the road to Anholt (labeled A on the map), in the background the buildings of the Isselburger Hütte.


One of the small bridges inside the foundry complex as seen from the main bridge.


The bridge near the Catholic Church (labeled B on the map).

... and same bridge from above:


Lieutenant Peter F. Edwards, of the 1/7 Middlesex Regt (MG), on arrival at Isselbrug went forward on his own initiative and took up an O.P. position in the church tower and from there directed the MMG fire on to the enemy. This action earned him a M.C.:


Lt. Edwards shared his position with Lieutenant John Downie Roberston, of the 128 Field Regt RA, who also set up an OP in the church tower. It was a hazardous spot, since the spire was hit 30 times while he was there. Robertson received a (periodical) M.C. for this:

 

Isselburg then


Isselburg was not unscathed, when entered by the Highland Division in March 1945. It had suffered substantial damage from aerial bombardements over the previous years. In April 1943 and in November 1944 the town and its factory - which was producing U-boat parts for the German Navy - were the target of Allied medium bombers (photos courtesy of Stege, Isselburg).

 

German HQ Fallschirm Armee Oberkommando 1. Fsaok at Dinxperlo.
February 1945. Picture added in other post. : /

 

Some stencil/papers from my fathers archive.

 

2nd Seaforth across the Issel (28 March 1945)

Since Isselburg was expected to be strongly held by the enemy a two battalion attack had been planned for the capture of the town. Simultaneous with the 5th Camerons attack fom the south, the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders had to approach the town from the west, by way of Högerhof, seize the main bridge at the NW end (bridge A) and form a bridgehead there. As the Camerons encountered virtually no resistance the outflanking move by the 2nd Seaforth was cancelled and the Bn entered the town by way of the main road.

At 08:30 hrs, after the Bn CO had made a personal recce of the bridge site at the NW end of the town, only to establish that the bridge was blown and that the enemy was still occupying the opposite bank, a Bn 'O' Group was held in which a new plan was put forward:



The bridge at 123605 was one of the small bridges inside the foundry site, the nearest one to bridge B. Though destroyed the fallen boulders and wreckage of the bridge made it just passable to infantry. The infantry companies clambered across and by 11:00 hrs reported to be firm on their objectives. 50 POW's belonging to the 32nd FJ Regt, 8. FJ Divison, were send back across the river. Though completely surprised by the crossing, the Germans held firmly on to the small wood along the main road to Anholt, called 'Buttercup Wood' for its peculiar form. Despite some sharp fighting, incuding several strikes by rocket firing Typhoons, the wood for the rest of the day remained in German hands and therewith formed a thorn in the side of the 2nd Seaforth bridgehead. Account from the War Diary of the 2nd Seaforth (courtesy Horsapassenger):




Aerial from 1984 of the site of the Isselburger Hütte with bridgehead of 2nd Seaforth. The area north of the Issel since has been completely overbuild by a new business park and the railway track and station have disappeared (picture courtesy of Austellung Isselburger Hütte - Heimatkreis Isselburg e.V.).


Picture of 'Buttercup Wood' (wood 118610), or what remains of it. Despite some sharp fighting and several air strikes by Typhoons, the enemy - elements of the 8. FJ Division - held on to the wood the entire day of 28 March, until it was finally cleared by 'D' Coy of the 2nd Seaforth in early morning of 29 March. The photo was taken with a view to the east towards Isselburg. The road is the main road leading out of Isselburg towards Anholt. In the background, where the buildings of the new business park are visible, was the old level crossing with the railway track.

The 2nd Seaforth lost the following men killed in action at Isselburg:
001 MCKENNA VM 2823956 2ND BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
002 MCLEAN J 2890685 2ND BN 28/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
003 SCOTT GC 14697207 2ND BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
004 SMITH J 14768997 2ND BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS


Newspaper of 21 April 1945 (Courtesy brithm http://ww2talk.com/index.php?thread...led-wounded-missing.82955/page-16#post-948238)

 

152 Bde to the River Aastrang (28 - 30 March, 1945)

The small bridgehead of the 2nd Seaforth at the Isselburger Hütte would function as springboard for the next phase of the operation of the 51st HD, the capture of a crossing over the River Aastrang (or River AA in the 51st HD Op Instructions) and a small tributary called Holtwicker Bach at Brüggenhütte about a mile and a half to the north, on the Dutch-German border. Both formed the last important water barrier impeding a break out of 30 Corps from the Rhine bridgehead. Holding the bridges therefore was important. The assignement was given to the 152 Bde with a battalion of the 153 on stand-by.

The orders of the 51st HD for the 28th, according to the Divisional Op. Instr. 40 was:

 

Stolpi,

Near the Buttercup was a Garrison with Buildings used by the Volkssturm! At that time.
The Isselburgerhutte was known as a Factory were Kriegsmarine parts were made...
During the bombardment of the Hutte and Railroad facilities many Dutch and Belgian
prisoner/labour workers were killed. At Breels near Isselburg many Russian labor workers
used by the Volkssturm for digging the line of trenches all around this areas.

Regards and keep up the Work Stolpi

 

At dawn on the 28th the Germans finally woke up to the fact that Isselburg had fallen and a tiny bridgehead had been established across the river. They plastered Isselburg with heavy shellfire, most of which seemed to derive from a new artillery area that sprang up to the N and NE of Dinxperlo. According to the 152 Bde War Diary, they "subjected the area to the heaviest shelling which the brigade had experienced since D-Day. Progress was halted and bridging operations were unable to proceed owing to the ferocity of the shelling". At 11:00 hours, as the Bde CO visited the HQ of the 5th Camerons at Isselbrug, his jeep, parked in front of the HQ building, received a direct hit. Because of the heavy shelling all bridging operations were suspended until darkness, which delayed further progress that day. The 8.FJ Division situation report quoted in post #66 especially credits the 184.Arty Regt, in conjunction with the 21.Werfer Regt and the 282.Flak Bty, for holding up the Allied advance.

During the day plans and arrangements were made to seize the double river crossings over the Aastrang and Holtwicker Bach at Brüggenhütte on the German-Dutch border. It was decided not to wait for the completion of the bridges at Isselburg, but to push forward that evening with the infantry. 152 Bde ordered an attack on a two battalion front: the 5th Seaforth were to seize the two river crossings at Brüggenhütte, while the Battalion's right flank was covered by the 5th Camerons.

The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, under command of 152 Bde, had to send up tanks as soon as a bridge had been completed near the Catholic Church at Isselburg (bridge B). The 5th Black Watch iduring the day moved up to relief the 5th Camerons at Isselburg.

Sketch map of the planned operation by 152 Bde:


The artillery bombardment on Isselburg caused a number of casualties among the 5th Camerons. During the 28th and the subsequent action on the 29th NE of the town the 5th Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders lost the following men killed in action:

001 FLETCHER AW 1650123 5TH BN 28/03/1945 QUEEN'S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS
002 MASTERS JT 14402256 5TH BN 28/03/1945 QUEEN'S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS
003 MCCORMACK FB 2932894 5TH BN 28/03/1945 QUEEN'S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS
004 MURRAY RS 2926214 5TH BN 29/03/1945 QUEEN'S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS
005 NEWITT PI 14782639 5TH BN 29/03/1945 QUEEN'S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS
006 SMITH B 5388136 5TH BN 29/03/1945 QUEEN'S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS
007 SUTHERLAND JM 330218 - 28/03/1945 QUEEN'S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS
008 WALLACE W 2938033 5TH BN 28/03/1945 QUEEN'S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS
009 WOODHOUSE L 14434506 5TH BN 29/03/1945 QUEEN'S OWN CAMERON HIGHLANDERS

 

'The Primrose Path Battle': night-attack on Brüggenhütte 28/29 March 1945

The 5th Seaforth supported by a company of the 5th Camerons were instructed to advance and seize the crossings on the Aastrang River and the much smaller tributary the Holtwicker Bach, codenamed Primrose I and Primrose II respectively. The thrust north would place the battalion between the German defenders - elements of the 6th FJ Division - that were still holding Anholt and the Dutch village of Dinxperlo which was likely to be defended.

The plan of attack of the Seaforth consisted of three phases 'Jock', 'Scott' and 'Blue', described in detail in the battalion's War Diary:


Sketch map of the Seaforth plan of attack; the battalion at the time consisted of only three companies and therefore was reinforced by a fourth 'C' Company of the Camerons, which had to take over 'D' Coy's position at the crossing of the Mühlenbach.




The two bridges over the Aastrang at Brüggenhütte:


The bridge over the Aastrang, or Primrose I, with next to it the German customs house. On the right part of the Brüggenhütte Inn, that gave the site its name. The bridge was Class 40 and capable to carry tanks.


The old Brüggenhütte Inn is visible on the attached pre-war picture (taken ca. 1901). The building was completely destroyed during the fighting for the bridges. It has been rebuild after the war and still is a popular place to hangout (photo courtesy of W.Lieber "Oorlog in de achtertuin").


The same bridge nowadays.The Aastrang has been widened and deepened since the war and the dike on the Dutch side has been raised.


The bridge over the Holtwicker Bach, locally known as Rietstapperbrug, labeled Primrose II by the British, was a much smaller affair, only Class 9. This bridge was located a short distance to the north of Primrose I. Picture of the bridge with German guards in 1940 after Holland had been invaded. Behind the soldiers in the bend of the road are the Dutch customs houses. During the fight for Brüggenhütte these houses held the combined HQ's of 'C' and 'D' Coys. The road continues to Dinxperlo.


The bridge and the Holtwicker Bach nowadays has disappeared. The course of the stream is shifted and now enters the River Aastrang further upstream east from Brüggenhütte. Below a picture of the former bridgesite. You can still recognize the bend in the road, but otherwise the scenery has completely changed. The customs houses also are gone. The area now is gobbled by a company park (photo courtesy of DPL1945).

 

The operation of 5 Seaforth on Brüggenhütte started badly. As the battalion left the assembly area at 19:45 hours a message arrived that the bridge at Isselburg was still out. The battalion not only had to find a new route to cross the Issel River, but, once across, also would be on its own since no transport and supporting weapons could follow the infantry. The battalion scrambled across the river into the 2nd Seaforth bridgehead at the Isselburger Hütte. This necessarily took some time and the start of the attack was delayed for one hour. At 22:00 hours 'D' Coy passed the Start Line. According to the 152 Bde's War Diary the operation thereafter "... went well all the way, if at some times it appeared to be slow. There was little opposition and by 04:00 hours 5 Seaforth had two companies across the river and ditch at 130625. By 05:00 hours 5 Camerons were on all objectives. Incidents happened though during the night which stand exact recording".

From the start the Battalion CO, Lieut.Col. J.M. Sym, "did not like the look of the operation". In the early hours of the 29th his fears came true. His battalion, straddled across the River Aastrang and by now far forward of the other troops, was attacked from two sides and part of it, including his own Battalion HQ was overrun. Colonel Sym even was taken prisoner for a short while. For a comprehensive account of the actions of that night see the attached fragment from the History of the battalion by Borthwick:



What Borthwick fails to mention is that a first enemy threat to the Seaforth position arose north of the River Aastrang, when, shortly after 'C' and 'D' companies had moved across and established a tiny foothold, three light enemy tanks approached in the early morning darkness from Dinxperlo and moved up to a road block formed by a tree trunk felled across the road, halfway between the village and the Seaforth' position, near the track junction at 132629. The tanks fired a few bursts of MG and then retreated. The armour encountered were Jagdpanzer 38(T), aka 'Hetzer', of the 741. Panzerjäger Battalion, a unit in support of the 1. Fallschirm Armee which consisted of three companies of 14 Hetzer each. One company of this Panzerjäger Battalion, the 2nd Coy, by that time fielding a total of 12 Hetzers, is known to have been active at Dinxperlo. Though the Hetzers, probably due to lack of infantry support and the darkness, did not press the attack, they kept milling around in the dark, making the Seaforths, who had as yet no heavy AT-tank weapons available, feel quite naked and vulnerable in their small bridgehead. Besides, the presence of the tanks would have dire consequences for the village of Dinxperlo which had already been battered by artillery fire and shot from the air for over a week.


Jagdpanzer 38 (T) Hetzer (courtsey of The Hetzer - Tank Destroyers)

See also:



Major Hector A.C. MacKenzie, CO of 'A' Coy, 5th Seaforth Highlanders, received a M.C. for the capture of both bridges at Brüggenhütte:

 

The site of the battle nowadays:


The crossing of the narrow Mühlenbach code named 'Jock'. The stream is so small that there is not even a bridge. It passes the road by a culvert. This was the first objective for 'D 'Company. The company met no opposition and took six prisoners. Picture with a view to the south towards Isselburg.


From here the country lane leads to the farmbuildings of Dreibömer and Wüster ('Scott'). The road follows the course of the Mühlenbach. 'C' Company seized both farmsteads and took eight prisoners.


View of the Brüggenhütte Inn and the group of the German customs houses from Wüster. The access to the bridge over the River Aastrang is visible just behind the yellow road sign. From here 'A' Coy began to creep quietly up the road, led by no. 9 Platoon of Lt. Morgan (Phase III: 'Blue').


Close-up of the customs houses where battalion HQ plus a section of the Carrier platoon set up, while the balance of the 5th Seaforth established a bridgehead across the River. View from the SE. The bridges are on the right (not visible).


The western face of the customs houses. The main road from Anholt is running in the foreground.


Picture taken somewhat further down the main road to Anholt. The customs houses are in the background (the left one is hidden by a tree). On the left the 'Stump farm' where a platoon of 'A' Coy had established a position along the road. The enemy troops on their retreat from Anholt - belonging to the 16. FJ Regt of the 6. Fallschirmjäger Division - approached the buildings from this direction; they swamped the 'A' Coy platoon at the Stump Farm and then scattered in among the customs houses which held the Battalion HQ.

 

The customs houses were grouped in two rows of houses a little way off the main road. They were modern, two-storeyd, semi detached, well built and with deep cellars. View of the western row of houses. One of the houses went up in flames during the fighting.


The eastern row of the houses where the Bn HQ was established before it as overrun.The small cellar windows are visible at the lower end of the gable.


Some of the houses stil have marks of war damage on the gable.

 

At Brüggenhütte the 5th Seaforth Highlanders lost the following men killed in action (courtesy of Geoff's search machine):

001 AGNEW D 14768872 5TH BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
002 BURNS R 14792627 5TH BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
003 BERWICK HS 14750948 5TH BN 31/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
004 CONNER C 14741858 5TH BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
005 COWAN W 3251051 5TH BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
006 HAWKINS WE 6018055 5TH BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
007 HOGG MM 14442595 5TH BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
008 KAVANAGH WH 14422856 5TH BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
009 MACLEOD DH 2820987 5TH BN 30/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
010 MARTINDALE R 14793932 5TH BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
011 MCSHANE RJ 1449211 5TH BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
012 PATIENCE A 2822892 5TH BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
013 PHILPOT JW 5385280 5TH BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS
014 WEAVING R 14730698 5TH BN 29/03/1945 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS

Their names are remembered in the local 51st HD Memorial at the church in Dinxperlo, together with other members of the division that fell during the fight for the village. Operations in and around Dinxperlo lasted until 31 March 45.



For the location of the monument see: Monument Highland Division - Dinxperlo - TracesOfWar.com

The family kindly provided this photo of the young Robert McShane, who fell on March 29th, 1945, near Dinxperlo. One of the many young lives - he was only 26 - that was lost in these last bitter battles:



One of the fallen soldiers was Pte. William H. Kavanagh, of 'C' Coy, with 19 years of age still a teen-ager. His actions are mentioned in Borthwick's account (p.243). After the war the 5th Seaforth CO, Lieut.Col. J.M. Sym, send the following letter to the parents of the soldier.


WW2talk member DPL1945's research reveals that two members of the 128th Field Regiment (RA) were killed on the 29th; there names should be added to the 22 already on the plaque:
001 HOPCROFT W 914122 128 FIELD REGT 29/03/1945 ROYAL ARTILLERY
002 MINGHAM W 940165 128 FIELD REGT 29/03/1945 ROYAL ARTILLERY

 

The final act: clearing the Corps axis and expanding the bridgehead over the Aastrang (29 - 30 March 1945)

The operations on March 29th were focused on facilitating the 30 Corps' breakout to the north: Operation "FORRARD ON". The 152 Bde was to mop up the area between the River Issel and the Aastrang and clear the main road Isselburg - Anholt - Brüggenhütte - Dinxperlo for the advance of the Guards Armoured Division. Meanwhile the 154 Bde was to expand the bridgehead across the Aastrang by seizing Dinxperlo and securing the northern and eastern exits of the village for the armoured advance. With a bridge finally in at Isselburg, the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry now was able to give the infantry the much needed tank support.

The operation of 152 Bde had to be completed by 05:00 hours on March 30th, when the head of the Guards Armoured Division was scheduled to arrive at Isselburg. An hour later, at 06:00 hours, the armoured division was timed to cross the River Aastrang and start to move out of Dinxperlo.

The orders for March 29th for the 51st HD red as follows:

 

The sweep up to Anholt and the River Aastrang, 152 Bde, March 29th

Sketch map of the operations of the 152 Bde on March 29th. For this operation the 5/7 Gordon Highlanders, normally 153 Bde, was put under command of the 152 Bde. The axis of the Guards Armoured Division is marked in orange.