Title:BATTLE FOR THE RHINELAND PART 2: OPERATION VERITABLE - FROM KLEVE TO GOCH [Main Title]
Film Number:DRA 1562
Other titles:
Summary: Second part of a historical overview of the Battle for the Rhine, 1945.
Description: The battle started on February 8th, 1945 and ended 31 days later on March 10th. It was a converging attack to close the west bank of the Rhine between Nijmegen and Düsseldorf by the 1st Canadian and 9th US Armies of Field Marshal Montgomery's 21st Army Group. The three-part film concentrates on the Northern pincer and the operations of the 1st Canadian Army, which had British 30 Corps under command. Its plan was for a lightning blow in massive strength to blast a way through the German West Wall defences South-East of Nijmegen and race to the Rhine opposite Wesel in about three or four days. In the event British and Canadian troops experienced some of the toughest fighting of the North West European Campaign, something their commanders planned to avoid. The film shows why, in spite of their very limited resources of manpower and material, the German defensive tactics were so successful, but how, by maintaining relentless pursuit, a well trained British Infantry division managed to achieve a near breakthrough.
