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Battle of Winnekendonk
The battle of Winnekendonk took place on March 2nd 1945 and was part of Operation Veritable, the objective of which was to clear the German forces between the Maas and the Rhine. Right Flank Squadron of the 3rd Scots and the 2nd Lincolns were given the task of clearing Winnekendonk.
Map from "6th Guards Tank Brigade - The story of guardsmen in Churchill tanks" by P. Forbes. Sampson, Low, Marston & Co. Ltd., London 1947.
The offensive began at 17.45 on both sides of the Kervenheim-Winnekendonk road. When the leading tank troops were in the open south of Bronkshof (a farm), they were fired upon by 2 self-propelled (SP) guns and one 88mm anti-tank gun. The first 3 tanks of the right forward troop and 2 tanks of the left forward troop were hit by armour piercing shells and high explosive - one tank was hit 5 times. The Forward Observation Officer, Pipe-Major Smith, Gdsm T. Campbell and Gdsm F. Lees were killed.
Lord Cathcart (Squadron Commander) ordered the supporting troop to engage the SP guns and Sgt Alldred and his L/Cpl knocked out 2 SP guns and an 88mm anti-tank gun. Fierce hand to hand fighting took place between the Lincolns and the German parachutists (Para Lehr Regiment) into the evening as darkness fell. At 21.00 the Germans surrendered.
Winnekendonk had been held by one battalion of the Para Lehr Regiment with a Fortress Battery in support. In addition to the 4 anti-tank/SP guns knocked out, two more 88mm and six 50mm guns were captured in the town. The 2nd Lincolns lost one officer (Major Clarke M.C.) and 16 men. Forty three Para Lehr were killed and 250 taken prisoner.
Kervenheim - Winnekendonk road, looking North in direction of Kervenheim. Berberh Wood can be seen on either side of the road. The 2nd Lincolns emerged from the woods on the right as you look at the photo; Right Flank Squadron emerged from around the trees on the left as you look at the photo, and proceeded across the field and down the road
Looking North in direction of Kervenheim from Bronkshof - Right Flank Squadron emerged from around the trees on the left as you look at the photo, and proceeded across the field and down the road
Kervenheim - Winnekendonk road, looking South in direction of Winnekendonk. It was at this location that the German SP guns and 88mm gun opened up and hit the 3 tanks of the right forward troop (commanded by Lt Gordon) and 2 tanks of the left forward troop (commanded by Lt MacDonald Buchanan)
Looking Southwest between Bronkshof (on the left of the photo) and Rogmannshof (on the right of the photo). Sgt Alldred and his L/Cpl proceeded beyond these two farms and engaged and destroyed the anti-tank guns
Winnekendonk 1967