Operation Infatuate II: Sherman tanks at Westkapelle

[David Dunlop]

Hanno.

You mention that several of the various Shermans made it successfully off the beach and/or into town only to be swamped shortly thereafter. Was this an unusual tidal phenomenon or was the area deliberately flooded by the German troops?

David

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

Superb effort Hanno!

The number of rounds fired by the surviving gun tanks begs a second question - where did they get it all? The combat load of a single Sherman 75 was not in the thousands! Did the remaining crews salvage all consumables to keep the operating tanks firing? Most likely. How did other supplies get forward? By LSTs or other amphibious craft? What sort of "ADREP" or administration report did the OC and his NCOs make up and send backwards? Interesting questions.

Thanks Terry! The troops and tanks were resupplied by LVTs doing several resupply runs. The LVTs were indispensable in this operation, the Weasels were not suited for the strong currents and were all lost.
I have not read about the crews salvaging all consumables from the swamped tanks, but that sounds like the thing they would have done.

This is Sherman V, WOLF OF BADENOCH, Turret No. 10, being resupplied by an LVT, most likely at Domburg. WOLF OF BADENOCH was carried ashore by LCT 737, hence the marking "5 BRAMBLE" on the deep wading trunk at the back:
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Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Nice work. Great images. Clearly much work has gone into this research thus far.

Are the Ops Report and Unit War Diaries for the various units involved, resident in the National Archives at Kew? You may find the titles at least on line, even if the contents are not. They may provide some illumination of the decision not to undertake any form of battlefield recovery of the stranded/swamped AFVs, at least, and possibly list losses by Census Number.

Others with more knowledge of the Brit archival system can doubtless inform us foreigners of the likelihood of the above.

Capturing Antwerp was one thing: clearing the Boche from the approaches was much, much more difficult.

Thanks Mike! Indeed, and as per Stacey (p. 407) "The costly opposed landing at Westkapelle became the most controversial portion of the whole Scheldt battle." Infatuate II was a true amphibious operation, involving Navy, Air Force and Army to get the job done.

I have not been able to locate the war diary via the National Archives. I hope to read it some day, meanwhile Michel apparently has.

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

You mention that several of the various Shermans made it successfully off the beach and/or into town only to be swamped shortly thereafter. Was this an unusual tidal phenomenon or was the area deliberately flooded by the German troops?

David, the dykes of the island of Walcheren were bombed by Bomber Command. The flooding was to immobilise the German troops, if not to take them out of action. From 17 September through 30 October, Bomber Command had flown 2219 sorties against Walcheren and dropped 10,219 tons of bombs (Stacey, p.411).

One of the largest breaches, the one at Westkapelle, was also used as a landing beach as it provided access to the island without have to scale the huge sea dyke.

The pic below shows how the village of Westkapelle and the area behind it being swamped each time the tide came in.

Hanno

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

LCT 737 "5 Bramble":

• Sherman V Crab, DANDY DINMONT
• Sherman V Crab, Turret No.2
• Sherman V Tank, WOLF OF BADENOCH
• Churchill AVRE
• Churchill AVRE SBG
• D7 Armoured Bulldozer

The Sherman V Crab wallowing through the mud, making its way ashore is DANDY DINMONT. The Sherman V Crab in the background, about to leave the ramp of LCT 737 "5 BRAMBLE" is Turret No.2. The Churchill AVRE with SBG bridge can be seen still on deck of the LCT. The other Churchill AVRE and Armoured Bulldozer cannot be seen in this photo.

IWM (B 11632).jpg
Caption: A Sherman Crab flail tank coming ashore from an LCT during the invasion of Walcheren Island, 1 November 1944.
© IWM (B 11632)


Of this Sherman V Crab, we only know it had Turret No.2. When zooming in on the photo, another 2 can be discerned, but it is not outlined in white. So this could also be Turret No.22.
It has a unique identifying feature: the bridge classification sign, a black 40 on yellow circle, can be seen on the right hand flail boom. It is unique in the sense that on other Crabs used in Infatuate II it was absent or painted over with temporary markings. Below the bridge classification sign "5 BRAMBLE" is chalked. Like the other Crabs, it was left in the Zuidstraat after they were swamped in during the night of 1-2 November. It is pictured here in the Zuidstraat in 1945:
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(Source)


Next picture is dated ca. 1945 too, but was taken later as more of the rubble has been cleared and a temporary building erected:
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Another ca.1945 photo showing Turret No.2. According to the caption of this photo it is located at the address Markt 92-96 in front of the monumental house "'t Herenhuis". Markt is a section of the road adjacent of the long Zuidstraat, so this caption helps us to pinpoint the location more precise.
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[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

LCT 650 "6 Cherry":

• Sherman V Crab
• Sherman V Crab, T-148656
• Sherman V Tank, COCK O'THE NORTH
• Churchill AVRE SBG
• Churchill AVRE
• D7 Armoured Bulldozer

Sherman V Crab, T-148656, landed from LCT 650 "6 CHERRY" (source). This Crab made it off the beach and into Westkapelle, only to be flooded during the night after the landing rendering them useless. This is the Crab which would later be turned into a monument on the dyke.

It is pictured here in the Zuidstraat, circa 1945:
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(Source)


Circa 1946, still in the same spot and still complete but the WD census number seems to have been painted out. Maybe because it has been struck off census?
Note the road wheel missing from the left rear bogie:
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(Source)


Circa 1947 the Crab was dragged out of the main street by ex-Army trucks: a Ford Canada CMP (left) and GMC CCKW-353 (right).
By that time it was still complete with flail arms:
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By 1960 it had lost its flail booms and was left as a memento halfway on the dyke, on the land side:
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Shortly after, T-148656 had all the flail remains removed. It was then moved to a spot on top of the dyke with a memorial plaque in front.
The turret was still trained to the right and the right hand track seems to be broken:
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[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

LCT 650 "6 Cherry":

• Sherman V Crab
• Sherman V Crab, T-148656
• Sherman V Tank, COCK O'THE NORTH
• Churchill AVRE SBG
• Churchill AVRE
• D7 Armoured Bulldozer

Sherman V, T-147976, "COCK O'THE NORTH", Turret No. 11, of "A" Sqn HQ, was the second Sherman gun tank to successfully reach the village. Like WOLF OF BADENOCH, Turret No.10, it played a considerable part in the Commando operations between 2-8 November. After the Operation, it was driven back to the other tanks left in Westkapelle, and abandoned.

Pictures taken on 31 July 1946:
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(Source)


It's name "COCK O'THE NORTH" proudly displayed on the applique armour plate on the right hand sponson:
36a8a5c3ce0d0ebbfd5e7b9095ed56f41c0cfcea9486127b10a69dc2491e9ba9.jpg
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The WD census number T-147976 and Turret Number 11 are clearly visible:
0160fdb4ee7bdc94832c1ec1a80ba89dae804a31760602d271318d8bea1de9f3.jpg
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[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

LCT 650 "6 Cherry":

• Sherman V Crab
• Sherman V Crab, T-148656
• Sherman V Tank, COCK O'THE NORTH
• Churchill AVRE SBG
• Churchill AVRE
• D7 Armoured Bulldozer

The second Sherman V Crab on LCT "Cherry" remains unidentified.
Judging by the marking "CHERRY 6" on the right-hand front of the flail, it must be this Crab pictured in an unknown street in Westkapelle in November 1944:
606495c6-1ea0-22e2-86c6-4b4ce10ea1d4.jpg
(Source)

[MicS]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

The second Sherman V Crab on LCT "Cherry" remains unidentified.
Judging by the marking "CHERRY 6" on the right-hand front of the flail, it must be this Crab pictured in an unknown street in Westkapelle in November 1944:
Attachment 97957
(Source)

This is actually yet another photo of the 'Memorial' Crab T148656:

Crab T148656.jpg
Crab T148656
Source

Just the three Crabs made it out of the beach, only to get flooded during the night of 1 Nov when stationed in Zuidstraat in Westkapelle town.

The second Crab in '6 CHERRY' could not land because it was pinned down by the fallen SBG bridge which had been shot off the AVRE behind it on the LCT.

Michel

[MicS]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

(...)
Of this Sherman V Crab, we only know it had Turret No.2. When zooming in on the photo, another 2 can be discerned, but it is not outlined in white. So this could also be Turret No.22.

The turret number is indeed 22. There was no Crab numbered just '2'. The lack of a visible outline on the first '2' on the right side of the turret is because it has faded.

On this photo, we can see that the outline on the lower part of the first '2' on the left side of the turret has begun to fade as well:

No.22 Crab - gahetna 487087_002.jpg
No.22 Crab - gahetna 487087_002
Source

Same happens to RHODERICK DHU's turret number (see the first photo in your second post above).

Michel

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Thanks for the interest and for all the useful input!

Will get back on this subject later. Meanwhile, I leave you with an interesting documentary "Commandos strike at Walcheren", showing a great synopsis of Infatuate II - including the tanks in action.

Thanks,
Hanno

[Colin Alford]

Hanno,

While searching through Canadian War Diaries on a completely unrelated topic I stumbled across "Op INFATUATE - 4 SS Bde Outline Plan No. 3 - 18 Oct 44" which can be found at this link:

http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oo...69/488?r=0&s=5

Once you finish reading that document, you will get to "Op INFATUATE - 4 SS Bde Provisional Outline Plan No. 4 - 21 Oct 1944" at image 494.

These documents won't give you the level of detail about the Shermans that you are after but at image 489 there is a list of the Armoured units in support of the Operation. (also attached as an image)

I conducted a quick internet search for the 4 SS Bde War Diary but couldn't find anything.

I don't know the types of vehicles held by "27 Aslt Sqn RE", or "One Amphibious Aslt Regt RE/RAC" but I presume that the Shermans came from "'A' Sqn 1 Lothians"

My inclination would be to obtain a copy of the 1st Lothians War Diary as it may provide the level of detail that you desire.

Link to request the 1944 1st Lothians War Diary:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.go...ils/r/C4440967

Colin

[MicS]

Originally Posted by Colin Alford

(...)
I don't know the types of vehicles held by "27 Aslt Sqn RE", or "One Amphibious Aslt Regt RE/RAC" but I presume that the Shermans came from "'A' Sqn 1 Lothians"

"27 Aslt Sqn RE" does not exist. It's a typo for "87 Aslt Sqn RE", who provided the AVsRE.

The "Amphibious Aslt Regt RE/RAC" provided the LVsT (actually 5 Aslt Regt RE plus 82 Aslt Sqn RE and a number of LVsT from 11 RTR attached, hence the "/RAC" part).

And as you rightly presumed, 'A' Sqn 1 LOTHIANS provided the Sherman gun and flail tanks.

Michel

[Hanno Spoelstra]

The BBC WW2 People's War website hosts another relevant bit of information.

I have yet to match Trooper Scott to one of the two other Crabs which made it ashore but got swamped later. So it seems John Douglas Scott crewed either Sherman V Crab T-148656 or Sherman V Crab, DANDY DINMONT, Turret No.15.

A Trooper's Story
Contributed by trooperscott
People in story: 14259421 Trooper Scott JD
Location of story: England & Normandy
Background to story: Army
Article ID: A4032037
Contributed on: 08 May 2005

2c554f98c84779c47bda95fd0fe15ae1a7a292e9.jpg
Trooper 14259421John Douglas Scott

[snip]
November 1944
Operation Infatuate — the Invasion of Walcheren Island

My personal D-Day was November 1st, the invasion of Walcheran Island, which was defended by about 10,000 enemy personnel; army, navy and air force. We were loaded onto landing craft with other members of the 4th Commando Brigade and the 30th Armoured Brigade, and set off for the island. Seasickness and nerves were terrible. Support ships pounded the coastal guns and defences.

The island is below sea level and surrounded by a wall, which was defended by heavy guns, and underwater and beach obstacles. Mine fields, pillboxes with machine guns and flame throwers were positioned amongst the dunes. The RAF bombed the sea defences and breached the walls so that water covered low ground when the tide was in. Unfortunately, the civilians couldn’t be pre-warned about the raid so quite a number were caught in the flooding.

On the boat going over I met a lad named Bill Wilde who lived nearby and went to Bridge Road School in Coalville at the same time as I did. It was nice to see a familiar face at a time like this.

After landing on the beach, which came under heavy shelling, we had to breach the obstacles at the Westkapelle dyke, clear the mine fields and then give fire support to the Commandos assaulting the town. There was a lot of fierce fighting coming from the centre of the town, especially from around the church tower (used as an observation post by the Germans). Heavy tank fire from one of our Sherman’s put a stop to this. We then made our way to a place called Domburg where another fortified tower and concrete positions were giving strong resistance. Again, fire from a Sherman’s 75 mm gun neutralized this action. We stayed in Domburg for a few days on guard duty, but there was no trouble as the place was flooded most of the time due to the sea wall damage. Part of the squadron had gone ahead on to higher ground and we joined them later, but our tank was left behind — it got swamped, along with another when the high tide came in - maybe it's still there.

When the island had been taken we came back to a place called Flushing, where a second invasion force had landed at the same time as we did. From here Buffalo Amphibious Vehicles took us back to Ostend then by road to Blankenberg. A Victory Parade was held shortly after the capture and all those who took part in the invasion were on a march past.
[snip]

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Today, 75 years ago, Operation Infatuate II started with the landing at Westkapelle on the island of Walcheren, the Netherlands. The 79th Armoured Division disembarked with armoured support for the Commando units, comprising of two Sherman gun tanks, ten Sherman Crabs, eight Churchill AVREs and four Armoured Dozers. Out of a total of twenty-four armoured vehicles, only seven made it ashore of which three Crabs were disabled by the floods during the first night in Westkapelle.

In the next few days, the remaining two Sherman gun tanks and two Churchill AVREs delivered sterling service to the Commandos to drive the German Army out of the Scheldt area.

The bogged vehicles remained stuck in the mud for many years after the war. After the dyke and town were rebuilt, all bar one Sherman Crab were scrapped. The Sherman V Crab T-148656, which landed from LCT 650 "6 CHERRY", was in the process of being scrapped when it was saved for preservation. By that time its flailing equipment had been torched off.

Today, the Sherman at Westkapelle is in dire need of restoration, and I hope the local authorities do so soon before this battle relic has rusted away beyond repair or recognition, even.


Some pics from the official remembrance today at Westkapelle (source)

"A spontaneous kiss from a bagpipe player for 97-year-old veteran Chuck Harris. 75 years ago, he fought on the beach at Westkapelle with a German submachine gun in his hand. He lost his own weapon when his landing craft sank after a direct hit"
download.jpg
© Emile Calon"

Sherman V Crab T-148656 as a backdrop for the remembrance today: "The regimental flags are lowered while the national anthems are played during the commemoration in Westkapelle"
images1.persgroep.net.jpg
© Emile Calon

[James P]

Amazing, thanks Hanno for posting this and your researching into the action and history of the vehicles involved.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by James P

Amazing, thanks Hanno for posting this and your researching into the action and history of the vehicles involved.

James, my pleasure. I lived in the area during my teenage years where I was immersed in history of the Battle of the Scheldt.

As one can see on the pictures above and by e.g. Jan de Jonge, this period in time still brings back evocative memories.

H.

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