1st Campaign of Holland
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The Piron Brigade 1st Campaign of Holland |
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The
Battle of Holland is also called the battle of canals, but also that of
obstacles. The canal of connection the Meuse - Escaut, stay in Brée, one
of the high places where becomes famous the Engineers Company. On
September 25, the Engineers builds a Bailey bridge (called the Brussel
Bridge). The material is supplied by the 8th British Corps. In the
daytimes which follow, thousands of vehicles of the 21th Group of Armies
will make use of it. Only passage, this bridge will lead to the victory. On September 26 at dawn, the Belgian Group crosses the bridge preceded by armoured cars. The ground on the West of the Meuse is empty of enemies. It is only to Wessem whom the contact resumes. The lieutenant VERHAEGEN is killed there. The situation of the Group is difficult. It should occupy a very wide front while assuring the weld between the British and Americans armies in the angle formed by WESSEM's canal and the MEUSE September 28, 3rd Unit of the Commandant NOWE crosses the Dutch border to KESSENICH. It meets itself under the fire of the enemy machine guns, but succeeds in joining THORN's village where it settles down in defence. Two troops of the squadron occupy HUNSEL and EL. The engineers company defends OPHOVEN's village. The Group also occupies ITTERVOORT's village. On September 29, the Group passes under the command of the 19th American Corps and a detachment consisted of tanks " Sherman ", destroyers tanks and of light tanks, under the orders of the colonel Elms, is added to it. The Group receives the mission to clean the region West of the canal and the Meuse. On September 30, an attack is launched against Sandfort, who falls to the hands of the 1st Motorized Unit. The tactics staff of the brigade is settled in the Neeritter's small village. October 1st, the Lieutenant Jacques, the leader of the military police falls under the German balls. On
October 2, the 2nd Motorized Unit, supported by American tanks, goes up an
operation against Wessem, where a German garrison occupies the angle
formed by the Meuse and the canal. The infantry arrives at hundred of
metres of the village, but the enemy deeply reacts and the team is taken
under the enemy shots. The American tanks hesitate to move in the bare
ground, being afraid of Germans' antitank weapons, and intervene only from
a great distance. The Colonel PIRON decides then to call back the team
which will join the friendly lines, fortunately without losses. November 6,
general DEMPSEY, commander of the 2nd British Army comes at the Brigade's
Staff where he talk with the colonel PIRON. He tell him all the gratitude
of the British High Command for the Group which liked with so not enough
means, Wessem's canal while the remainder of his army operated in Holland. November 11, commander of the 53rd Division asks to the colonel PIRON to
throw back the enemy on the other side of WESSEM's canal and to install
observation posts on the West bank.. The purpose is to attack and to
occupy an enemy bridgehead. At 06.30 p.m., the battery of artillery begins
to bombard the enemy positions. 5 minutes later, the assault squad of the
2nd Unit, pressed on the right-hand side by the 3rd Unit and to the left
by the 1st, passes in the attack. |
