Overloon Forest

Overlook Forest After the failure of Operation Market Garden the small corridor that led to Nijmegen was still a dangerous place. The German 107 panzer brigade even managed to break through. German troops still had a strong bridgehead on the …

1944-09-30

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Overlook Forest After the failure of Operation Market Garden the small corridor that led to Nijmegen was still a dangerous place. The German 107 panzer brigade even managed to break through. German troops still had a strong bridgehead on the west bank of the Meuse. Allied high command decided this had to be destroyed to break German Resistance in the Netherlands and to open the way for the British, lead by Montgomery, to invade the Rhineland. The 7th American armoured Division was called in from the Elzas to do the job. Intelligence suspected unorganized German Resistance. Venlo should be reached within 2 days. On the 30th of September the attack on Overloon started, this is where the road to Venray was located, and after that to Venlo. Because of the Intelligence the Americans start the battle without any reconnaissance. The next days were very tough for the Allied forces. The Germans had dug in inside the forests and Panzers and Falschirmjäger carried out severe counterattacks. The Americans run aground in the mud and the heavy German fire . . . . . . Overloon is not taken within two days, let alone Venlo.

Overloon, Holland

The Battle of Overloon was a battle fought in the Second World War battle between Allied forces and the German Army which took place in and around the village of Overloon in the south-east of the Netherlands between 30 September and 18 October 1944. The battle, which resulted in an Allied victory, ensued after the Allies launched Operation Aintree. The Allies went on to liberate the town of Venray. The battle of Overloon ensued as the Allies in Operation Aintree advanced from nearby positions south toward the village of Overloon. After a failed attack on Overloon by the U.S. 7th Armored Division, the British 3rd Infantry Division and the British 11th Armoured Division took over. The U.S. 7th Armored Division was moved south of Overloon to the Deurne – Weert area. Here they were attached to the British Second Army, and ordered to make demonstration attacks to the east in order to divert enemy forces from the Overloon and Venlo areas. Suffering heavy losses the British captured Overloon and moved towards Venray. The advance on Venray resulted in heavy losses, especially around the Loobeek creek, which was swollen due to heavy autumn rains and was flooded and mined by the Germans. Casualties were heavy here among theist Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment which was serving in 185th Infantry Brigade of the British 3rd Division. During the battle, the village of Overloon was destroyed. In and around Overloon, some 2,500 soldiers died, making it one of the bloodiest battles in the Netherlands during the Second World War. Dozens of tanks, mainly American, were destroyed.

Wikipedia: Battle of Overloon

German

British

Game Type: Standard

Board Type: Countryside

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