Venray

On the 17th of October the last phase of operation Constellation had to start and Venray was the objective of the Allies. After crossing the Bloedbeek (Blood Stream) the 185th (Norfolks Warwicks) follow the road from Overloon to Venray. On …

1944-10-17

16250

On the 17th of October the last phase of operation Constellation had to start and Venray was the objective of the Allies. After crossing the Bloedbeek (Blood Stream) the 185th (Norfolks Warwicks) follow the road from Overloon to Venray. On the evening of the 16th the 8th (East Yorks and Suffolks) occupied the township Hiept, to the west of Venray. General Whistler had four battalions around Venray now. British 11th and American 7th armoured division attacked from the south. The British had good tank support and half of Venray was under control of the British troops at the end of the day. So it seemed that the Germans really have had some severe blows and were licking their wounds. In reality they were not beaten at all, but they were withdrawing to Venlo and regrouping their units to secure effective defense lines. In this battle artillery caused considerable trouble and good observation from two points gave the Germans good assistance in a strong defensive action. The two points of observation were Venray church tower and a tall square tower in Maashees. The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command,

Venray, 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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