BAOR BATTLEFIELD TOUR - OPERATION VERITABLE - Directing Staff Edition

Operations of XXX Corps between the Rivers Maas and Rhine in February 1945. XXX Corps was heavily involved in the fighting that preceded the Rhine crossings; it was responsible for the successful, if difficult, advance through the Reichswald Forest.

Complete with reprints of all original maps and diagrams, this Directing Staff edition is especially concerned with the part played by 15th (Scottish) Division in these operations.

A reprint of the Directing Staff edition of the British Army of the Rhine Battlefield Tour for Operation Veritable. The book contains all of the Student edition plus the important extra pages of personal accounts of actions for study. Those of you who know the series will also know how rare Directing Staff originals are.

XXX Corps was heavily involved in the fighting that preceded the Rhine crossings. Under the command of the 1st Canadian Army, and with additional divisions, it was responsible for the successful, if difficult, advance through the Reichswald Forest that was the first phase of Operation Veritable in February 1945. The subsequent phases were redesignated as Operation Blockbuster.

Veritable was a northern pincer movement and started with XXX Corps advancing through the Reichswald. The Allied advance proceeded more slowly than expected and at greater cost. This delayed the US offensive Operation Grenade, the southern pincer, and at the same time allowed German forces under local German commander, Alfred Schlemm, to be concentrated against the Commonwealth advance.

Assessments by the German High Command were that an Allied advance through the Reichswald would be too difficult and the expected assault would be by the British Second Army from the Venlo area (reserves were therefore placed there to respond to this). Alfred Schlemm, the local German commander, strongly disagreed, believing, correctly, that the Reichswald was the more likely route. He acted against the assessments of his superiors and therefore ensured that the area was well fortified, strengthened the Siegfried Line defences and quietly moved some of his reserves to be nearer this line of attack which meant that fresh, elite troops were readily available to him.