Vector: No Timberwolves in Breda!
When speaking about the liberation of the Dutch city of Breda, the role of the Polish forces is what first comes to mind. After all, it was the 1st Polish Armored Division that liberated this old Brabant city on 29 October 1944.
However, on the morning of 28 October, when the American 104th Infantry Division (Division of the Timberwolves) wanted to resume its advance in the direction of the town of Rucphen, an order from above arrived at American Headquarters stating they must advance towards Breda instead of Rucphen.
The order was to move north along a number of routes with two of the three available units, reaching the villages of Etten and Leur as quickly as possible and then onto the northern River Mark.
The location of the Vaart Canal north of Rijsbergen delayed their advance, and so 29 October passed without having made very much progress. In the late evening, the American Engineers began a bridge battle operation and by around 02:00 the Bailey Bridge was ready and a group of American troops was able to cross the new bridge, followed by more units as well as heavier equipment.
After dawn the Americ…
However, on the morning of 28 October, when the American 104th Infantry Division (Division of the Timberwolves) wanted to resume its advance in the direction of the town of Rucphen, an order from above arrived at American Headquarters stating they must advance towards Breda instead of Rucphen.
The order was to move north along a number of routes with two of the three available units, reaching the villages of Etten and Leur as quickly as possible and then onto the northern River Mark.
The location of the Vaart Canal north of Rijsbergen delayed their advance, and so 29 October passed without having made very much progress. In the late evening, the American Engineers began a bridge battle operation and by around 02:00 the Bailey Bridge was ready and a group of American troops was able to cross the new bridge, followed by more units as well as heavier equipment.
After dawn the American forces continued their advance along both routes: one in the direction of Leur via the hamlet Vaartkant and the other via the Zundertseweg road to Etten. During the night the American Headquarters had received intelligence from civilians in Leur that German forces were moving through their village, on retreat in the direction of Zevenbergen city.
Around noon, residents of the Bisschopsmolen (tower mill in Etten-Leur) saw the first troops of the U.S. 414th Regiment (Timberwolves) arrive from their position at the mill. They had several vehicles with them, but also moved on foot over paths and through hedges in search of German soldiers left behind. The liberators transmitted the following message over the radio to headquarters at 13:00: “Troops entered Leur. No opposition”. With this, both Leur and Etten were liberated!