Download Phase 4: June 1944 to September 1945

Phase 4: June 1944 to September 1945
This was the final phase of the war.
Global Context
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The final year of the war began with the Allied invasion of Europe.
The plan to invade Europe was named Operation Overlord, but the landings in
Normandy, France, are often called the D-Day landings.
The German army now had to fight the Allies on two major fronts—the Soviet
army in the east and the British, Canadian, and U.S. armies in the west.
Under assault from two sides, German resistance eventually collapsed.
In the Pacific, the United States was closing in on the Japanese home islands, and
work was accelerating on the development of a new weapon that the United States
hoped would shorten the war.
Canada's Contribution
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On June 6, 1944, Canadian, British, and U.S. forces landed at a series of beaches on
the coast of Normandy.
Canada's beach was code-named Juno.
British forces landed on Gold and Sword, and U.S. forces landed on Utah and Omaha.
Preparations for the invasion were meticulous.
Sending troops to invade a defended coastline is one of the most difficult and
dangerous military operations, as the heavy casualties of the Dieppe raid had shown.
The capture of the city of Caen, a road and rail centre, was the first major objective
for the Canadian and British forces after landing.
This objective took most of the summer because it was held by some of
Germany's best soldiers.
While the Canadian and British armies held down large German forces, the U.S.
forces broke through German lines at Falaise and began to encircle their opponents.
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Once Caen had been secured, Canadian troops helped the U.S. army capture Falaise, too.
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After the Allied victory at Falaise, the German army retreated to Belgium and the
German border.
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Paris was liberated and most of France was free.
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However, armies need supplies, especially fuel and munitions.
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As the Allied armies increased in size in France, the demand for these resources soon
began to outstrip the supply.
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Ports were vital to the chain of supply—they needed to be captured and opened.
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The First Canadian Army was assigned the task of clearing the coastal areas and
opening the ports.
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The key port was Antwerp, Belgium, which was, then as now, one of the major ports
in Europe.
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Though the city of Antwerp was quickly captured, the actual port of Antwerp was
80km away, at the mouth of the Scheldt River.
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The region between the city and port was located in low-lying areas, mostly behind
dikes.
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The Germans opened the dikes to flood the roads and fields.
The Canadian soldiers here were nicknamed the "water rats."
Casualties were heavy in this battle, where tanks and heavy artillery were difficult to
use, and the infantry did most of the fighting.
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After the port of Antwerp was captured in the Battle of the Scheldt, the Canadian
army was given the task of liberating the Netherlands. Over 6000 Canadians were
casualties in this campaign. To this day, the people of the Netherlands remember and
honor the role of the Canadian soldiers who freed them.
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When the war in Europe ended on May 8, 1945, Canadian soldiers remained on duty in
northern Germany to participate in the return to peace.
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The Canadian air force helped control the skies over Germany, and the Canadian
navy patrolled the North Atlantic.
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A nation of 11.5 million had put over one million men and women in uniform.