88-483: Port of Antwerp-Bruges is the port authority that manages the ports of Antwerp and Bruges (Zeebrugge) since the merger between the port companies of both ports in 2022. It is a limited liability company of public law with the City of Antwerp and the City of Bruges as its shareholders. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges has made a commitment to environmental sustainability and climate neutrality by 2050. As part of this challenge,
176-608: A European offensive . The White Brigade of the Belgian resistance seized the port of Antwerp before the Germans could destroy it as they were planning to do. On 4 September, Antwerp was taken by the 11th Armoured Division with its harbour 90% intact. However, the Germans had heavily fortified Walcheren peninsula at the mouth of the Western Scheldt , establishing well dug-in artillery impervious to air attack and controlling access to
264-470: A brief introduction and the donning of hard hats and hi-viz jackets) an official guide boards the coach and directs the party to visit places that would otherwise be prohibited under ISPS . In July 2020, the total throughput of the Port of Antwerp fell by 4.9% in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2019. The Flare Tower 1 [1] of Olefin refinery is with a height of 211 metres at least
352-603: A depth of 13.50 m, which makes the sill depth at mean high water equal to 17.75 m. Apart from the Lock, still further development of the right bank has been undertaken on the banks of the Scheldt outside the dock complex. Two large container terminals have been opened here. In 1990, the Europe terminal was operative, while secondly, the North Sea terminal became operative in 1997. The older areas of
440-741: A directive along that line. To the east, the British Second Army attacked westward to clear the Netherlands south of the Meuse ( Maas ) during Operation Pheasant, securing the Scheldt region from counter-attacks. As part of his newly focused efforts to assist Simonds, Montgomery assigned the British 52nd Lowland Division to the First Canadian Army. The 52nd division, recruited in the Lowlands of Scotland,
528-684: A failsafe feature; had the sole lock failed, any vessels inside would have been trapped, whereas it is highly improbable that both locks might simultaneously fail. On the landward side, facing the dock complex, the lock leads into the Waasland canal. From there the ships have easy access to all the other docks on the left bank: the Doel dock, the Verrebroek dock, the Vrasene dock and the North and South mooring docks. Since 2015,
616-579: A large portion of the northern section of the port to the Americans and the southern section and the city of Antwerp to the British forces. The first US cargo vessel James B. Weaver arrived on 28 November 1944 with men of the 268th Port Company and their equipment on board. By mid-December the port was operating in high gear and, on average, some 9,000 civilians were employed by the Americans. Despite enemy air attacks, rockets and buzz bombs , operations were never entirely halted, although they were interrupted. In
704-400: A more successful action, and their Carrier Platoon succeeded in taking the railway station at Korteven, north of Woensdrecht. Fighting at Hoogerheide also ensued. On 16 October, The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry , known as the "Rileys", under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Denis Whitaker , attacked Woensdrecht at night, taking much of the village. However, they were unable to pass beyond
792-433: A new dock complex was constructed: the tidal Deurganck Dock, which is open to the river and which does not require vessels to pass through any lock. The first terminal in this dock was opened on July 6, 2005. The full capacity of the dock is estimated at more than 8 to 9 million TEU . The Deurganck dock has a wharf length of 5.5 km and consists of a total of 1,200,000 cubic metres of concrete. The Kieldrecht Lock ,
880-569: A new lock at the end of the Deurganckdock, giving access to the docks in the port area on the left bank opened in June 2016 and is the largest lock in the world. The lock is deeper than the Berendrecht Lock , the previous largest, in response to the trend towards ever-larger ships. The lock, which represents an investment of 340 million euros, is the second lock into the enclosed harbours and represents
968-694: A seaport was recognized by Napoleon Bonaparte and he ordered the construction of Antwerp's first lock and dock in 1811. Called the Bonaparte Dock, it was joined by a second dock - called the Willem Dock after the Dutch King - in 1813. When the Belgian Revolution broke out in 1830, there was a well-founded fear that the Dutch would blockade the Scheldt again but, in the event, they contented themselves with levying
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#17328547575901056-609: A stiff toll. Fortunately, the young Belgium had friends in Britain and particularly in the person of Lord Palmerston , who believed the existence of Belgium would be beneficial to Britain, and that, in consequence, it was important to make sure that the newly born state was economically viable. With his support, the Belgian government was able to redeem the Dutch Toll in 1863. By that time, the Kattendijk Dock had been completed in 1860 and
1144-566: Is a seaport in the heart of Europe accessible to capesize ships. It is Europe's second-largest seaport, after that of Rotterdam . Antwerp stands at the upper end of the tidal estuary of the Scheldt . The estuary is navigable by ships of more than 100,000 Gross Tons as far as 80 km inland. Like the Port of Hamburg , the Port of Antwerp's inland location provides a more central location in Europe than
1232-597: Is a deep-water inland port close to Germany. It is connected to the North Sea via the river Scheldt , which allows the passage of ocean-going ships. Following the destruction of Rotterdam in 1940, Antwerp was the largest surviving port in Western Europe, and the obvious choice to support an invasion of Germany. This had been recognized as early as December 1941, when the Anglo-American armies made their first plans for
1320-470: Is closing its Antwerp factory. Unlike the Port of Rotterdam, which has been able to expand westwards along the river Maas to Europoort and extend into the North Sea with Maasvlakte , Antwerp has little scope for further westward expansion. The northern (right bank) docks already reach the Dutch border, and on the left bank Belgium has a nuclear power plant downstream of the Deurganck dock. In October 2019,
1408-432: Is no repeat no shortage of ammunition...The operations are receiving my personal attention". Field Marshal Walter Model , who was commanding Army Group B , ordered: "The corridor to Walcheren will be kept open at any price; if necessary, it will be regained by forces ruthlessly detached from other sectors". Model sent the 256th Volksgrenadier division and assault gun companies to allow the release of Battle Group Chill,
1496-471: The Calgary Highlanders came under heavy fire from German positions. As described in its war diary, "the battle thickened...the Germans forces...hit back with a pugnacity which had not been encountered in the enemy for a long time". The Régiment de Maisonneuve was halted 1,000 yards (910 m) from their target while the next day, The Black Watch of Canada was stopped in its attempt. On 9 October,
1584-609: The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division encountered tenacious German resistance as it fought to cross the Leopold Canal. An earlier failed attempt by the Canadian 4th Armoured Division at Moerbrugge had demonstrated the challenge they faced. In addition to the formidable German defences on both the Leopold and Schipdonk Canals, much of the approach area was flooded. The Breskens pocket was held by
1672-695: The First World War in 1914. The British, and Winston Churchill , then First Lord of the Admiralty , in particular were well aware of the Port of Antwerp's strategic importance, so much so that Churchill arrived in Antwerp on 4 October 1914 to take charge of the defence of the city and its port. In 1944 during the Second World War Allied forces liberated Antwerp on 4 September. The port and facilities were relatively undamaged and no major reconstruction work
1760-462: The Grote Doorsteek , an ambitious plan which ultimately resulted in the extension of the docklands on the right bank of the Scheldt to the Dutch border. The construction of the Berendrecht Lock was the crowning element of this plan. It was the world's largest shipping lock when inaugurated in 1989. Since 1989, development has been concentrated on the creation of fast turnround tidal berths, both on
1848-642: The Leo Delwaide [ nl ] dock, which will soon be able to serve the latest generation of container vessels. The Southern part of the Bevrijdingsdok, used to be the MSC Home Terminal, a partnership between PSA Hesse-Noord Natie and Mediterranean Shipping Company ( MSC ), before it moved to the newly built Deurganckdok on the left bank, to avoid passage through the locks. Due to a total quay length of more than 2 km, several ships can be handled at
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#17328547575901936-801: The Lincoln and Welland Regiment , known as the "Lincs" in the Canadian Army, and The Algonquin Regiment took Esschen in a surprise attack. On 23 October, the German 85th Division launched a counterattack led by some self-propelled (SP) guns . The Sherman tanks of the Governor General's Foot Guards and the Lake Superior Regiments were decimated by the German SP guns. For the next days, there occurred what
2024-627: The USAAF 8th Air Force "on the day concerned". The plan for opening the Scheldt Estuary involved four main operations, conducted over daunting geography: The first attacks occurred on 13 September. After an attempt by the 4th Canadian Armoured Division to storm the Leopold Canal on its own had ended in bloody repulse, Simonds, commanding the II Canadian Corps, ordered a halt to operations in
2112-625: The "fire brigade" consisting of 6th Parachute Regiment and assault gun companies. On 10 October, the Royal Regiment of Canada launched a surprise attack against the German lines at Woensdrecht, but for the next days was engaged in heavy fighting against counterattacks from Battle Group Chill. Major-General Charles Foulkes of the 2nd Division sent the Black Watch to support the Royal Regiment. The German forces at Woensdrecht greatly outnumbered
2200-477: The 15th Army to hold the mouth of the river Scheldt at all costs, calling the island "Fortress Walcheren." The Germans at Walcheren were on the far right of the German line, and were deprived of supplies as the Wehrmacht focused its strength on the planned Ardennes offensive and replacing losses elsewhere. However, the flat polder ground of the Dutch countryside favoured the defensive, and was felt to compensate for
2288-594: The 15th Army's reduced numbers. Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt told General Gustav-Adolf von Zangen : "Enemy supplies, and therefore, his ability to fight, is limited by the stubborn defence of the Harbour, as intelligence reports prove. The attempt of the enemy to occupy the Western Scheldt in order to obtain the free use of the harbour of Antwerp must be resisted to the utmost . In his orders to his men, Von Zangen declared: Therefore, I order all commanders as well as
2376-526: The 2nd Canadian Division on the Beveland isthmus to the defence of Bergen op Zoom. By 24 October, Allied lines were pushed out further from the neck of the peninsula, ensuring German counterattacks would not cut off the 2nd Canadian Division, by then moving west along it towards Walcheren island. The second main operation, Operation Switchback, opened with fierce fighting to reduce the Breskens Pocket. Here,
2464-470: The 4th Division "to send 4 Cnd Armd Bde to the Antwerp area at the rate of one get a day, beginning 11 Oct". On 13 October, that would come to be known as "Black Friday", the Canadian 5th Infantry Brigade 's Black Watch was virtually wiped out in an unsuccessful attack. The Black Watch attacked German positions, already known to be well defended, while the rest of the 2nd Division was not engaged, suggesting that neither Foulkes nor Simonds had taken seriously
2552-476: The 4th Division to assist the 3rd Division with clearing the Breskens Pocket, but problems faced by the 2nd Division forced Simonds to start peeling off units from the 4th Division. On 9 October 1944, the South Alberta Regiment was ordered to "protect the right flank of 2 Division and prevent infiltration between 2 Div and 1 Polish Armd. Div". The next day, Simonds ordered Major general Harry Foster of
2640-636: The 52nd Division on Walcheren at the same time the Canadians attacked the island. Meanwhile, Simonds concentrated forces at the neck of the South Beveland peninsula. On 17 October, Foster announced 4th Division would attack on 20 October to take the area known as the Wouwsche Plantage . The offensive began in the early morning of 20 October and was led by the Argyll and Lake Superior regiments. On 22 October,
2728-649: The 64th Division commanded by General Knut Eberding, an infantryman with extensive experience on the Eastern Front who was regarded as an expert in defensive warfare. When the 15th Army had retreated from the Pas-de-Calais region of France across the Low Countries in September 1944, an enormous number of guns and ammunition ended up in the Breskens Pocket, including one hundred 20 mm anti-aircraft guns . They were used by
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2816-412: The 64th Division was digging in for a hard fight and that Eberding had ordered a fight to the death, Canadian military intelligence seriously underestimated the size of the German forces. They expected Eberding to retreat to Walcheren island once the 3rd Canadian division started to advance. However, Simonds appreciated the problems imposed by the polder country and the Germans concentrating their forces at
2904-499: The 85th Division's war diary called "extremely violent fighting". The war diary of the Canadian Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders spoke of "nightmarish fighting" at Wouwsche Plantage. The fighting at Wouwsche Plantage was considered so important that Montgomery arrived at the headquarters of the 4th Canadian Division to press Foster for speed, but Foster protested that the flat polder country made speed impossible. One company of
2992-554: The 9th Brigade was known as the "Highland brigade" as its three regiments were all Highland regiments with two coming from Ontario and another from Nova Scotia . The North Shore Regiment made a diversionary attack across the Leopold Canal, while the Regina Rifles regiment and the Canadian Scottish Regiment made the main assault. The Royal Montreal Regiment , which had never seen action yet, were pressing to get into
3080-534: The ANTWERP harbour. And for this reason, we must hold the SCHELDT fortifications to the end. The German people are watching us. In this hour, the fortifications along the SCHELDT occupy a role which is decisive for the future of our people. Each additional day will be vital that you deny the port of ANTWERP to the enemy and the resources he has at his disposal. (signed) v. ZANGEN General der Infanterie . From September, Ramsay
3168-456: The Allied air forces hardly ever bombing the Breskens Pocket in September, allowing his men to build defensive works with barely an effort to stop them. The flat, swampy polder country made the Breskens Pocket into an "island", as much of the ground was impassable with only a few "land bridges" connecting the area to the mainland. The Wehrmacht had blown up dykes to flood much of the ground so that
3256-502: The American armies in France. Three days earlier, on 6 September, Montgomery ordered Canadian General Harry Crerar to prioritize the capture of just such a port, Boulogne-sur-Mer . Montgomery's views obliged Eisenhower to support a plan for the 21st to invade Germany, whereas the use of Antwerp would allow all of the armies to be supplied for such an invasion. Due to these factors, little
3344-517: The Black Watch men killed and wounded in France "had little or no infantry training, and exhibited poor morale" and that the men of C Company had "all been killed or taken prisoner" during "Black Friday". The Black Watch had already taken very heavy losses at the Battle of Verrières Ridge in July 1944 and its heavy losses on "Black Friday" almost finished the regiment. The Calgary Highlanders were to follow up with
3432-531: The British 51st Highland Division, 1st Polish Division, British 49th (West Riding) Division and 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade from the First Canadian Army so they could help the 2nd British Army to take part in Operation Pheasant , an offensive to liberate North Brabant and expand the Arnhem salient. Simonds saw the Scheldt campaign as a test of his ability, a challenge to be overcome, and he felt he could clear
3520-473: The Canadians and had Model known of this, he might have launched a counter-offensive. Instead he used attrition tactics by making piecemeal counterattacks. During this time, war diaries of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry noted "many snipers in the houses and hedges" had been encountered while the weather was "cold and wet with high winds. Floods rising again". Simonds had planned to commit
3608-426: The Canadians could only advance along the raised country roads. Eberding reported that the polder country was "a maze of ditches, canalized rivers and commercial canals, often above the level of the surrounding countryside...which made military man[oeuvre] almost impossible except on the narrow roads built on top of the dykes. Each of these roadways were carefully registered for both artillery and mortar fire". It
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3696-664: The Canadians were having to ration ammunition as Montgomery made holding the Arnhem salient his main priority. After Ramsay raised the issue with Eisenhower, the latter informed Montgomery on or about 9 October "the supreme importance of Antwerp. It is reported to me this morning by the Navy that the Canadian Army will not repeat not be able to attack until 1 November unless immediately supplied with ammunition." Montgomery replied by writing: "Request you will ask Ramsay from me by what authority he makes wild statements to you concerning my operations about which he can know nothing repeat nothing...there
3784-679: The Drowned Land of Saefthinge (on Dutch territory) into the Western Scheldt. This grand concept had the advantage that it would cut off the difficult bend known as the Bocht van Bath and facilitate access to deep draught ships. Work started on the Kallo Lock in 1979, and by the end of the 1980s the basic outlines of the Waaslandhaven were by and large complete. The main constituents are the Waasland Canal,
3872-531: The First Canadian's Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds . The battle took place in the vicinity of the Scheldt river in northern Belgium and southwestern Netherlands from 2 October to 8 November 1944. The Canadians had been delayed, and the need to clear the Scheldt had not yet been addressed, due to Allied decisions up to that point to focus instead on Arnhem ( Operation Market Garden ), Boulogne ( Operation Wellhit ), Calais ( Operation Undergo ) and Dunkirk. By
3960-399: The Germans counter-attacked and pushed the Canadians back. The war diary of the 85th Infantry Division reported that they were "making very slow progress" in face of tenacious Canadian resistance. Back at SHAEF headquarters, Ramsay, who was more concerned about the problems facing the Canadians than their own generals, complained to Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight Eisenhower that
4048-415: The Germans into believing they would land in the Pas-de-Calais region of France instead of Normandy . As such, the Wehrmacht had reinforced the 15th Army in the Pas-de-Calais, providing a critical mass of troops and materiel close to the mouth of the Scheldt. Adolf Hitler ordered planning for what became the Ardennes Offensive in September 1944, the objective of which was retaking Antwerp. Hitler ordered
4136-419: The Leopold Canal, while the 9th Brigade mounted the amphibious attack from the northern (coastal) side of the pocket. The 7th Brigade was known as the "Western Brigade" in the Canadian Army as its three regiments were all from western Canada with the Canadian Scottish Regiment coming from Victoria area, the Regina Rifles from the Regina area, and the Royal Winnipeg Rifles from the Winnipeg area, while
4224-460: The Lincoln and Welland Regiment lost 50% of its men in a single day's fighting, while an advance company of the Algonquin Regiment was cut off and surrounded by the Wehrmacht, requiring desperate fighting to break out. The Canadians now advanced towards Bergen op Zoom and would take part in Operation Pheasant in an effort to take the city. The advance would force Rundstedt to redeploy the elite 6th Parachute Regiment, which until then had been blocking
4312-424: The National Socialist indoctrination officers to instruct the troops in the clearest and most factual manner in the following points: Next to HAMBURG, ANTWERP is the largest port in Europe. Even in the First World War, Churchill, in person, travelled to ANTWERP in order to organize the defence of the harbour because he appreciated it as of vital importance to the struggle on the continent. At that time, Churchill's plan
4400-462: The Port of Antwerp began using a dual-fuel tug that is powered by hydrogen and diesel (called HydroTug ). The port signed an agreement with the Port of Nagoya on 7 December 2022, extending an agreement between the ports first established in 1988. On the east bank of the river Scheldt, but to the west of the main port area lies the old village of Lillo, where the Port of Antwerp has built a new visitor centre. Coach parties can arrive here, and (after
4488-442: The Right Bank (Europa Terminal and the North Sea Terminal) and on the Left Bank (Deurganck Dock). With the opening of the Berendrecht Lock (1989), a crowning achievement in developing the right bank dock complex was obtained. With a length of 500 m between the lock gates and a width of 68 m, the Berendrecht lock was the largest lock in the world when it was built (overtaken by the Kieldrecht lock on Antwerp's Left bank). This lock has
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#17328547575904576-411: The Scheldt in World War II was a series of military operations to open up the Scheldt river between Antwerp and the North Sea for shipping, so that Antwerp's port could be used to supply the Allies in north-west Europe. The operations were carried out by the First Canadian Army , with assistance from Polish and British units which had been attached. The action was under the acting command of
4664-457: The Scheldt after numerous amphibious assaults , obstacle crossings and costly assaults over open ground. Once the German defenders were no longer a threat, it took another three weeks to de-mine the harbours; the first convoy carrying Allied supplies could not unload in Antwerp until 29 November 1944. Once Antwerp was opened, it allowed 2.5 million tons of supplies to arrive at that port between November 1944 and April 1945, which were critical to
4752-461: The Scheldt his main priority, stating that as long as the mouth of the river was in German hands, the port of Antwerp was useless. That same day, thanks to Ultra intelligence, Montgomery became aware of Hitler's intention to hold the Scheldt at all costs. However, Montgomery was focused on preparations for the ill-fated Operation Market Garden later that month. Among the Allied senior leaders, only Ramsay saw opening Antwerp as crucial to sustaining
4840-428: The Scheldt until the French channel ports had been taken, reporting the Scheldt would need more than one division to clear. The halt allowed the German 15th Army ample time to dig in to its new home by the banks of the Scheldt. Operation Switchback commenced on 21 September when the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division moved north roughly along the line of the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal , given the task of clearing an area on
4928-414: The Scheldt with only three divisions of the 2nd Corps despite having to take on the entire 15th Army, which held strongly fortified positions in a landscape that favoured the defensive. Simonds never registered complaints about his lack of manpower, ammunition, and air support. On 2 October, the Canadian 2nd Division began its advance north from Antwerp. Stiff fighting ensued on 6 October at Woensdrecht ,
5016-423: The Scheldt, because he needed XII Corps for Operation Market Garden. Had Montgomery secured the Scheldt Estuary, as Ramsay had advised, Antwerp would have been opened to Allied shipping far earlier than it was, and the escape of the German 15th Army from France could have been stopped. Instead, the delay allowed the German 15th Army to deploy defensively and prepare for the expected advance. Walcheren peninsula
5104-400: The Verrebroek Dock started in 1996 and saw the arrival of its first seagoing ship in 2000. When finalized, this dock will offer a total of 5 km of berths with a draught of 14.5 m. Since the existing container terminals on the right bank of the Scheldt have reached their maximum capacity and the container freight volume keeps increasing (in 2007 it expanded by 8.2% to 8 million TEU ),
5192-430: The Verrebroek Dock, and the Vrasene Dock. The abandonment of the Baalhoek Canal project meant that an additional dock, known as the Doel Dock, was never fitted out for shipping. The development of the sites in the new docklands got off to a slow start, but took off in the 1990s. Nowadays, the trades handled in the Vrasene Dock include forest products, fruit juice, cars, plastic granulates, scrap and bulk gas. The equipping of
5280-535: The Wehrmacht as a sort of "super-heavy machine gun " and were much dreaded by the Canadian infantry. 20-mm guns could shred a man to pieces within seconds. Besides the 20-mm guns, the 64th Division had 23 of the famous 88 mm flak guns , known for their power to destroy an Allied tank with a single direct hit, together with 455 light machine guns and 97 mortars. While Montgomery focused on Operation Market Garden in September 1944, Eberding used three weeks of quiet to have his men dig in. He later expressed amazement about
5368-422: The advance into Germany. Montgomery had an additional incentive not to prioritize Antwerp: his apparent desire for the 21st Army Group to spearhead the invasion of Germany and capture Berlin. On 9 September Montgomery wrote to Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke (the Chief of the Imperial General Staff ) that "one good Pas de Calais port" would be able to meet the logistical needs of the 21st Army Group, though not
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#17328547575905456-413: The all important Iron Rhine Railway to the Ruhr had been finished in 1879. Antwerp then experienced a second golden age and by 1908 eight docks had been constructed. The opening of the Royers Lock , commenced in 1905, meant that ships drawing up to 31 feet (9.4 m) of water were able to enter the existing docks and access the new Lefèbvre and America docks. Such was the situation at the outbreak of
5544-407: The division advanced to the coast by 20 September, occupying Terneuzen and clearing the south bank of the Scheldt east toward Antwerp. It became apparent to Simonds that any further gains in the Scheldt would come at heavy cost, as the Breskens pocket, extending from Zeebrugge to the Braakman Inlet and inland to the Leopold Canal, was strongly held by the enemy. In October, Montgomery detached
5632-409: The few "land bridges". He planned to use amphibious vehicles known as " Buffaloes " to travel across the flooded countryside to outflank the German forces. Simonds planned to strike both at the Leopold canal and at the rear of the Breskens Pocket via an amphibious landing at the Braakman inlet. A two-pronged assault commenced. The Canadian 3rd Division's 7th Brigade made the initial assault across
5720-463: The first half year of 1945, the average amount of cargo discharged was around 0.5 million tons per month. After the close of the hostilities in Europe, the port was used for shipments of ammunition, vehicles, tanks and personnel to the Pacific . After the capitulation of Japan, shipments were directed to the United States. As from November 1945 the activities declined and by October 1946 all US Army operations ceased. When peace returned, work started on
5808-430: The formidable obstacle of the double line of the Leopold and Schipdonk Canals. An attack was mounted in the vicinity of Moerkerke , crossing the canals and establishing a bridgehead before counter-attacks forced a withdrawal with heavy casualties. The 1st Polish Armoured Division enjoyed greater success to the east as it advanced northeast from Ghent . In country unsuitable for armour, and against stiffening resistance,
5896-437: The issue was not the command arrangement, but rather the ability and willingness of Montgomery to obey orders, saying he had ordered him to clear the Scheldt and warned if he was unable to obey orders, he would be fired. Stung by Eisenhower's message, a chastised Montgomery promised: "You will hear no more from me on the subject of command...Antwerp top priority in all operations of 21 Army Group". On 16 October, Montgomery issued
5984-589: The majority of North Sea ports. Antwerp's docks are connected to the hinterland by rail, road, and river and canal waterways. As a result, the port of Antwerp has become one of Europe's largest seaports, ranking second behind Rotterdam by total freight shipped. Its international rankings vary from 11th to 20th ( AAPA ). In 2012, the Port of Antwerp handled 14,220 sea trade ships (190.8 million tons of cargo, 53.6% in containers), 57,044 inland barges (123.2 million tons of cargo), and offered liner services to 800 different maritime destinations. Antwerp's potential as
6072-434: The north side of the dock is operated by the joint venture between MSC and PSA international, commonly referred to as MPET. The south side of the dock is operated by DP world, the terminal is known by the name 'Antwerp Gateway'. In October 2010, the port approved a long-term investment plan, worth 1.6 billion Euros over the next 15 years. The port would improve existing facilities, and acquire land from General Motors , which
6160-539: The objective of the first phase. The Germans, reinforced by Battle Group Chill , saw the priority in holding there, controlling direct access to South Beveland and Walcheren island. There were heavy casualties as the Canadians attacked over open, flooded land. Canadian historians Terry Copp and Robert Vogel wrote: "the very name Woensdrecht sends shivers down the spines of veterans of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division". Driving rain, booby traps and land mines made advance very difficult. Attacking on 7 October in heavy mist,
6248-429: The port will be introducing (in partnership with CMB.TECH) the Hydrotug 1, the world's first hydrogen-powered tugboat. This Belgian company–related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Port of Antwerp The Port of Antwerp is the port of the city of Antwerp , Belgium . It is located in Flanders , mainly in the province of Antwerp , but also partially in East Flanders . It
6336-670: The port, such as the Bonaparte dock, are being modernized as needs dictate to make them suitable for modern cargo handling operations. Among this modernisation, an upgrade of the Amerika dock, the Albert dock and the third harbour dock are being done to make them accessible to Panamax ships, which have a draught of 42 feet (13 m). Other modernisation projects being undertaken is the Bevrijdingsdok [ nl ] (Liberation dock), formerly known as
6424-401: The problem of fighting by the river Scheldt. The Black Watch, whose officers had come from Montreal's Scottish elite, had billed itself as the most exclusive regiment in the Canadian Army. Despite this reputation, the Black Watch was considered to be a "jinxed" regiment which had had more than its fair share of misfortune. One officer of the Black Watch reported that the soldiers sent to replace
6512-507: The ridge to the west of Woensdrecht. By 16 October, Woensdrecht was secured, cutting the land link to South Beveland and Walcheren. The "Rileys" suffered losses on 16 October equal to those of the Black Watch on "Black Friday". The Canadians achieved their first objective, but had suffered heavy casualties. On 14 October, Montgomery issued "Notes on Command" that were highly critical of Eisenhower's leadership and asked he be made Land Forces commander again. The next day, Eisenhower replied that
6600-563: The river. This made it impossible for Allied minesweepers to clear the river and open the port at Antwerp. As part of the Atlantic Wall , Walcheren peninsula was described as the "strongest concentration of defences the Nazis had ever constructed. On 5 September, SHAEF 's naval commander, Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay advised the Commander of 21st Army Group , General Bernard Montgomery , to make
6688-536: The same time. The MSC Home Terminal has an annual capacity of more than 3.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). The first plans for the development of the Waaslandhaven on Antwerp's left bank were prepared in the boom years of the 1960s. At that time, it was hoped that agreement could be reached with the Dutch on the construction of the Baalhoek Canal, which would have run from Kallo in Belgium through
6776-523: The south shore of the Scheldt around the Dutch town of Breskens , called the " Breskens pocket ". The Polish 1st Armoured Division simultaneously pushed for the Dutch-Belgian border further east and the crucial area north of Antwerp. The Canadian 4th Armoured Division advanced from a hard-won bridgehead over the Ghent-Bruges Canal at Moerbrugge to find themselves the first Allied troops facing
6864-492: The successful Allied advance into Germany in 1945. Following the Allied breakout after success in the battle of Normandy , they began a series of rapid advances into the Low Countries , far from their initial avenues of supply along the northern coast of France. By the autumn of 1944, captured ports like Cherbourg were far away from the front line, stretching Allied supply lines and causing great logistical problems. Antwerp
6952-505: The tallest flare stick in Europe, the electricity pylon of powerline EA-235 at the western bank of Deurganckdok is with a height of 165.95 metres the tallest strainer in Europe. Battle of the Scheldt Luxembourg The Netherlands Belgium France Britain 1941–1943 1944–1945 Germany Strategic campaigns Chronology of the liberation The Battle of
7040-570: The time the Canadians were sent into the Battle of the Scheldt, the Wehrmacht defenders had been reinforced. The Germans staged an effective delaying action during which they flooded land areas in the Scheldt estuary and slowed the Allied advance. After five weeks of difficult fighting, the Canadian First Army, at a cost of 20,873 Allied casualties (6,367 of them Canadian), was successful in clearing
7128-586: Was a mountain division, requiring men with unusual strength and stamina in order to fight in the mountains, making it into something of an elite division within the British Army. Simonds greatly appreciated having the Lowlanders under his command and told Major-General Edmund Hakewill-Smith that the 52nd was to play the decisive role in taking Walcheren island. As such, Simonds ordered Hakewill-Smith to start preparing an amphibious operation as Simonds planned to land
7216-685: Was completely shattered; the same must happen again. After overrunning the SCHELDT fortifications, the English would finally be in a position to land great masses of material in a large and completely protected harbour. With this material they might deliver a death blow at the NORTH GERMAN plain and at BERLIN before the onset of winter...The enemy knows that he must assault the European fortress as speedily as possible before its inner lines of resistance are fully built up and occupied by new divisions. For this, he needs
7304-524: Was decided that the best place for an assault would be immediately east of where the two canals divided: a narrow strip of dry ground, only a few hundred metres wide at its base beyond the Leopold Canal (described as a long triangle with its base on the Maldegem - Aardenburg road and its apex near the village of Moershoofd some 5 km (3.1 mi) east). Despite the fact that the Ultra intelligence had revealed that
7392-663: Was deeply involved in planning the assault on Walcheren peninsula. He appointed Captain Tony Pugsley of the Royal Navy, who landed the 7th Brigade of the 3rd Canadian Division on D-Day, to the First Canadian Army headquarters to start preparations. After previously ordering the Channel ports to be cleared first, Montgomery decided the importance of Antwerp was such that the capture of Dunkirk could be delayed. The First Canadian Army, under temporary command of Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds ,
7480-478: Was done about Antwerp during September. On 12–13 September, Montgomery ordered the First Canadian Army to clear the Scheldt after taking Boulogne , Calais ( Operation Undergo ), and Dunkirk ( Siege ); General Crerar stated that this was impossible because he did not have sufficient manpower. Montgomery refused Crerar's request to have British XII Corps under General Neil Ritchie assigned to help clear
7568-507: Was held by a mixture of Kriegsmarine (German navy) and Heer (army) personnel, commanded by General Wilhelm Daser . Its garrison consisted of the 202nd Naval Coastal Artillery Battalion, 810th Naval Anti-Aircraft Battalion, 89th Fortress Regiment, and 70th Infantry Division . Additionally, as part of Operation Fortitude (the deception plan for the Normandy invasion), the Allies had tricked
7656-426: Was required. However the port could not be used until 28 November, after the estuary approaches were cleared by the Battle of the Scheldt . Walcheren was the key that allowed use of the port, located further upstream on the right bank of the southern estuary of the river. Walcheren was attacked by Canadian and British forces and on 8 November all German resistance on the island had been overrun. An agreement assigned
7744-530: Was supplemented by the British I Corps , 2nd Canadian Infantry Division , and II Canadian Corps , with the Polish 1st Armoured Division , British 49th and 52nd Divisions attached. Additionally the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division was to give up its transport to enable the movement of forces into battle positions. Montgomery promised the support of RAF Bomber Command in attacking the German fortifications and that of
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