John Wilmot
This month's airborne operation is about the German attack in the Ardennes. The Ardennes Forest is an area of rolling hills where Belgium, France and Luxembourg meet. In 1944 it was also the dividing line between the British forces in the north and the American forces in the south.
In the last days of 1944, Hitler demanded a final German offensive. The goal of the offensive was the Belgian port of Antwerp. To reach it, the German army would push through the Ardennes in an attempt to split the American and British forces. More...
Canadian Airborne OperationsThese are stories about Canadian Operations;
British Airborne OperationsThese are stories about British Operations;
German Airborne OperationsThese are stories about German Operations;
American Airborne OperationsThese are stories about American Operations;
In March 1945 the Allied Forces were approaching the German frontier. The final phase of World War II would begin with the crossing of the Rhine River into Germany. To support the crossing and ensure its success the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, as part of the 6th Airborne Division, made a daylight jump to seize and hold a wooded area which overlooked the part of the Rhine where the main assault would take place and to prevent enemy reinforcements from reaching the river from the east of Wesel. More...