Battle of the Scheldt from Amsterdam

After a 2 hours drive from Amsterdam we arrive in Woensdrecht. Here we visit the monument of Black Friday and Black Monday commemorating the bitter fighting of the Canadians against German Fallschirmjäger for the entrance to Zuid-Beveland. A Sherman tank bears witness.

In a local pub on the place of the attack of the Black Watch of Canada the guide will explain the background of the Battle of the Scheldt while you enjoy your tea or coffee

The museum is dedicated to the remembrance of World War 2 in Zeeland. A large section is devoted to the Battle of the Scheldt in 1944. You can take lunch here as well. Do not miss the LVT-4 Buffalo that was a game changer in the Battle.

At the end of the Sloe Causeway we visit the monument to the 5 Canadian attacks that were necessary to gain access to Walcheren Island and to support the landings of the British at Vlissingen and Westkapelle.

The Germans had turned Walcheren into a fortress that controlled the Scheldt. Walcheren had to be taken to gain access to the harbor of Antwerp. The last attack was successful also due to Operation Mallard: the crossing of the Sloe wetlands with canvas boats and walking through te mud. On our way to the Liberation Museum Zeeland your guide will indicate where Operation Mallard started.

The windmill at Vlissingen guided in the Landing Craft Assault (LCA) of 4th Commando and units of the 52nd Lowland Division landing here at Uncle Beach. This Operation was called Infatuate I. After the initial surprise the German put up a sturdy defense that took days to break. At the landing spot there is a monument. Next to the Windmill we see a German bunker that defended the beach. Beyond the Wind mill is a glass house for a German Biber midget submarine. Enjoy the view on the ships sailing by and the town of Breskens on the Southern bank of the Scheldt that was the start point of the landings

Behind an anti tank canal we find German bunkers that were used to defend Vlissingen against land attacks. You can visit a bunker and climb into the MG ring stands or "Tobruk". Walcheren was flooded by bombing the dikes rendering these positions useless

On the Dyke we have beautiful views of the typical orange rooftiles of a Zeeland village. Behind the old 15th century lighthouse we can see the high dunes that housed the German Coastal batteries. A visit to the Polderhuis is not included in the program, but it is an alternate if Liberation Museum is closed.

It was here that 4th Special Service Brigade landed in Buffalo's that were launched from Landing Craft Tank. The first group sailed through the gap that resulted from the bombing of the dyke. After the war the dyke was closed using Phoenix caissons that were used in Normandy. A Sherman tank is the centre of the monument of the landings.

The polderhouse museum is an alternate visit on days that the Liberation Museum Zeeland is closed. At least we can go in a landing craft that sits for some atmosphere

We drive back across the Deltaworks that were built after the big flood of 1953 now 70 years ago.

First we cross the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier then the Brouwersdam and the Haringvlietdam. The scenic route takes us through the human shaped delta landscape through the Rotterdam Harbor area back to your hotel. The drive back to Amsterdam will be about 2,5 hours.