Germany
The 11th Armoured was held in reserve until 28 March, when it crossed the Rhine at Wesel, heading for the river Weser. Despite sporadic pockets of resistance, it reached Gescher on the evening of 30 March. 3rd RTR arrived at the river Ems in Emsdetten; they then reached the Dortmund-Ems canal the following day.
After crossing the canal on 1 April, the 11th Armoured approached Ibbenburen and was heavily engaged on the Teutoburger Wald heights. The villages of Brochterbeck & Tecklenberg were captured, albeit at a high price. Further east, the wooded hills were defended by companies of NCOs, who savagely counter-attacked the 3rd Monmouthshires. Later, the intervention of the 131st Infantry Brigade (7th Armoured Division) made it possible to overcome their opposition, but 3rd Monmouthshire, already weakened during previous campaigns, had to be replaced by 1st Cheshires.
Divisional units continued toward the Osnabrück canal. After crossing via a captured bridge, it moved towards the Weser, reached by leading elements near Stolzenau on 5 April. A week later, the 11th Armoured liberated the concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen. A local agreement with German commanders made it possible to declare the neighbourhood of the camp an open area, and the fighting moved northeast. The Division reached the river Elbe near Lüneburg on 18 April.
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