Operation Veritable - Terrain

Terrain

The allied advance was from Groesbeek (captured during Operation Market Garden) eastwards to Kleve and Goch, turning south eastwards along the Rhine to Xanten and the US advance. The whole battle area was between the Rhine and Maas rivers, initially through the Reichswald and then across rolling agricultural country.

The Reichswald is a forested area close to the Dutch-German border. To the north there is a flood plain, two or three miles wide, bordering the Rhine (which, at the time of the operation, had been allowed to flood after a wet winter) and to the south another plain bordering the Maas. The Reichswald ridge is a glacial remnant which, when wet, easily turns to mud and at the time of the operation, the ground had thawed and was largely unsuitable for wheeled or tracked vehicles.

Routes through the forest were a problem for the allies, during their advance through the forest and for later supply and reinforcements. The only main roads passed to the north (Nijmegen to Kleve) and south (Mook to Goch) of the forest and no east-west metalled route passed through it. There were two north-south routes: Kranenburg to Hekkens (between two and five kilometres behind the German frontline) and Kleve to Goch, along the eastern edge of the Reichswald. The lack of suitable roads was made worse by the wet ground conditions and the deliberate flooding of the flood plains, which necessitated the use of amphibious vehicles. The few good roads were rapidly damaged and broken up by the constant heavy traffic that they had to carry during the assaults.

The Germans had built three defence lines. The first was from Wyler to the Maas along the western edge of the Reichswald, manned by the 84th Division and the 1st Parachute Regiment. The second, beyond the forest, was Rees, Kleve, Goch and the third ran from Rees, through the Hochwald to Geldern.