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Operation Blackcock
Part of theWestern Front of theSecond World War
Dispositions in the Roer Triangle, January 1945.
Date 13–27 January 1945 Location Limburg (Netherlands) andHeinsberg (Germany) Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom Canada	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Neil Ritchie Lewis Lyne Ivor Thomas Edmund Hakewill-Smith	Günther Blumentritt Christian-Johannes Landau Wolfgang Lange Friedrich Hübner
Units involved
XII Corps 7th Armoured Division 8th Armoured Brigade 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division	XII SS Corps 176th Infantry Division 183rd Volksgrenadier-Division Fallschirmjäger Regiment Hübner
Strength
1 armoured division 1 armoured brigade 2 infantry divisions	2 infantry divisions 2 paratroop regiments 1 heavy panzer battalion
Casualties and losses
1,152 casualties 20 tanks destroyed 23 tanks broken down 4 aircraft destroyed 2 aircraft crashed	2,000 casualties

Operation Blackcock was anoperation to clearGerman troops from theRoer Triangle, formed by the towns ofRoermond andSittard in theNetherlands andHeinsberg inGermany during the fighting on theWestern Front in theSecond World War. It was conducted by theBritish Second Army between 13 and 26 January 1945. The objective was to drive theGerman 15th Army back across the riversRoer andWurm and move the frontline further into Germany. The operation was carried out byLieutenant-GeneralNeil Ritchie'sXII Corps by three divisions: the7th Armoured Division (Major-GeneralLewis Lyne), the43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division (Major-GeneralIvor Thomas) and the52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division (Major-GeneralEdmund Hakewill-Smith). The operation, named after the Scottish maleblack grouse, is relatively unknown.^[1]

By the end of 1944, the front line inDutch Limburg was stable along several natural barriers. The most difficult to cross was theRiver Maas, running along the Dutch–Belgian border. The next barrier was theRiver Roer, running from the German Eifel area through Heinsberg towards Roermond, where it joins the Maas. From Heinsberg, southwards theSiegfried Line or 'West Wall' was formed along the banks of the Rur. Dutch South-Limburg was already liberated in September by theFirst US Army but the area above the Sittard–Geilenkirchen line was still in German hands. Here, the front had settled along the "Saefeller Beek", a small creek that also seemed difficult to pass.

These terrain obstacles were called the Roermond Triangle, which protruded into the front like a bulge. After the German offensive in the Ardennes (theBattle of the Bulge), the Allies withdrew troops to stop the German advance in the First US Army sector.XII Corps of theSecond Army, guarded the front north of Sittard for the US Army. The Maas front was held by theVIII Corps. XII Corps was facing theXII SS Corps (Günther Blumentritt) that had two infantry divisions present along the front between Geilenkirchen and Roermond. In the Roermond area these divisions were strengthened by theFallschirmjäger-Regiment Hübner.

The clearing of the Roer Triangle was planned along three axes. The left axis, formed by the7th Armoured Division, was aimed at capturing the bridge across the Roer in Sint Odiliënberg (51°8′55.9″N6°0′12.6″E / 51.148861°N 6.003500°E /51.148861; 6.003500 (Sint Odiliënberg)). For the 7th Armoured Division, the operation would start with bridging the creeks south of Susteren. The centre axis, formed by the52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division, was aimed at the capture of Heinsberg. A break-through at the German defence line was to be undertaken near Hongen to open the road between Sittard and Heinsberg. The right axis, formed by the43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, was aimed at clearing the area south-east of Dremmen. This axis would use the break in the German defence line that was to be created by the Lowland Division.

The Battle for the Dutch village ofSint Joost was a turning point in Operation Blackcock. After four days of fighting, the Germans knew that the armoured division that was facing them relied on the roads to manoeuvre their vehicles, due to poor winter conditions. The small village of Sint Joost was on the route of the 7th Armoured Division advance north towardsMontfort. On 20 January, the 7th Armoured Division launched a first attack on the (assumed) two German companies of the 2nd BattalionFallschirmjäger Regiment Hübner in Sint Joost. It took four attacks to clear the village, the final assault taking place on Sunday, 21 January. SixtyFallschirmjäger were taken prisoner.

The 9thDurham Light Infantry and 1st Rifle Brigade suffered many losses in Sint Joost. The DLI suffered 33 casualties, of which eight were killed in action.The Rifle Brigade counted 34 casualties, of which three men from 1 Company were killed in action. More than one hundred German soldiers were killed. German paratroopers who were not killed only left the cellars under civilian cover, afraid that they would be shot by the victors. Hübner had lost one company and a second had been nearly destroyed.^{[citation needed][dubious –discuss]}

Between Friday evening on 19 January and Tuesday 23 January the Dutch village of Montfort was shelled or bombed on seven occasions. The village was hit by more than 100 bombs most falling in the centre of the village, damaging most of the 250 houses. The Germans sheltered in the cellars among the civilians and in the wooded areas just outside the village. The bombing raids that struck Montfort on 21 and 22 January were carried out by the canadian143 Wing of83 (Composite) Group in the2nd Tactical Air Force. The wing consisted of438 Squadron,439 Squadron and440 Squadron, based at Eindhoven. The squadrons were equipped with theHawker Typhoon 1B fighter bomber. The wing lost six aircraft during Operation Blackcock, two of which crashed in Montfort. When Montfort was finally liberated on 24 January, 186 civilians had been killed.

The operation was a success for the Allies since all its objectives were met. The German divisions were forced out of the Roer Triangle except for the area immediately south of Roermond, where Hübner's paratroopers stayed in control.

Once Blackcock was complete, the plans for the capture of theRhineland could commence.Operation Veritable, by theFirst Canadian Army, was launched on the 8 February to break through the German defences in theKlever Reichswald, about 60 km (37 mi) north of the Roer Triangle.Operation Grenade, the southern part of the pincer movement, by theNinth US Army (GeneralWilliam Simpson) was launched on 23 February. The Ninth US Army crossed the river Roer south of Heinsberg in the early hours of 23 February 1945. Twelve hours later Simpson had 16 battalions on the east bank, together with seven heavy bridges and several light assault bridges. American losses were light on the first day and 700 prisoners were taken. A task force was formed byXVI Corps which rushed towards Venlo to meet the British in the north. On 1 MarchRoermond was captured by the reconnaissance troop of the35th Infantry Division unopposed.

The 52nd (Lowland) Division suffered 752 casualties, of whom 101 were killed and 258 soldiers were relieved because of sickness, most due to adverse weather. The 7th Armoured Division suffered just over 400 casualties; twenty tanks were knocked out and 23 broke down. Of the knocked-out tanks ten were write-offs. German casualties was approximately 2,000 men. During the operation, 490 prisoners were taken by the 7th Armoured Division, amongst them six officers. The 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division took more than 1,200 prisoners and the 43rd (Wessex) Division took about 400 prisoners.

• Posthumous, FusilierDennis Donnini of the 4/5Royal Scots Fusiliers, 52nd Lowland Division, is buried at the Sittard War Cemetery (Netherlands).
• Posthumous, Lance CorporalHenry Eric Harden of theRoyal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), attached to45 Commando, is buried atNederweert War Cemetery (Netherlands).

• Buckley, J. (2014) [2013].Monty's Men: The British Army and the Liberation of Europe (pbk. ed.). London: Yale University Press.ISBN 978-0-300-20534-3.
• Cooper, Matthew (1978).The German Army 1939–1945: Its Political and Military Failure. New York: Stein & Day.ISBN 978-0-8128-2468-1.
• Copp, Terry (2006).Cinderella Army: The Canadians in Northwest Europe, 1944–1945. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.ISBN 978-0-80-203925-5.
• Ellis, L. F.; Allen, G. R. G.; Warhurst, A. E.; Robb, J. (2004) [1968].Butler, J. R. M. (ed.).Victory in the West: The Defeat of Germany. History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series. Vol. II (facs. pbk. repr. Naval & Military Press, Uckfield ed.). London: HMSO.ISBN 1-845740-59-9.
• Forrester, C. (2018) [2015].Monty's Functional Doctrine. Combined Arms Doctrine in British 21st Army Group in Northwest Europe 1944–45. Wolverhampton military studies (pbk. repr. ed.). Warwick: Helion.ISBN 978-1-912174-77-5.

• British Report about Operation Blackcock (PDF, 74 pages)

• Western Allied invasion of Germany
• Land battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom
• January 1945 in Europe
• 1945 in the Netherlands

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