War & Resistance museum Overloon, Netherlands

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The National War and Resistance Museum consists of a 35-acre park, which is the very location of one of the fiercest tank battles of World War II. Here, an American Armored Division (7th) and the British Infantry met with stubborn resistance of the Germans and fought for 20 days in 1944. More than 300 tanks from both sides were destroyed in the battle and the town was completely shattered.Visitors can wander through the park and will encounter tanks, planes, guns, antitank devices and many other remnants of World War II. A large building houses the documentation museum, which consists of 17 rooms outlining the history of the war.

HISTORY
For more than four years, the village of Overloon escaped the consequences of the Second World War. However on September 26 1944, the frontline reached this village in the swampy Peel. The narrow strip of land between Eindhoven and Arnhem that had been liberated during Operation Market Garden was being extended slowly but surely. The Germans had entrenched themselves in order to halt the allies. The adversaries bombarded each other's position for the first four days.
On September 30, the allies launched their attack with the help of the 7th American Tank Squadron. This was the start of one of the fiercest battles that took place in Western Europe. The American Sherman Tanks tried to breach the German defenses. They were stopped by German mines, field artillery and Panther and Tiger tanks. On October 8, the exhausted Americans retreated from the battlefield to be relieved by the British.
After a few days of relative peace, a new assault was launched. The area around Overloon had been turned into a huge quagmire, which meant that the British tanks were unable to do much. The difficult task of breaking the German resistance was left to the infantry. Within one and a half hours, the Allies pounded the German positions with heavy artillery fire and air raids. More than 100,000 grenades exploded around the Germans. Once Overloon had been reduced to rubble, the British started their advance.
The British advance through the woods was extremely dangerous. German snipers had bound themselves to trees so that they could continue fighting for as long as possible. There was no question of surrender. When the Germans ran out of ammunition, they attacked the enemy with bayonets.
At 4.15 p.m. on October 14, the last German stronghold fell in the village of Overloon. Nevertheless, the German resistance had not yet been broken. The Germans re-deployed in the forest between Overloon and Venray. The British gained ground - under dreadful weather conditions - only very slowly. The biggest drama was to ensue near a stream called the Molenbeek. The Germans were able to hold off a strike to the bridge for some time, but eventually the tanks that were crossing became lodged. Under a barrage of deadly machine-gun fire, the British tried to reach the opposite bank over the bridge and through the water. The river was stained red with their blood and was therefore nicknamed 'Bloedbeek' or River of Blood. However, on the evening of October 16, huge numbers succeeded in crossing the bridge. Venray was recaptured three days later. The great battle was finally brought to a conclusion.

OVERLOON IN RUINS
The Allies had not come up against such hostile opposition since June, on the beaches of Normandy. Their losses included three aircraft, some forty tanks and 1,878 men. The Germans lost about 600 men and a number of tanks. Harry van Daal, a citizen of Overloon, was so shocked by the events that had taken place, that he proposed preserving part of the battlefield and erecting a museum on it as a monument. On May 25,1946, General Whistler, the commanding officer of the British troops who recaptured Overloon, officially opened the museum. The museum and the 35- acre park, which were once the scene of one of the fiercest battles of the Second World War, became a permanent reminder of the horrors of war.

Source: www.holland.com/uk/ - all rights reserved

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