From D-Day to V-Day
April 1945
April 30, 1945 - D-Day + 258
The British Second Army's VIII Corps expanded and reinforced the bridgehead over the Elbe at Lauenburg. The British 6th Airborne Division crossed the river and took up positions on the right flank of the British 15th Infantry Division.
more informationApril 29, 1945 - D-Day + 257
Tank units from the British Guards Armoured Division were assigned to the British Second Army's British XXX Corps, and later mopped up the Cuxhaven peninsula together with other Corps units.
more informationApril 28, 1945 - D-Day + 256
Task forces from the Canadian II Corps, currently reinforced by the 3rd Infantry Division, finished mopping up Wilhelmshaven, Emden and the peninsulas in the area.
more informationApril 27, 1945 - D-Day + 255
The command of the US XVIII Corps, at that time a part of the British Second Army, moved into Uelzen. The 82nd Airborne Division received orders to take over positions along the Elbe from the British 5th Infantry Division by April 30, 1945; rhw British division was preparing to take up positions on the bridgehead in Bleckede.
more informationApril 26, 1945 - D-Day + 254
Except a small area on the coast and at the mouth of the Ems River, the First Canadian Army’s II Canadian Corps mopped up the entire northeast section of the Netherlands. At the same time, the British Second Army’s British XXX Corps finished occupying Bremen.
more informationApril 25, 1945 - D-Day + 253
The British Second Army took over the command of the US XVIII Corps for its final advance from the Elbe to the Baltic coast. British XXX Corps forces were still embroiled in fierce fighting in Bremen.
more informationApril 24, 1945 - D-Day + 252
Divisions from the British XXX Corps continued to fight for Bremen, while the VIII Corps took up positions in the Lauenburg area on the Elbe River.
more informationApril 23, 1945 - D-Day + 251
Units from the British Second Army’s British XII entered Harburg.
more informationApril 22, 1945 - D-Day + 250
Units from the 29th Infantry and 5th Armored Divisions under the Ninth Army’s XIII Corps continued their rapid deployment to the Elbe. The 5th Armored Division’s Combat Command A advanced to the main road between Lüneburg and Dannenberg.
more informationApril 21, 1945 - D-Day + 249
The 29th Infantry Division under the Ninth Army’s XIII Corps advanced to the Gülden – Dalldorf – Solkau – Gielau – Erpansen line. While advancing towards Gaddau, the 5th Armored Division’s Combat Command A ran up against strong enemy resistance.
more informationApril 20, 1945 - D-Day + 248
Battalions from the 29th Infantry Division’s 115th and 116th Infantry Regiments under the XIII Corps advanced to the Elbe and reached the Esterholz – Schostorf – Wittigen line. The 8th Armored Division’s Combat Commands A and B mopped up the eastern edge of the Harz Mountains and occupied Heimburg and Blankenburg.
more informationApril 19, 1945 - D-Day + 247
The British Second Army, currently reinforced by the British 52nd Infantry Division, launched an attack on Bremen.
more informationApril 18, 1945 - D-Day + 246
The 5th Canadian Armored Division under the First Canadian Army’s I Canadian Corps advanced to the Zuiderzee and cut off German units located in the area. At the same time, the 4th Canadian Armored Division engaged in fighting in the area southwest of Oldenburg.
more informationApril 17, 1945 - D-Day + 245
Units from the 1st Canadian Infantry Division under the First Canadian Army’s I Canadian Corps occupied Apeldoorn. At that same moment, the 5th Canadian Armored Division cut off the highway between Amersfoot and Apeldoorn while advancing through Barneveld to the Zuiderzee.
more informationApril 16, 1945 - D-Day + 244
Forces from the First Canadian Army’s I Canadian Corps occupied Leeuwarden and Groningen.
more informationApril 15, 1945 - D-Day + 243
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April 14, 1945 - D-Day + 242
The First Canadian Army’s I Canadian Corps mopped up Arnhem and approached Apeldoorn, while the II Canadian Corps occupied Zwolle and headed northwards to Meppel.
more informationApril 13, 1945 - D-Day + 241
Forces from the First Canadian Army’s I Canadian Corps continued to fight for Arnhem, while the 1st Canadian Infantry Division attacked Apeldoorn.
more informationApril 12, 1945 - D-Day + 240
Six months after Operation Market Garden, an attempt to speed up the end of the war that instead left hundreds of British and Polish paratroopers dead, troops from the First Canadian Army’s I Canadian Corps attacked Arnhem. The British 49th Infantry Division crossed the Ijssel River near Westervoort.
more informationApril 11, 1945 - D-Day + 239
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April 10, 1945 - D-Day + 238
The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division under the First Canadian Army’s II Canadian Corps occupied Deventer and continued northwards towards Leeuwarden, while the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division advanced to Groningen and the 4th Canadian Armored Division headed out towards Sögel and Lindern.
more informationApril 9, 1945 - D-Day + 237
The Guards Armored Division under the British Second Army’s British XXX Corps took up positions near Fuerstenau, while the British 43rd Infantry Division crossed the Hase River. The British 7th Armored Division under the British XII Corps advanced to the Weser River near Hoya and started to build a bridgehead.
more informationApril 8, 1945 - D-Day + 236
The 4th Canadian Armored Division under the First Canadian Army’s II Canadian Corps crossed the Ems River between Meppen and Lathen, and headed towards Oldenburg. The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division occupied Zutphen and pushed towards Deventer. The Polish 1st Armored Division was assigned to the Corps.
more informationApril 7, 1945 - D-Day + 235
Units from the British 6th Airborne Division and 11th Armored Division under the British Second Army’s British VIII Corps crossed the Weser River in Minden and Stolzenau, secured a bridgehead and started to advance to the Leine River.
more informationApril 6, 1945 - D-Day + 234
The Guards Armoured Division under the British Second Army’s British XXX Corps advanced out of Lingen towards Bremen. At that time, XII Corps units had finished mopping up the sector near Rheine.
more informationApril 5, 1945 - D-Day + 233
The First Canadian Army’s I Canadian Corps mopped up the sector between Nijmegen and the Lower Rhine in the course of the day. Meanwhile, the II Canadian Corps built a bridgehead on the Twenthe Canal east of the Ijssel River, and conquered Almelo.
more informationApril 4, 1945 - D-Day + 232
Not far from Lingen, the British Second Army’s British XXX Corps built a bridgehead on the Dortmund – Ems Canal. Part of the British 6th Airborne Division under the VIII Corps entered Osnabrück. The rest of the division went around the city and headed toward Minden, located on the Weser River.
more informationApril 3, 1945 - D-Day + 231
The British Guards Armoured Division under the British Second Army’s British XXX Corps advanced to the Dortmund – Ems Canal in the Lingen region while the British 52nd Infantry Division under the XII Corps mopped up Rheine. Units from the British VIII Corps continued towards Osnabrück.
more informationApril 2, 1945 - D-Day + 230
The British 49th Infantry Division under the First Canadian Army’s I Canadian Corps launched an attack on Arnheim in the Nijmegen area. For now, the II Canadian Corps advanced toward Doesburg and Zutphen.
more informationApril 1, 1945 - D-Day + 299
It was the start of April, the last full month of World War II in Europe. Throughout March 1945, the Allies on the western front made a final and decisive crossing of the Rhine and advanced to the German interior.
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