The Forgotten Battle — Netherlands
November 1944 — Allied forces assault the fortified island of Walcheren to open the port of Antwerp to supply ships.
The RAF deliberately bombed Walcheren's sea dikes, flooding 80% of the island to neutralise German defences. The amphibious assault on November 1, 1944 was one of the most difficult operations of the Northwest Europe campaign. Antwerp's port, captured intact in September 1944, could not be used until the Scheldt estuary was cleared — a strategic failure that prolonged the war.