Steel Through the Hochwald: The Dragoons’ Drive in Operation Blockbuster
Steel Through the Hochwald: The Dragoons’ Drive in Operation Blockbuster During the grim final winter of World War II, the Hochwald forest became a crucible of fire and mud. On March 2, 1945, the General Motors T17E1 Staghound armoured cars of “A” Squadron, 12th Manitoba Dragoons, rolled into this maelstrom as part of Operation Blockbuster—a Canadian-led offensive designed to shatter the German defensive line in the Rhineland’s last bastion. The goal of the Canadian/British combined force was to capture the Hochswald Gap and then advance to capture Xanten. The image captures not just machines of war, but the resolve of men who braved shellfire and sodden terrain to force a breakthrough in one of the war’s most punishing battles. The Battle of the Hochwald Gap took place at the Hochwald Gap, a narrow corridor flanked by dense woods and fortified positions near Xanten, which was the key to unlocking Germany’s western defences. The First Canadian Army, having been reinforced by Brit...