Wissant The 7th Canadian Brigade had sealed off Calais in early September and the
Regina Rifles captured the coastal town of
Wissant, isolating the Cap Gris Nez batteries from Calais and took with its four guns. This success prompted Spry to attack Cap Gris Nez with two battalions but the attempt failed and the area was left for later.
Calais The 7th and 8th Canadian Infantry Brigades opened their attack on Calais and its western coastal defences at on 25 September after a day's delay, following preparatory air and artillery bombardments. The were to advance through Escalles, taking Cap Blanc Nez and link up near
Sangatte with the
North Shore Regiment. The North Shores had the difficult task of taking the fortified Noires Mottes, high ground near Sangatte and the site of . To shield Canadian activity around Cap Blanc Nez and Calais from observation and interference from the batteries at Cap Gris Nez, a large smoke screen was established along a line inland from Wissant, for five days. The capture of Cap Blanc Nez proved to be unexpectedly easy. As soon as the Chaudières' assault reached the first defences, the garrison offered to surrender. This was completed just two hours later, most defenders reportedly being dead drunk. The North Shores' attack on Noires Mottes was supported by
flail tanks from the
79th Armoured Division and gunfire from the
10th Armoured Regiment on the approach through minefields and by Crocodiles to reduce fortifications. Early attempts by small groups of Germans to surrender were discouraged when they were shot down by their own side. The advance was held up by the defenders and bomb craters that obstructed the Crocodiles before nightfall. Negotiations were opened with the help of German prisoners and the Noires Mottes garrison surrendered at first light on the following morning, 26 September. A formidable defensive position and nearly 300 prisoners had been captured cheaply; the Sangatte battery was also surrendered. Examination of the forts showed that they had been extensively booby-trapped. The early success of the 8th Canadian Brigade had captured ground that overlooked the attack front of the 7th Canadian Brigade, which greatly helped the attacks on the Belle Vue Ridge and Coquelles. The 1st
Canadian Scottish, the Regina Rifles and the
Royal Montreal Regiment were to attack through the Belle Vue fortifications to the seafront just east of Sangatte. At first, following closely the creeping artillery barrage, the Canadians overran the first defences. Much had been missed by the bombardment and the Reginas suffered many casualties until the reserves, the Canadian Scots and flame-throwing Crocodiles overcame the defenders. The 8th Canadian Brigade reached Sangatte on the morning of 26 September, with its objectives complete, it was transferred to the eastern side, relieved the Camerons and applied pressure from another direction. at
St Margaret's at Cliffe near
Dover The next stages would be the 7th Canadian Brigade advance through Coquelles and flooded ground to
Fort Nieulay and a frontal attack on Calais by the Regina Rifles, following a railway by boat across more flooded ground to the south-west of the city's factory area. These advances were difficult, the defenders held their ground and had to be overrun step-by-step. The Canadian Scots were ordered to make a night attack along the coast to
Fort Lapin. On 27 September, the Canadians withdrew temporarily during an attack by
heavy bombers on German strongpoints. Fort Lapin fell only after further air attacks and support from tanks and flame-throwing tanks. The
Royal Winnipeg Rifles, again assisted by flame-throwing tanks, captured Fort Nieulay and the Reginas reached their immediate target, the factory district. Further advances were made by the 7th Canadian Brigade on 28 September but two companies of the Canadian Scots, having crossed the canal protecting Calais' western side, were pinned down and cut off until the truce. Plans were in hand for further crossings into the city when Schroeder requested that Calais be declared an
open city. This was rejected as a delaying tactic but a truce was agreed on 29 September to allow the safe evacuation of 20,000 civilians. Plans were laid for an attack on Calais supported by more air attacks as soon as the truce expired at noon on 30 September. The Canadians attacked immediately after the truce expired, despite German attempts to surrender; Crerar said that "the Hun, if they wished to quit, could march out with their hands up, without arms, and flying white flags in the normal manner". Schroeder had ordered the garrison to cease resistance and the 7th Canadian Brigade, entering from the west, met no opposition, German troops surrendering everywhere. It required a Canadian officer, Lt Colonel P. C. Klaehn (C.O. of the Cameron Highlanders), at some personal risk, to enter Calais during an artillery bombardment to accept the formal surrender. Schroeder left Calais at and went into captivity.
Cap Gris Nez The first attempt by elements of the 7th Canadian Brigade to take Cap Gris Nez from 16 to 17 September failed; the brigade was redeployed for its role at Calais and it was replaced by the 7th Reconnaissance Regiment until a stronger force was available. The 9th Canadian Brigade, with armoured support from the
1st Hussars (6th Armoured Regiment) and flail tanks, Churchill Crocodiles and
Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE) from the 79th Armoured Division, was deployed to Cap Gris Nez to take the three remaining heavy batteries. On the right, the
Highland Light Infantry of Canada (HLI) would attack the two northern batteries, at
Floringzelle and about south-east of Cap Gris Nez. On the left, the
North Nova Scotia Highlanders (NNS) faced at
Haringzelles, south of . On the landward side, the guns were protected by minefields, barbed wire, blockhouses and anti-tank positions. The infantry were preceded by attacks by 532 aircraft from
RAF Bomber Command on 26 September and by 302 bombers on 28 September. Although these probably weakened the defences as well as the defenders' will to fight, cratering of the ground impeded the use of armour, causing tanks to bog down. Accurate shooting by
Winnie and
Pooh, British heavy guns at Dover, disabled . The battery had fired inland and caused some casualties among the British artillery assembled inland of Wissant, despite the smokescreen. On 29 September, artillery opened fire at and the infantry attack began after ten minutes behind a
creeping barrage that kept the defenders under cover. The Germans readily surrendered once the attackers were among them. The HLI had captured by fewer than three hours from H-Hour and was taken during the afternoon. The NNS encountered even less resistance, reaching the gun houses without opposition. The concrete walls were impervious even to AVRE
petard mortars but their noise and concussion, along with
hand grenades thrown into embrasures, induced the German gunners to surrender by mid-morning. The NNS continued on to capture the local German headquarters at
Cran-aux-Oeufs. Despite the impressive German fortifications, the defenders refused to fight on and the operation was concluded at relatively low cost in casualties. == Aftermath ==