((Short description|WWII military operation))
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((multiple issues|
((more footnotes|date=September 2013))
((more citations needed|date=September 2013))((One source|date=January 2024))
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((Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Operation Blackcock
| partof            = the [[Western Front (World War II)|Western Front]] of the [[Second World War]]
| image             = Roer Triangle Map.jpg
| image_size        = 300px
| caption           = Dispositions in the Roer Triangle, January 1945.
| date              = 13–27 January 1945
| place             = [[Limburg (Netherlands)]] and [[Heinsberg|Heinsberg (Germany)]]
| result            = British victory
| combatant1        = ((flag|United Kingdom))<br>((flag|Canada|1921))
| combatant2        = ((flagcountry|Nazi Germany))
| commander1        = '''((flagicon|United Kingdom)) [[Neil Ritchie]]'''<br>((flagicon|United Kingdom)) [[Lewis Lyne]]<br>((flagicon|United Kingdom)) [[Ivor Thomas (British Army officer)|Ivor Thomas]]<br>((flagicon|United Kingdom)) [[Edmund Hakewill-Smith|E. Hakewill-Smith]]
| commander2        = '''((flagicon|Nazi Germany)) [[Günther Blumentritt]]'''<br>((flagicon|Nazi Germany)) [[Christian-Johannes Landau|C.J. Landau]]<br>((flagicon|Nazi Germany)) [[Wolfgang Lange (general)|Wolfgang Lange]]<br>((flagicon|Nazi Germany)) [[Friedrich Hübner]]
| units1            = ((flagicon|United Kingdom|army)) [[XII Corps (United Kingdom)|XII Corps]]
* [[7th Armoured Division (United Kingdom)|7th Armoured Division]]
*[[8th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)|8th Armoured Brigade]]
* [[43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division|43rd Infantry Division]]
* [[52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division|52nd Infantry Division]]
| units2            = ((flagicon image|Flag Schutzstaffel.svg|px.23)) [[XII SS Corps]]
* [[176th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|176th Infantry Division]]
* [[183rd Volksgrenadier Division (Wehrmacht)|183rd Volksgrenadier-Division]]
((flagicon|Nazi Germany|army)) Fallschirmjäger<br>[[Fallschirmjäger-Regiment Hübner|Regiment Hübner]]
| strength1         = 1 armoured division<br>2 infantry divisions<br>1 commando brigade
| strength2         = 2 infantry divisions<br>2 paratroop regiments<br>1 heavy panzer battalion
| casualties1       = 1,152 casualties<br>20 tanks destroyed<br>23 tanks broken down<br>4 aircraft destroyed<br>2 aircraft crashed
| casualties2       = 2,000 casualties
| casualties3       = 
| campaignbox       = ((Campaignbox Western Europe (1944-1945)))((Campaignbox Liberation of the Netherlands))((Campaignbox Central Europe))
))

'''Operation Blackcock''' was an [[Military operation|operation]] to clear [[German Army (Wehrmacht)|German troops]] from the [[Roer Triangle]], formed by the towns of [[Roermond]] and [[Sittard]] in the [[Netherlands]] and [[Heinsberg]] in [[Germany]] during the fighting on the [[Western Front (World War II)|Western Front]] in the [[World War II|Second World War]]. It was conducted by the [[Second Army (United Kingdom)|British Second Army]] between 13 and 26 January 1945. The objective was to drive the [[15th Army (Wehrmacht)|German 15th Army]] back across the rivers [[Roer]] and [[Wurm]] and move the frontline further into Germany. The operation was carried out by [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-General]] [[Neil Ritchie]]'s [[XII Corps (United Kingdom)|XII Corps]] by three divisions: the [[7th Armoured Division (United Kingdom)|7th Armoured Division]] ([[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] [[Lewis Lyne]]), the [[43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division]] (Major-General [[Ivor Thomas (British Army officer)|Ivor Thomas]]) and the [[52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division]] (Major-General [[Edmund Hakewill-Smith]]). The operation, named after the Scottish male [[black grouse]], is relatively unknown.<ref>[http://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p4013coll8/id/87/rec/16 British Report about Operation Blackcock (PDF, 74 pages)]</ref>

==Dispositions along the Roer Front==
By the end of 1944, the frontline in [[Limburg (Netherlands)|Dutch Limburg]] was stable along several natural barriers. The most difficult barrier to cross was the [[River Maas]] running along the Dutch–Belgian border. The next barrier was the [[River Roer]], running from the German Eifel area through Heinsberg towards Roermond, where it joins the Maas. From Heinsberg, southwards the [[Siegfried Line]] or 'West Wall' was formed along the banks of the Rur. Dutch South-Limburg was already liberated in September by the First United States Army, but the area above the Sittard–[[Geilenkirchen]] line was still in German hands. Here, the front had settled along the "Saefeller Beek", a small creek that also seemed difficult to surpass. These obstacles formed a triangular area, referred to as the Roermond Triangle, which protruded into the frontline like a bulge. As a result of the German offensive in the Ardennes (the [[Battle of the Bulge]]), the Allies withdrew resources to stop the German advance in the [[US First Army|American First Army]]'s sector. Therefore, the British Second Army's XII Corps guarded the frontline north of Sittard for the US Army. The Maas front was guarded by the [[VIII Corps (United Kingdom)|British VIII Corps]].

The British XII Corps was facing the German XII SS Corps, commanded by [[Günther Blumentritt]], which had two infantry divisions present along the frontline between Geilenkirchen and Roermond. In the Roermond area these divisions were strengthened by the ''[[Fallschirmjäger-Regiment Hübner]]''.

==''Blackcock''==
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Attack on Sint Joost.jpg|thumb|Churchill Crocodile tank in support of the Rifle Brigade during the first attack on the village. Many of the houses in Sint Joost were destroyed by these flamethrowing tanks]] -->
The clearing of the Roer Triangle was planned along three axes. The left axis, formed by the 7th Armoured Division, was aimed at capturing the bridge across the Roer in Sint Odiliënberg (((coord|51|8|55.9|N|6|0|12.6|E|name=Sint Odiliënberg|display=inline))). For the 7th Armoured Division, the operation would start with bridging the creeks south of Susteren. The centre axis, formed by the 52nd Infantry Division, was aimed at the capture of Heinsberg. In order to do this, a break-through at the German defence line was to be undertaken near Hongen in order to open the road between Sittard and Heinsberg for moving troops. The right axis, formed by the 43rd Infantry Division, was aimed at clearing the area south-east of Dremmen. This axis would use the break in the German defence line that was to be created by the Lowland Division.

===VC Actions===
The [[Victoria Cross]] was awarded twice, both posthumously, for actions during Operation Blackcock.
* Fusilier [[Dennis Donnini]] of the 4/5 [[Royal Scots Fusiliers]], 52nd Lowland Division, received the VC after his heroic actions in the village of Stein in [[Selfkant]] on 18 January. Fusilier Donnini is buried at the Sittard War Cemetery (Netherlands).
* Lance Corporal [[Henry Eric Harden]] of the [[Royal Army Medical Corps]] (RAMC), a medical orderly attached to [[British No. 45 Commando|45 Commando]], was awarded the VC for his heroic action during the bitter fighting at the Dutch villages of Brachterbeek and Linne on 23 January. Lance Corporal Harden is buried at [[Nederweert]] War Cemetery (Netherlands).

===Hübner's defeat at Sint Joost===
The Battle for the Dutch village of [[Sint Joost]] was a turning point in Operation Blackcock. After four days of fighting, the Germans knew that the armoured division that was facing them relied heavily on the roads to manoeuvre their vehicles, especially due to poor winter conditions. The small village of Sint Joost was on the route of the 7th Armoured Division's drive north towards [[Montfort, Netherlands|Montfort]].

On 20 January, infantry and cavalry units of the Desert Rats launched a first attack on the (assumed) two German companies of the 2nd Battalion ''Fallschirmjäger Regiment Hübner'' in Sint Joost. It took four attacks to clear the village, the final assault taking place on Sunday, the 21 January.
[[File:The Campaign in North West Europe 1944-45 B13712.jpg|thumb|180px|Soldier firing on German positions during 12th Corp's offensive north of Sittard, 16 January 1945]]

In total, sixty ''[[Fallschirmjäger (World War II)|Fallschirmjäger]]'' were taken prisoner. The 9th [[Durham Light Infantry]] and 1st Rifle Brigade suffered heavy losses in [[Sint Joost]]. The DLI suffered 33 casualties, of which eight were killed in action. [[The Rifle Brigade]] counted 34 casualties, of which three men from I Company were killed in action. More than one hundred German soldiers died. German paratroopers who were not killed only left the cellars under civilian cover, afraid that they would be shot by the victors. Hübner had lost one company and a second had been nearly destroyed.((citation needed|date=November 2014))((dubious|date=November 2014))

===Bombing raids on Montfort===
Between Friday evening the 19 January and Tuesday the 23 January the Dutch village of Montfort was shelled or bombed on seven occasions. The village was hit by more than 100 bombs overall, and most of these fell in the centre of the village. Nearly all of the 250 houses were damaged. During these raids, the Germans took shelter in the cellars among the civilians, and in the wooded areas just outside the village. The bombing raids that struck Montfort on the 21st and 22nd were carried out by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 2nd Tactical Air Force - No. 83 Group - 143 Wing. This Wing consisted of [[No. 438 Squadron RCAF|438]], 439 and 440 Squadron, based at Eindhoven. The squadrons were equipped with the [[Hawker Typhoon]] 1B fighter bomber. 143 Wing lost six aircraft during Operation Blackcock, two of which crashed in Montfort. When Montfort was finally liberated by the Desert Rats on 24 January, 186 civilians died in the raid.

==Aftermath==
The operation was a success for the Allies since all its objectives were met. The German divisions were thrown out of the Roer Triangle except for the area immediately south of Roermond. Here, Hübner's paratroopers stayed in control. The 52nd Lowland British Division fought the toughest battles and received 752 casualties. Of these, 101 were killed. 258 soldiers were transported from the front because of sickness, mostly as a direct result of the adverse weather conditions. The 7th Armoured Division counted just over 400 casualties. The Desert Rats' losses in vehicles were rather light, with only 20 tanks knocked out by the enemy and a further 23 broken down due to mechanical problems. Of the knocked-out tanks 10 were damaged beyond repair. The number of German casualties was approximately 2,000. During the operation, 490 prisoners were taken by the Desert Rats, amongst them were six officers. The Lowland Division took more than 1,200 prisoners, the Wessex Division took some 400 soldiers captive.
[[File:Montfort mass grave monument.jpg|thumb|right|Monument as part of the mass grave of the 186 victims of the bombing raids at the cemetery of Montfort]]

Once Operation Blackcock was completed, the plans for the capture of the [[Rhineland]] could commence. [[Operation Veritable]], by the [[First Canadian Army]], was launched on the 8 February and was aimed at breaking through the German defences in the [[Klever Reichswald]], some ((convert|60|km|abbr=on)) north of the Roer Triangle. Operation [[Operation Grenade|''Grenade'']], the southern part of the pincer movement, by the US Ninth Army was launched on 23 February. General [[William Hood Simpson]]'s [[US Ninth Army]] crossed the river Roer south of Heinsberg in the early hours of 23 February 1945. Twelve hours later Simpson had 16 battalions on the east bank, together with seven heavy bridges, and several light assault bridges. American losses were light on the first day; 700 prisoners were taken. A task force was formed by Ninth Army's XVI Corps which rushed towards Venlo to meet up with the British in the north. On 1 March [[Roermond]] was captured by the reconnaissance troop of the [[US 35th Infantry Division]] (the "Santa Fe" Division) without a single shot being fired.

==References==
((Reflist))

===External links===
* [http://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p4013coll8/id/87/rec/16 British Report about Operation Blackcock (PDF, 74 pages)]


((Authority control))

[[Category:Western Allied invasion of Germany]]
[[Category:Land battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom|Blackcock]]
[[Category:January 1945 events in Europe]]
[[Category:1945 in the Netherlands]]