An initial attempt by the famed Desert Rats to drive out the German defenders from Loon op Zand on Friday, October 27, 1944, failed. Will the Highlanders succeed?
Loon op Zand is a key position in the new German defense line. Before the battle, residents are forced to dig foxholes. At the same time, German troops blow up the trees along Kasteellaan to block the road from the south. The first attack begins on the morning of October 27. British artillery fire causes the first casualties, including Miss Annette Verheyen, who is in the castle when the shells land. The British attack quickly stalls. To break the stalemate, the guns of the 7th Armored Division, the famed Desert Rats, then fire continuously on the village for eight hours. Despite the unprecedented hurricane of fire and steel, "only" three residents are killed, as the tall oak trees surrounding the castle absorb most of the shells.
It is now the Highlanders' turn to take the village. The commander of the 51st Highland Division, Major General Tom Rennie, decides to launch a large-scale attack. One brigade, 153, approximately 3,000 men, will attack the village head-on, while another, 152, will advance north through the woods to cut off retreating defenders. The attack is preceded by the usual preliminary artillery barrage. A civilian is killed in the process.
The battle plan is largely successful. The frontal attack from the south is successful, and most German soldiers withdraw to Kaatsheuvel. Only a small group holds out in the cemetery until nightfall. The brigade in the woods fails to block the German retreat. Near the Resting Hunter, the Scots do capture a German vehicle. To their surprise, it is filled with apples and excellent Dutch cigars. The liberators enjoyed this for months to come.