Operation Blackcock's plan was for 12th Corps to clear the German 176th and 183rd Infantry Divisions, well dug in with anti-tank guns, from a triangle formed by the rivers Roer, Wurm and Maas. The Division was on the left bank with 131st Brigade attacking northwards to secure Echt, Schilberg and Susteren. The plan was then for 22nd Armoured Brigade to break through north towards Montfort and St. Odilienburg. After the normal problems with traffic congestion the 1/5th Queens advanced, supported by flail tanks and artillery. There then ensued several days of hard fighting across canal after canal, through village after village and at St. Joost, they came upon three Companies for German Paratroops, who inflicted heavy casualties on the 8th Hussars and Rifle Brigade. Crocodile flame-thrower tanks were used to help clear them out, but the village had to be taken house by house, with the enemy only withdrawing when the flames got too much for them.
Attacker: British (I Company, 1st Rifle Brigade and C Squadron, 8th Hussars/141st Armoured Regiment)
Defender: German (Regiment "Huebner", Fallschirmjäger Division 8/Reinforcements)
Turns: 8 Players: 2 OBA: British Night: No
Saint Joost, The Netherlands 1945-01-20
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:12.0 D:9.0
AFVs: A:6 Challenger x 2 Cromwell VII x 2 Churchill Crocodile x 2
D:2 JgdPz IV x 2
Guns: A:0 OML 2-in. Mortar x 2 D:2 8.8cm PaK 43/41 x 2
