The Final Operations
On the fall of Bremen the demoralised enemy was given no respite. The Division's role was now to press on right handed round the northeast side of Bremen in preparation for the assault on the port areas of Bremerhaven and Cuxhaven, 130 Brigade (the Dorsets and the Hampshires) led the advance, 214 Brigade the DCLI, the Worcestershires and the 7th Somersets (deployed on the left flank over country which was almost a swamp). 129 Brigade, with the Bremen captures to its credit, followed up in reserve.
On 29th April the 5th Dorsets, the Brigade Advance Guard, moved on the villages of Quelkhorn, Wilstedt and Tarmstedt. with the Reconnaissance Regiment covering the advance to lust short of Buchholz where opposition was encountered. On the front generally resistance from enemy infantry was now almost negligible. But between Wilstedt and Tarmstedt the Germans reacted with Nebelwerfer and 105 mm shellfire, a last brief, though unpleasant reminder of the days of Normandy.
What delay there was, and it proved to he considerable, was due to two factors. The first was the difficult, boggy country over which the Division was now operating, The second and much the greatest factor was the introduction by the enemy, in the last few days of the war, of a new type of weapon. This took the form of the magnetic sea mine used in a "ground role". Planted under the road surface the mine is set off and eventually exploded by the vibrations of passing traffic. The 5th 22 Dorsets were the first to suffer, a Kangaroo being completely destroyed and an entire section killed on the road between Wilstedt and Tarmstedt, The explosion of these Mirle', causes craters 70-00 feat in extent, so large as to make side-stepping impossible, They were to be a nightmare to all, and particularly to the Royal Engineers. horn then onwards, The Hampshires, who gained Breddorf and Hanstedt on the 30th, and seized Karlshofen on the 3rd May, came up against ten such craters in half a mile. The 4th Dorsests who first took Glinstedt (held in fair strength until the artillery caused a dispersal) and Augustendorf by circumventing a causeway of craters, had to await the construction of three bridges before they could get out of the latter village again!
A third, and this time welcome, delaying factor had introduced itself with the opening of May. It was abundantly clear at last that the end of hostilities was very near. The 'surrender period' had already opened elsewhere. An official 'go slow' policy was introduced in order to avoid any unnecessary loss of life. The Germans were by now showing little fight and appeared to be quietly withdrawing north in front of the Division. This was confirmed when a patrol of the Hamphires crossed the Hamme-Oste Canal and returned with the Burgermeister of Gnarrenburg. This official stated that the German troops in his village were leaving and expressed a desire to surrender the place. Thereupon a Company of the Hampshires went with him to Gnarrenburg and the rest of the Battalion crossed the canal the same day, the 4th May. They were followed over the obstacle by the 5th Dorsets who seized Kustedt to prevent any possible interference with Royal Engineer bridging operations.
The end came that evening. At 20.30 hrs the BBC made the first announcement of the surrender to the 21st Army Group of all enemy forces in North West Germany. For many on the front flares and Verey lights were the proclamation of Victory. The firing of these in celebration quickly spread throughout the area amidst general thankfulness and rejoicing, The task was finished.
Early next morning a party of War Correspondents arrived at Battalion Headquarters of the 5th Dorsets to inform them that at the moment of the German surrender they were 'the most forward troops of the British Second Army'! Though open to doubt at the time, the aptness of this remark, when applied to the whole campaign, is perhaps sufficiently striking to be worth adopting. The 43rd (Wessex) Division - the most forward troops of the British Second Army - who had done more than their share of the fighting.
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