The assault crossing of the River Seine by the British 43rd
(Wessex) Division in August 1944
remains one of the most important operations of the closing stages of the Second
World War. Once the obstacle of the great river had been overcome, General
Horrocks unleashed the armour of XXX Corps on their historic dash across
northern France and
Belgium.
Assault Crossing – Ken Ford’s classic account of this critical battle
- is the story of one British division pitted against one German division. On
one side, a fully equipped, battle-hardened unit made up of soldiers from the
ancient Kingdom of
Wessex, backed by some of
the best artillery in the world and supported by tanks. On the other side, a
much-depleted, second-rate, static division of men of various nationalities
conscripted to fight a war for Germany that was already lost. On
paper the British were assured of success, but between the two opposing armies
lay the Seine – 680 feet of open water,
overlooked by high chalk cliffs riddle with defensive strongpoints. The Germans
were waiting.
In hindsight, the battle was described as an epic operation and used
as an example to train future generations of soldiers. In reality, as with most
battles, it was something of a shambles, lurching from crisis to crisis until
the eventual bridgehead was secured.
In his graphic narrative Ken Ford gives a fascinating insight into
the planning of the operation and the confusion of the battlefield, and he
records, using eyewitness testimony, what the battle was really like for the
soldiers who were there.
