Water
On Saturday, 4 November, soldiers of the 51st Highland Division will cross the Afwateringskanaal from ‘s-Hertogenbosch to Drongelen. Apart from the presence of German troops, there is something else that makes the crossing extra challenging. Namely, the canal itself, completed in 1911, is a formidable obstacle. The waterway is only thirty metres wide, but before the Scots can reach it, they must first cross the dyke, then run twenty metres through the grass before they can launch their boats. On the other side of the canal, the same distance awaits them in reverse. And all of this probably under enemy fire. Not an enticing prospect!

Fire
To break the German opposition, Churchill-type flamethrower tanks are deployed in addition to the usual artillery. These 40-ton monsters are meant to shoot their fiery flames upwards at an angle of 45 degrees so that the burning liquid flows down the German side, straight into the enemy trenches. A total of  twelve of these so-called Crocodiles are supposed to support the crossing, but in the end just over half of them get into action and these mainly east of the Steegerf.

The crossing
West of the Steegerf, in the bend of the canal, a company (about a hundred men) of the 5th Battalion of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders is ready to cross. Further east, three other battalions will attempt the crossing. At a quarter to five the time has come. The first soldiers drag their canvas boats up the embankment, slide down and run towards the canal. Adrenaline rushes through their bodies. At any moment, German troops across the water may open fire. But to their surprise and relief, this happens hardly anywhere. There is virtually no resistance even after the crossings have taken place. What they do not know is that the German soldiers have been instructed to withdraw immediately as soon as the attack begins. As early as five o'clock, the first objectives are reached. In the early evening, the Highlanders enter Drunen. The devastation they find there is not unusual for them, but all the more so for the population.