Operation Infatuate II: Sherman tanks at Westkapelle

[MicS]

Originally Posted by Jakko Westerbeke

Here’s something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before:

Attachment 134977

That’s the Crabs from assault group Apple stuck on Red beach, with the bridge from AVRE A2B between them and still resting on LCT 1005’s bow ramp.

Great find again Jakko. This particular sequence and a few others in this film are new to me too.

It shows the third and last beaching attempt by LCT 1005, trying to prevent the remaining vehicles from getting bogged in the cobbles. It seems that the SBG bridge has just been dropped and is still attached to the front of AVRE A2B. The submerged SBG bridge from AVRE A2A (ex LCT 737 "Bramble") is also visible on some frames:
LCT 1005 WK - Notes.jpg

The following photo was shot after the first attempt, resulting in the first two Crabs getting stuck:
LCT 1005 landing - Story of 79 AD p171.jpg
Source: The Story of 79th Armoured Division, page 171


The War Amps issued a contents list for Canadian Army Newsreels here. I am attaching it as well in case the source disappears...

Michel