On Hitler's personal orders, German troops tried to recapture Elst. On 1 October 1944, a week of fierce fighting began and armoured divisions opened the attack from Elden and Huissen.

A day later, the RAF (Royal Air Force) carried out bombing raids on German positions in the area. The small town of Huissen was hit especially hard, with many civilian casualties. The battle around Elst continued for days but yielded little ground gain for either side.

Elst itself was under continuous fire, and the tower of the Grote Kerk (large church) was set on fire. The remaining inhabitants were trapped like rats and only managed to escape after 8 October.