The Küsten Canal was not just a simple water barrier, it was a carefully defended position within the German defensive network. Its steep, 4-meter banks were reinforced with barbed wire, concrete pillboxes, trenches, and flooded ground. German troops, including elements of the 7th Parachute Division and local naval personnel, had turned the canal into a formidable defensive line. 

To force the crossing, Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds ordered the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division to seize a bridgehead across the canal southeast of Edewechterdamm. The attack was led by the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade and supported by tanks, artillery, engineers, and flame-throwing Wasp carriers. On the evening of April 17, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada crossed the canal in storm boats under intense fire. Despite mounting casualties, they managed to establish a narrow foothold on the far bank.

The next day, the Lincoln and Welland Regiment joined the fight, followed by the South Alberta Regiment’s tanks once a Bailey bridge was erected by Canadian engineers. Fighting was fierce. German troops counterattacked repeatedly, and Canadian forces faced well-coordinated resistance, including snipers, machine guns, and mortars. At one point, a single platoon of the Argylls was reduced to six men.

Yet the Canadians held firm. Through determined assaults and with critical support from artillery and armor, they slowly pushed the Germans back. By April 19, 1945, the bridgehead was secure. The successful crossing of the Küsten Canal opened the way for the advance on Oldenburg and the final operations in northwest Germany. 

The battle came at a high cost. In just three days, over 200 Canadian soldiers were killed or wounded. But their sacrifice was not in vain. The crossing of the Küsten Canal marked one of the last major engagements of the Canadian Army in Europe. Today, the Küsten Canal is a quiet stretch of water once again. But for those who know its history, it stands as a symbol of the difficult path to victory in 1945.