Abandoned Valentine tank, Operation VERITABLE, Kranenburg, 1945

Photograph, World War Two (1939-1945), 1945.

A Valentine Mark XI tank abandoned in flooding at Kranenburg, near Nijmegen, in the Netherlands, 15 February 1945.

Operation VERITABLE, also known as the Battle of the Reichswald, was part of an Allied pincer movement between 8 February and 11 March 1945. VERITABLE made up the northern part of the pincer while Operation GRENADE made up the southern part. The objective was to clear the area between the Rhine and Maas rivers of German forces, as part of Eisenhower's 'broad front' strategy to occupy the west bank of the Rhine before making a crossing. This involved crossing the Reichswald, including the Rhine flood plain, which had been flooded during a wet Winter.