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WWII On This Day: October 31

What happened on October 31 during World War II? This date brings together 2 events from 1940 and 1944, with period photographs and links to the full operations documented across WW2 Theatres.

1940
A wrecked German aircraft in England. Its crew, if they survived, were out of the war.
A wrecked German aircraft in England. Its crew, if they survived, were out of the war. Imperial War Museums · Public domain Source
The Battle of Britain

The official battle period ends

The British official chronology ends the Battle of Britain on 31 October. By then the Luftwaffe's main daylight bomber effort had diminished, while fighter-bomber attacks and the night offensive against British cities were continuing. Fighter Command had not destroyed the Luftwaffe and Germany had not ceased attacking Britain. The operational result was narrower and more important: the RAF fighter defence remained intact enough to deny the uncontested air superiority required for the projected invasion. The Blitz was already underway and would continue into 1941. Keeping the campaigns separate prevents the…

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1944
LVT-4 Alligator amphibious vehicles pass Terrapin amphibious vehicles near Terneuzen during the Battle of the Scheldt, 13 October 1944.
Department of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada · 13 October 1944 · Public domain in Canada · Source
The Battle of the Scheldt

The attack onto the Walcheren Causeway

With South Beveland almost clear, the 2nd Canadian Division attacked along the Walcheren Causeway on 31 October. The exposed embankment was roughly 1.2 kilometres long, with tidal flats on both sides and prepared German positions at the western end. Successive Canadian battalions fought for a foothold while British troops of the 52nd Division prepared to exploit routes through the Sloe area farther south. The causeway battle fixed German defenders as the seaborne assaults opened the next morning.

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