The story of the Apeldoorn garrison continues.  Yesterday, troops on their way back to the Grebbe line ran into our forces in the Otterloo area, and after an unsuccessful battle they could not go any further west.  To add to their discomfiture, both our artillery and airforce worried them all day.

Prisoners of war taken today from Apeldoorn, which is in our hands, said that last night the garrison staff appreciated we threatened to isolate the town and to cut all the routes back to Amersfoort.  The main route had already been cut.  So the original plan of remaining in town was abandoned and the garrison started westward and north westward toward Putten and Nijkerk.  Those formations that were considered capable of doing so moved towards Otterloo with the hope of fighting their way through our spearhead.

This group, commanded by the regimental commander of the 952 Volksgrenadier Regiment, was made up of everything but his own troops.  Both battalions of the 858 Grenadier Regiment totalling about 250, Second Battalion of the 953 Volksgrenadier Regiment (180 strong), Second Battalion of the 951 Volksgrenadier Regiment, and the remnants of the 803 North Caucasian Ost Battalion now whittled down to 50.  Also represented were 2 Company of 1071 Sicherung Battalion and II and III batteries of 361 Artillery Regiment, fighting in the main as infantry.  This hodge-​podge made unsuccessful efforts to break through but were stopped by one of our field regiments firing over open sights, by a divisional headquarters (also firing over open sights and and taking over 100 prisoners of war) and by an infantry battalion — a very stout effort.  As the enemy did not escape, we may expect to find groups popping up out of the woods well behind what is now our line of forward troops.