Antwerp was the principal logistical hub for the Allied armies on the western front in WWII. The battle for Antwerp (also known as the Battle of the Scheldt) was a series of military operations led by the First Canadian Army, with Polish and British units attached, to open up the shipping route to Antwerp so that its port could be used to supply the Allies in north-west Europe. Under acting command of the First Canadian’s Lieutenant General Guy Simonds, that battle took place in northern Belgium and southwestern Netherlands from 2 October to 8 November 1944. Once this region was cleared of German resistance, access to Antwerp was open and it quickly became the biggest sustainment center for Allied armies on the Western Front. It was so important that it was designated as the ultimate objective for the German offensive in December of 1944, which became the Battle of the Bulge when the German offensive failed. As well, Antwerp was the primary target for the German vengeance weapons, especially the V-2 missile, once it became operational.