Liberation of Belgium Second Army captured Antwerp, the port city on the river Scheldt in northern Belgium, close to the Netherlands, on 4 September as well. In the following days and weeks, the Battle of the Scheldt claimed many lives, as the port of Antwerp could not be operated effectively without control of the Scheldt estuary. Antwerp was the first port to be captured by the Allies in near perfect condition, making it very valuable, especially with its deep water facilities. On 6 September, the 4th Canadian Armoured Division crossed the border with Belgium and took areas around Ypres and Passchendaele. Between 9
Châtelet, Belgium Châtelet, Belgium Châtelet () is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, on the river Sambre. As of January 1, 2006, Châtelet had a total population of 35,621. The total area of the municipality is 27.03 km² which gives a population density of 1,318 inhabitants per km². It is composed of three separate entities: Châtelet, Bouffioulx and Châtelineau. Châtelet was a long established independent city prior to its fusion with the other entities. The first settlers of the site of Châtelet, dating from paleolithic times, were attracted by the ford on the river, the nearby wooded areas