On 11 May, the Battle of the Grebbeberg began with an intensifying artillery barrage. Dutch soldiers in the outposts—the first line of defense in front of the Grebbeberg—were severely hindered by limited fields of fire and failed communications. Despite their stubborn resistance, by the late afternoon, the outpost zone was entirely in German hands.

Breaking Through the Front Line at the Hoornwerk

On 12 May, the SS launched an attack on the Grebbeberg itself. Around noon, they broke through the front line at the Hoornwerk, an ancient defensive structure at the foot of the Grebbeberg. From there, they advanced uphill, attacking the Dutch positions from the rear at the eastern edge of the Berg. In the afternoon and evening, several Dutch counterattacks were launched from the stop line—the last defensive line on the Grebbeberg—with hastily deployed reserve troops playing a role. However, due to the chaos and the overwhelming German forces, these counterattacks stood no chance.

Exhausted and Hungry

On 13 May, the military leadership made its final attempt to hold the Grebbeberg. Four battalions, originating from the Land van Maas en Waal and the area around Woudenberg, had been directed toward the Grebbeberg during the previous night. From the Achterberg area, they were to march to the stop line, fight their way to the Grift, and reoccupy the front line.

Exhausted and hungry, the men set out around 7:00 AM, unfamiliar with the terrain, the barbed wire obstacles, and the minefields. They lacked staff maps, had not been issued hand grenades, and could not rely on artillery support due to the lack of communications. As they advanced, they faced increasing German artillery fire and were also hindered by Dutch machine guns that, unaware of the counterattack, mistook the Dutch soldiers for Germans.

The Final Blow

German resistance grew, and by 12:00 PM, the Dutch advance stalled. An hour later, the final blow came: 27 Stuka dive bombers descended almost vertically from the sky, dropping heavy bombs and strafing the Dutch attack area with their onboard weapons. This marked the definitive end of the counterattack, resulting in a chaotic retreat.

After the failed counterattack, the stop line on the Grebbeberg came under increasing pressure. More and more gaps appeared in this last line of defense, which ceased to exist by the afternoon of May 13. When the German army marched into the partially destroyed Rhenen, it was clear that the Grebbeberg—and with it, the Grebbe Line—had fallen.

During this battle, over 420 Dutch and more than 165 German military personnel lost their lives.