Canadian Brigadier General Fred Cabeldu observed that the strategic position of the Royal Regiment of Canada by the railway embankment, was under pressure. He requested the air force to attack targets in and around the village of Rilland. Both the village and the Bathsedijk, where German artillery was concealed from the Canadians' view, came under fire. The German soldiers that had entrenched themselves near the sea dyke of the Kreekrakpolder were also designated as targets for the air strikes. Additionally, the Canadian artillery paid particular attention to the wider surroundings of the village. Rilland received the full blast!

On Thursday 12 October, in accordance with Brigadier General Cabeldu's request, the Royal Air Force attacked targets in the Kreekrakpolder and around Rilland. At 11.45 am, twelve Spitfires dropped seven 500-pound bombs on German guns north of Rilland-Bath railway station. Forty-five minutes later, a number of field guns near Bathsedijk were also hit with another seven bombs. During this attack, a nearby building caught fire as the aircraft strafed the area around the field guns with their onboard cannons.

The Canadian soldiers in the polder watched enthusiastically as the aircraft, with roaring engines, dived onto the enemy positions. The German victims of the air and bomb assault pressed themselves even deeper into the mud, whispering an extra prayer for deliverance.

While the planes carried out their destructive work, Rilland was carefully observed through binoculars from the east side of the Kreekrakpolder. The church tower, mill and water tower were tall buildings in the village in which German observers could potentially be hiding. A German prisoner confirmed that the church tower was being used as an observation post. Not long after, the first shells from Canadian artillery hit that spot. The small village in Zeeland was gradually turning into a ruin.

On the morning of Saturday 14th October, at 11:00 a.m., the Canadian artillery once again opened fire on Rilland. Just as two days before, the windmill was once again one of the targets. This time, the artillery observer saw that, after the bombardment, the mill’s sails were no longer turning. The village church also came under fire again. In the afternoon, eight fighter planes from the 193rd Squadron of the Royal Air Force appeared over the village. Fourteen 500-pound bombs were dropped around the windmill, two of which were direct hits. Three bombs exploded at a crossroads in the centre of the village, causing severe damage to several houses.

A resident of Rilland, Harrie Kaufman, wrote about the shelling of his hometown: “One shell after another came whistling and screaming over us, landing a little further away. Now they were falling terrifyingly close. We heard one land in our back garden. Would the next one hit our house? We didn’t have much time to think about it. There was that terrifying whistle again. Huddled together, we waited for the explosion. Within minutes, the quiet village had been transformed into a disaster zone, filled with smoke, dust—so much dust—and screaming people."