Early in World War II, on May 25, 1940, German forces invaded Belgium, using Belgian civilians as human shields during the assault on the bridge over the Schipdonk Canal. Numerous Belgian civilians in Market Square were killed by German friendly fire.

 　During the German invasion to capture the bridge over the Schipdonk Canal in Belgium on May 25, 1940, early in World War II, the German commander was seriously wounded. Soldiers of the German 56th Infantry Division advanced using a group of Belgian civilians as human shields against the Belgian forces. Many of the Belgian civilians left behind in the Market Square were killed by German friendly fire.

　　Belgian Ardennes Hunters thwarted the German attempt to cross the Waas River near Dendermonde, Belgium, on May 25, 1940. The Hunters' resistance surprised the Germans, who took male civilians from the Ardennes as prisoners on May 25, 1940. German soldiers positioned 150 hostages as human shields against the Waert Bridge to block the view of the Ardennes hunters. 

　　When the attack began, artillery from both Belgian and German forces shelled the area around the blown-up Waert Bridge. During the shelling, a fragmentation grenade struck the edge of a roof, and the resulting explosion caught civilians in the blast. Thirty-eight citizens of Deinzen and refugees died in the hostage incident, with dozens more seriously injured.

　　From May 27th, the battle for the Schipdonk Canal concentrated on the adjacent village of Vincke. After fierce fighting around 3:00 PM, the village was captured by German forces. Claiming Belgian civilians had fired on German troops, the Germans expelled Vincke's residents from their homes. During the forced march and in the village square of Meihemen, German troops shot and killed a total of 38 men on the street. A similar atrocity occurred elsewhere in Vincq: after civilians were gathered in one place, at least 19 were shot dead. Early on May 28, the King of Belgium declared Belgium's surrender to the German forces.