Dutch SS troops fighting alongside the German defenders had reason to fear for their lives if they surrendered.

The crimes of the SS were acutely known to the Canadians and Dutch, since the Malmedy massacre only four months prior.

Defending the Ems was especially important for the Germans because the Kriegsmarine still used Emden as a port for surface vessels and U-boats.

Wary of advancing into the western Netherlands and incurring heavy casualties (as well as losses to the densely packed civilian population) at a late stage of the war (fighting in Langstraat and Betuwe showed that conditions were very favourable to the defence), the First Canadian Army instead moved northeast, supporting the flank of the British Second Army as they entered Germany proper.

The fight in the Grote markt (central market square) was the fiercest part of the battle.

While Ortona was made famous by news reports referring to it as "Little Stalingrad", Groningen involved five times as many Canadian soldiers in direct combat.