The fortress of Eben Emael part one
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On 10 May 1940 the Nazis launched their offensive in the west which required the neutralisation of a number of defensive positions,the strongest of which was Fort Eben Emael, whose artillery pieces covered each of the three bridges over the Albert Canal.
Eben Emael had six 120mm guns with a range of 16km, sixteen 75mm guns, twelve 60mm anti-tank guns; twenty-five twin-mounted machine-guns and AA guns.
One side of the fort faced the canal, whilst the rest of the fort was defended by minefields, ditches, a six metre high wall, pillboxes with machine-guns and fifteen searchlights. Tunnels connected defensive positions to the command centre and ammunition stores. The fort also had a hospital, living quarters and a power station.
Belgian plans called for local troops to destroy the bridges and fight a delaying action before retiring to positions along the River Dyle.
The attacking force was named Sturmabteilung Koch after its leader, Hauptmann Walter Koch. Hauptmann Koch divided his force into four assault groups. Group Granite, under Oberleutnant Rudolf Witzig, composed of eighty-five men in eleven gliders was to capture Fort Eben Emael. Group Steel, commanded by Oberleutnant Gustav Altmann, and formed of ninety-two men and nine gliders, would capture the Veldwezelt bridge. Group Concrete, commanded by Leutnant Gerhard Schächt and composed of ninety-six men in eleven gliders, would capture the Vroenhoven bridge. Group Iron, under Leutnant Martin Schächter, composed of ninety men in ten gliders would capture the Cannes bridge.
Surprise was essential. German estimates believed that they might get sixty minutes, after which the superior numbers of the defending Belgians would begin to come to bear. The plan was to eliminate as many positions as possible. Ten minutes were alloted for the destruction of the guns trained on the bridges.
The plan called for between nine and eleven gliders to land on the western bank of the Albert Canal by each of the three bridges just prior to 05:30 on 10 May. They would overwhelm the defenders, remove any demolition charges and then prepare to defend the bridges against an expected counter-attack. Forty minutes later, three Ju-52 transport aircraft would fly over each position, dropping a further twenty-four airborne troops as reinforcements with machine-guns and ammunition. Simultaneously, the force assigned to assault Fort Eben Emael was to land on top of the Fort in eleven gliders, eliminate any defenders attempting to repel them, cripple what artillery they could with explosive charges, and then prevent the garrison from dislodging them.
At 04:30, forty-two gliders carrying 493 troops tlifted off from two airfields in Cologne. The aircraft maintained radio silence, forcing the pilots to rely on a chain of signal fires that pointed towards Belgium; the radio silence also ensured that senior commanders of the assault force could not be informed that the tow-ropes on one of the gliders had snapped, forcing the glider to land inside Germany. Another pilot of a second glider released his tow-rope prematurely, and was unable to land near its objective. Both gliders were carrying troops assigned to Group Granite and were destined to assault Fort Eben Emael, thereby leaving the Group understrength; it also left it under the command of Oberleutnant Witzig's second-in-command, as Witzing was in one of the gliders forced to land. As the Ju-52's turned away after releasing the gliders, Belgian anti-aircraft artillery positions detected them and opened fire, alerting the defences in the area to their presence.
Two of the bridges over the Albert Canal were captured but the bridge at Canne was blown up.
Group Granite landed on the roof of Fort Eben-Emael and the airborne troops were abe to put explosives on the emplacements which housed the artillery pieces that could target the captured bridges. A number of cupulas were knocked out using hollow charge explosives.
Unable to dislodge the Germans from the roof of the fort and under attack from Stukas and German reinforcements, the garrison surrendered at 12:30 on the following day, having suffered sixty men killed and forty wounded; more than a thousand Belgian soldiers were taken prisoner. Group Granite had suffered six killed and nineteen wounded.
FORT BATTICE (BELGIUM)
FORT BATTICE, BATTICE, BELGIUM
MAY 2012
Lost Places Belgium - The Fort
3 Jahre lang (1934-1937) bauten bis zu 2000 Mann an diesem Fort, welches zur Befestigten Stellung Lüttich I (Position Fortifée de Liège I - P.F.L. I) gehörte. Das gesamte Areal umfasst ca. 45 ha. Die Versorgungseinrichtungen und die Kriegszeiten-Kaserne befinden sich in 30m Tiefe. Die unterirdsichen Räume, sowie die 15 oberidischen Gebäude, sind durch ein 3,5 km langes Tunnelsystem miteinander verbunden.
12 Tage leistete das Fort Battice unter heftigstem Beschuss, Widerstand gegen die deutsche Invasion. 34 der ca. 750 belgischen Verteidiger fanden dabei den Tod. Während der 4-jährigen Besetzung, diente das Fort als Versuchsgelände für die Erprobung neuer Waffen, u.a. der Röchling-Granate.
Das Fort kann von März bis November, jeweils am letzten Samstag des Monats um 13.30 Uhr besichtigt werden. Helft dem Verein damit, diese einmalige Gedenkstätte zu erhalten!
3 years (1934-1937) up to 2,000 men built at this fort, that belongs to Fortified Position Liège (Position Fortifée de Liège I - P.F.L. I). The entire area covers about 45 hectares. The utilities and the wartime barracks are located in 30m deep. The rooms under surface, and the 15 buildings on top, beeing connected through a 3,5 km long tunnel system.
For 12 days, the fort rendered resistance against the german invasion, under heavy bombardment. 34 of 750 belgian defenders were killed. During the 4-year occupation, the fort served as a testing ground for new weapons, among others the Röchling grenade.
The fort can be visited from March to November at 13.30 clock on the last Saturday of the month. Help the club to preserve this unique memorial!
WW1 Belgium, France Tunnels, Trenches and Forts
Some clips from our trip to the Trenches, tunnels an forts used in WWI
The city of Antwerp in Belgium and the Netherlands, during World War Two - Film 3179
The city of Antwerp in Belgium and the Netherlands, during World War Two
Radio reports overtake of Brussels and of Antwerp. Liberation of Antwerp. Docks of Antwerp - docks and harbour. Dramatised German officers discussing why Antwerp is strategically important. Soldiers discusses problems of taking Antwerp. Bombing of Antwerp. Army briefing on taking of the city. Problems of taking Holland. Leopold Canal. Trucks through the Netherlands countryside. The battle. Flame-thrower. Aerial view of the canal - attempts to bridge it. Canadian troops in landing craft. Smoke screen is laid in. German prisoners. Refugees. Abandoned German dug outs. Windmill. People around the ruins. Re-tiling a roof. Sign: 'Antwerpen 16 km.' 2nd Canadian Division, tanks. Mine detecting. Close up of mine metal detector moving from side to side. Three soldiers inch along a road with the detector. One of them then writes on a sign saying 'Verges checked'. Sign: 'Dutch Frontiers'. Flooded scenery. Firing artillery. Engineers work on bridges, tanks across bridges. British burial ceremony. The King George V visits the front. Crossing the Skelt. Prisoners. 'Vulcan' Island under water. They have to cross a mile long causeway. Brestken. Aerial view of Flushing. Belgium and Norwegian divisions - free divisions. Weather. The battle. Sea battle. Soldiers wade ashore, through ruins and explosions. Street fighting. German's with white flag of surrender and their hands up. Large building on fire. Six days of fighting. German commander who surrenders. Dutch flag on building. Good shot of spiky sea mine. Royal Navy mine sweepers at work. Two men in a dinghy tow a sea mine with spikes. Dutch people wave at a battleship. German mosquito boats. Speed boats attack convoys. Arden Forest. Convoys to smashed Europe. 28 miles of docks - supplies to Europe.
#022 - Erop Uit! - Verlaten fort in België - deel 3 [urbex]
Erop Uit! is nog steeds in België in het verlaten fort... dit is deel 3... (en er komt ook nog een deel 4....)
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Dinant / Wallonie / Namur / Belgien
Dinant ist eine Stadt in der Provinz Namur in Wallonien, Belgien. Überregional bekannt ist die Stadt durch ihre Kathedrale mit einem kunstvollen Westwerk sowie der darüber liegenden Festung. Dinant ist der Geburtsort von Adolphe Sax, dem Erfinder des Saxophons.
Huge ww2 defensive fortifications against hitlers forces
This is one of the finest example of
a big ww2 defencive line located at
the small town of Kornwerderzand.
protecting the Afsluitdijk it was very importand for the defending
of holland on 10-5-1940.
It was well defended with lots of kazematten (Bunkers)and obsticles.
this was one of the few parts in holland where the nazi germans failed.
i think this is one of the best 'Bunkermuseums'
i have ever seen..
after the capitulation on 14-5-1940
Hitler used this line in its
atlantic-wall.
About 7 big kazemates are turned
into a museum.
Hitler Nazi Trap WW2 (10th of May 1940)