In early May 1940, the fortress of Eben Emael was a potent sentinel
over the Belgian–Dutch borderlands. The fortress covered 75 hectares
on the surface, had 5km of tunnels underground and was studded with
bunkers, gun turrets and casemates. Add a garrison of 1,200 men and
the natural protection of 60m-high canal walls, and Eben Emael gave
the impression of near-impregnability. Yet on 10 May just 78 elite
airborne soldiers managed to defeat this fortress in an operation of
unprecedented tactical skill. Deployed by glider onto the very top of
the fortifications, they utilized elite training, fast movement and
specialist explosives to destroy many of the gun positions and trap
much of the garrison within the fortress. Simultaneously, three other
assault detachments conducted high-risk glider operations to capture
critical bridges over the Albert Canal. By the end of 11 May,
following the arrival of German infantry reinforcements, Eben Emael
was in German hands. This Eben Emael RAID title tells the complete,
fascinating story of this unique action.
Les mer
Belgium 1940
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781780962627
Publisert
2020
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Bloomsbury UK
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter