Fort Eben Emael: The key to Hitler’s victory in the West

Simon Dunstan

nov 2012 · Fortress Libro 30 · Bloomsbury Publishing

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At the outbreak of World War II, Fort Eben Emael in Belgium was the strongest fortress in the world, and it lay exactly across the German invasion route of Belgium and France. The fort's elimination was essential for the success of Hitler's invasion of the West. Deemed impregnable to conventional attack, Hitler himself suggested the means for its capture with the first glider-borne assault in military history. On 10 May 1940, ten gliders carrying just 77 paratroopers landed on top of the fort. Using top-secret hollow-charge weapons for the first time in warfare, the assault pioneers of Sturmgruppe Granit subdued Fort Eben Emael within just 30 minutes, and the fortress surrendered within 30 hours. It remains one of the greatest raids in the annals of Special Forces.

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Simon Dunstan is a well-established author, filmmaker and photographer in the field of military history, with several titles published by Osprey in the New Vanguard and Men-at-Arms series. He specializes in the subject of armoured warfare, about which he has been writing for over two decades. His books have covered such topics as helicopter and armoured warfare in Vietnam, post-World War II British main battle tanks, the British Guards Household Division and a regimental history of The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. He has written and directed numerous military history documentaries for the History Channel. Simon lives and works in London.

Hugh Johnson is a highly-experienced and talented freelance digital illustrator who has recently completed exceptional work on 'New Vanguard 102: T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks 1944–2004' for Osprey.