Download or read book The Fall of Eben Emael written by James E. Mrazek and published by Presidio Press. This book was released on 1991 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Designed to delay a German invasion long enough for Belgium and France to mobilize their defending forces, Eben Emael was the linch-pin upon which rested the vaunted Maginot Line. The fortress fell to a seventy-seven-man force of glider-borne German paratroops in barely more than a day (twenty-eight hours). The daring aerial assault on Eben Emael is one of the most spectacularly successful special operations in history. Book jacket.
Download or read book The Fall of Eben Emael written by Chris McNab and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-02-20 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book Fall of Eben Emael written by James E Mrarek and published by . This book was released on 1991-03-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Fall of Eben Emael written by Chris McNab and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-02-20 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book The Fall of Eben Emael written by Laurence A. Johnson and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 11 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Fort Eben Emael written by Simon Dunstan and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-11-20 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book The Fall Of Fort Eben Emael The Effects Of Emerging Technologies On The Successful Completion Of Military Objectives written by Major Thomas B. Gukeisen and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study details the events of 10 May 1940 at Fort Eben Emael, Belgium, and the elements which led to the successful seizure of the fort by the German military. The central focus of this thesis is the following question: Was the use of emerging technologies the key to victory at Fort Eben Emael? First, the study focuses on the technologies themselves. Secondly, this study examines the leadership and training of the German unit assigned the mission at Fort Eben Emael. Lastly, this study examines administration and personnel issues that existed for the Belgians stationed at Fort Eben Emael. This study determined that the glider did afford troops the advantage of surprise; however, the hollow charge failed to live up to its reputation as it was most effective when used in such a way that it was no different than a conventional charge. Further, the German unit’s training and leadership was exemplary and contributed more to the mission’s success than the technologies the unit employed. Additionally, Fort Eben Emael was faced with serious internal issues that prevented a successful defence of the fort. Therefore, this thesis concludes that emerging technologies were not the most crucial component contributing to mission success.
Download or read book Devils with Wings written by Harvey Black and published by Troubador Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2011-09-01 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A military thriller based around the adventures of two young Fallschirmjäger paratroopers during the early part of World War II. It is a fictionalised adventure based on the famous assault on the impregnable Belgian Fortress, Eben Emael. Tall, gangly Paul Brand is supported by his junior sergeant, Unterfeldwebel Max Grun, as he experiences his first action as a platoon commander in Poland, September 1939. The mutual respect between the two comrades grows as they experience the sights and smells of battle at close quartersFollowing their success in Poland, Paul, Max and the platoon are sent to a clandestine camp in the foothills of the Harz Mountains to train for a secret mission. Confined to camp for six months they undergo intensive training for their next mission – the subjugation of the Eben Emael Fortress. Two German secret weapons will assist them to complete their task; the first is the glider, used for the first time to deposit troops directly onto a target, and the second secret weapon is a new Hollow Charge Weapon, capable of blasting through steel or concrete. On completion of their training, nine gliders containing seventy two Fallschirmjäger land on top of the fortress, before the troops move in to the depths of the tunnels to finish the job. Over one thousand Belgian troops fail to stop them. This exciting fictionalised retelling of the assault on Eben Emael is written by an author with experience in army intelligence.
Download or read book Eben Emael the Defence of Fortress Belgium 1940 written by Clayton Donnell and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2021-11-24 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the early morning of 10 May 1940, the sky literally fell on the heads of the defenders of Fort Eben-Emael, considered to be Belgium's most powerful fortress. This huge structure, with its powerful artillery and infantry weapons, was the key to the Meuse and Albert Canal defences. In the darkness of the pre-dawn, German DFS 230 gliders drifted silently over the southern Netherlands, landing one by one on top of Eben-Emael. Within minutes German Special Forces troops destroyed most of the fort’s weapons and observation capabilities. The following day, the garrison surrendered, and the door to Belgium and France was open. But, as Clayton Donnell relates in this perceptive and meticulously researched study, Eben-Emael was only one of the nineteen forts of the fortified positions of Liège and Namur attacked in May 1940. Three new and sixteen refurbished forts held out for several days, and fought to the death. The story he tells contradicts the common assumption that these static defences were rolled over or bypassed –powerless to resist the overwhelming force of the German combat engineer’s assaults, Stuka bombs and heavy artillery shells. In vivid detail he demonstrates that their importance in the 1940 campaign has been seriously under reported, and he gives clarity to some of the legends that have grown up around the capture of Eben-Emael itself.
Download or read book Spec Ops written by William H. McRaven and published by Presidio Press. This book was released on 2009-02-04 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vice Adm. William H. McRaven helped to devise the strategy for how to bring down Osama bin Laden, and commanded the courageous U.S. military unit that carried it out on May 1, 2011, ending one of the greatest manhunts in history. In Spec Ops, a well-organized and deeply researched study, McRaven analyzes eight classic special operations. Six are from WWII: the German commando raid on the Belgian fort Eben Emael (1940); the Italian torpedo attack on the Alexandria harbor (1941); the British commando raid on Nazaire, France (1942); the German glider rescue of Benito Mussolini (1943); the British midget-submarine attack on the Tirpitz (1943); and the U.S. Ranger rescue mission at the Cabanatuan POW camp in the Philippines (1945). The two post-WWII examples are the U.S. Army raid on the Son Tay POW camp in North Vietnam (1970) and the Israeli rescue of the skyjacked hostages in Entebbe, Uganda (1976). McRaven—who commands a U.S. Navy SEAL team—pinpoints six essential principles of “spec ops” success: simplicity, security, repetition, surprise, speed and purpose. For each of the case studies, he provides political and military context, a meticulous reconstruction of the mission itself and an analysis of the operation in relation to his six principles. McRaven deems the Son Tay raid “the best modern example of a successful spec op [which] should be considered textbook material for future missions.” His own book is an instructive textbook that will be closely studied by students of the military arts. Maps, photos.
Download or read book Jump Into Hell written by Franz Kurowski and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2010 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Action-adventure narrative about elite German airborne troops.
Download or read book Hitler s Paratrooper written by Gilberto Villahermosa and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2010-07-30 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rudolf Witzig entered the history books as the heroic captor of Belgiumês supposedly impregnable fortress Eben Emael in May 1940 _ the first time that glider-borne troops were used in the war. To many people, he is also known as the commander of the battle group that fired the first shots of the Tunisian campaign. Remarkably, next to nothing has been written about him as an individual. This biography, completed with the full support of Witzigês widow and son, is a comprehensive history of the man and also provides important new detail on the German parachute arm that he served. In the course of his service, he was awarded the coveted Knightês Cross of the Iron Cross. He could not be awarded the decoration because he had not yet earned the Ironês Crosses 2nd and 1st class _ to resolve the problem he was awarded all three on the spot. Witzig was involved in Operation Mercury, the invasion of Crete, but was injured during the fighting. After his recovery, he was sent to Tunisia where he was credited with several successful defensive actions. He ended the war in captivity, surrendering to the Allies on 8 May 1945, the day after his name was placed on the Honour Roll of the Luftwaffe. Rudolf Witzig was born on 14th August 1916 in Westphalia. His military career started in 1935 when he was accepted as an officerês candidate. He went on to win the Knightês Cross, which was awarded by Hitler personally. Witzig died on 3rd October 2001 at the age of 85. Gilberto Vilhermosa is a serving member of the US military in Yemen. This is his second book.
Download or read book Kill Hitler written by Neil Short and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-05-20 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although far from a typical raid, the 20 July Plot – Operation Valkyrie – was still a daring and audacious attack undertaken by a small, very brave, group of individuals, determined to kill Hitler. Hitler was badly shaken by the blast and, despite the fact that numerous other attempts had been made on the Führer's life since he came to power, the July 20 Plot has achieved an almost mythic status. Numerous books, both factual and fictional, have been written on the subject. There have been several TV dramatisations and reconstructions, including a MythBusters production which considered whether or not the attempt would have been successful if the bomb had been planted in Hitler's bunker. German resistance to Hitler has also been depicted on film, most notably by James Mason in The Desert Fox and more recently by Tom Cruise in Valkyrie, an accurate and acclaimed version of the July 20 Plot.
Download or read book Toward Combined Arms Warfare written by Jonathan Mallory House and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1985 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The 1st Fallschirmj ger Division in World War II written by Ben Christensen and published by Schiffer Pub Limited. This book was released on 2007 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on their combat achievements, friends and foes alike have singled out the men from the German 1st Parachute Division as the best soldiers in World War II, as they at Eben Emael executed the most successful commando raid of the war; on Crete the most audacious attack; and in Monte Cassino the most dogged defense. A total of 129 Knight's Crosses were awarded to men from this division - twice as many as any other German division. For the first time a comprehensive book has been written about the fate of this division based on all available sources and with the invaluable aide of veterans from the division. It is a warts-and-all tale, which gives a candid insight not only to the battles from the German perspective, but also to the minds of the men who became the backbone of the division. The books contains more than 500 color and black and white photos, many of which have never been printed before. Furthermore, there are thirty unique maps in color, thirty detailed Orders of Battle, 500 short biographies of the key personnel in the division, and a list of all the division's Knight's Cross and the German Cross in Gold winners. _x000D__x000D_The first volume, Years of Attack, follows the recruitment and training of the Fallschirmjagers and their revolutionary vertical deployment in Scandinavia, Holland, Eben Emael, Corinth and Crete through to two tough tours as elite infantry on the Eastern Front. The second volume, Years of Retreat, follows the division from the battles of El Alamein, Tunisia, Sicily, Monte Cassino, Bologna, Normandy and Brittany to the final chaotic days before the capitulation. The battles are brought to life through nearly 1,000 eyewitness accounts and add new information to all the battles fought by elements of the German 1st Fallschirmjager Division._x000D_ AUTHOR:
Download or read book Belgium in the Second World War written by Jean-Michel Veranneman and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-09-30 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the Nazis invaded neutral Belgium in May 1940, defeat and occupation were inevitable but Belgian armed forces held out against a vastly superior enemy for 18 days. The elected Government went into exile in London but King Leopold III controversially remained with his people as a prisoner.??As described in this authoritative book, Belgians continued the fight both outside and inside their country. There were eventually two complete Belgian RAF squadrons. The Colonial Army defeated the Italians in East Africa and the Belgian Brigade fought from Normandy to Germany.??The Belgian Resistance organized escape routes, sabotaged their occupiers' activities and spied for the Allies. 17,000 died or were executed and a further 27,000 survived detention. Meanwhile others collaborated and fought for the Nazis and large numbers were tried post-war for war crimes and treason.??About half the Jews in Belgium in 1940 died in the Holocaust and there are many stirring stories of courage, as well as tragic ones.??This is an overdue and honest account of one Nation's very varied experiences during five years of Nazi occupation and oppression.
Download or read book Military Geoscience written by Peter L. Guth and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-01-28 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a collection of papers presented at the 11th International Conference of Military Geoscience that was held in 2015. The conference included discussion on a diverse range of geosciences, including military history, military geology, teaching geology from a military prospective, geological influence on the battlefield, and environmental and cultural issues related to management of military lands. Geology and geography have played a significant role in military history, from providing the stone for primitive tools and weapons, to the utilization of terrain in offensive and defensive strategies. Specific to this volume, deserts comprise nearly a third of the Earth’s surface and have been the site of numerous battles where the dust, heat, and a lack of food and water have provided challenges to military leaders and warriors. This book examines the role of deserts in past and modern warfare, the problems and challenges in managing military lands in desert regions, and how desert environmental conditions can impact military equipment and personnel. This proceedings volume should be of interest to scholars, professionals, and those interested in military history, warfare, geology, geography, cultural resources, general science, and military operations.
