Osprey Fortress 30 : Fort Eben Emael : The Key to Hitler's Victory in the West

The defences of Belgium that had proved easy prey to the German siege artillery of World War I were augmented in the postwar years by a massive fortress, constructed between 1932 and 1935, along the western bank of the Albert Canal, Fort Eben Emael. The fortress was considered to be the strongest in the world on completion, yet its conquest took less than 48 hours to complete after a glorious coup de main by German gliderborne assault troops. This book considers the design, development and construction of this formidable bastion as well as covering the assault and the failure of the fort to offer any meaningful obstacle to the German invaders. Text by Simon Dunstan with illustrations by Hugh Johnson.

Contents

• Introduction
• Chronology
• Design and Development
• Tour of the Site
• The Principles of Defence
• The Living Site
• Operational History
• Aftermath
• The Site Today
• Further Reading
• Glossary
• Index