Eben Emael fortress

[michiel]

Today I visited the fortress of Eben Emael with my 12 year old son​

Fort Eben-Emael was built between 1932 and 1935 and was one of the largest and strongest fortifications in Europe, very strategic positioned on a height near the Dutch Belgian border, close to Germany, and surveilling three importent bridges on the river meuse and Albert canal, thus of vital importance during the blitz krieg, in fact the was in western Europe started there.

The spectacular and innovative attack on the fort on 10 May 1940 by an elite unit of German paratroopers was the first gliderborne commando raid in world history and the tragic start of World War II in Western Europe.

I had an appointment with Tony Vickers (another forum member) to hand over a IR115 pickelhaube I recently bought from him,
As he was traveling through Europa we made an appointment, to avoid customs to exchange the helmet and his book, and get acquinted.

we made an appointment a his stop at Eben emael during his battle field and museum tour he currently performs with 3 friends.

It was nice meeting Tony, but also very interesting to have a guided tour trough this enormous fortress that saw fierce fighting,
Tje germans deployed gliders landing for the first time als well as a new explosive weapon (Hohlladung) hollow charges to knock out the gun positions on the fortress. (in the attached photo's you can see the destruction it caused on the structure of the fortress as wel on a gun position whereas the gun next to it in the same casemate looks undamaged).

I really recommend the visit to all people interested in military history.

Tony many thanks for the helmet, the book, but also the great company today.

 

[KAGGR#1]

Today I visited the fortress of Eben Emael with my 12 year old son​

Fort Eben-Emael was built between 1932 and 1935 and was one of the largest and strongest fortifications in Europe, very strategic positioned on a height near the Dutch Belgian border, close to Germany, and surveilling three importent bridges on the river meuse and Albert canal, thus of vital importance during the blitz krieg, in fact the was in western Europe started there.

The spectacular and innovative attack on the fort on 10 May 1940 by an elite unit of German paratroopers was the first gliderborne commando raid in world history and the tragic start of World War II in Western Europe.

I had an appointment with Tony Vickers (another forum member) to hand over a IR115 pickelhaube I recently bought from him,
As he was traveling through Europa we made an appointment, to avoid customs to exchange the helmet and his book, and get acquinted.

we made an appointment a his stop at Eben emael during his battle field and museum tour he currently performs with 3 friends.

It was nice meeting Tony, but also very interesting to have a guided tour trough this enormous fortress that saw fierce fighting,
Tje germans deployed gliders landing for the first time als well as a new explosive weapon (Hohlladung) hollow charges to knock out the gun positions on the fortress. (in the attached photo's you can see the destruction it caused on the structure of the fortress as wel on a gun position whereas the gun next to it in the same casemate looks undamaged).

I really recommend the visit to all people interested in military history.

Tony many thanks for the helmet, the book, but also the great company today.

Thanks for the photos
Steve

 

[MAP]

Nice photos! Interesting story that I was unaware of

Oh...and very nice Haube

 

[tony v]

A few nice pictures....great day out. The private tour was five hours !

 

[tony v]

Just arrived Koblenz.....

Back to the Kaiser

 

[John Josef]

I'm Jealous, we were doing a tour of Belgium and Holland a few years ago and were in Maastricht and I wanted to go but unfortunately at that time they were only open one or two days a week and the timing didn't work out being so close and having them be closed was a tough one.

Unfinished business it's still on the list. Hopefully I'll get another chance someday but with family in Germany getting older and my wife's love of the mountains and lakes of Bayern and the Saltkammergut it may have to be a solo trip

 

[tony v]

The fortress in Koblenz.

 

[Peter B]

This is the monument to the 28th Regiment Von Goeben at the fortress. My very first pickelhaube belonged to a soldier from that Regiment. It used to be up on the main area with a soldier on top throwing a grenade. Was moved to a hidden away place down the hill a bit (we had to sneak through a gate to get there), the Bundeswehr put a small bowl on top.