EMAEL FORTRESS FIRST STRIKE OF THE FALLSCHIRMJAGER

On the 10 May 1940, the Germans commenced their attack on the Netherlands, Belgium and France. The main thrust of the attack was going to come through the Belgium Ardennes and head towards the French coast. The Germans wanted to trick the Allies into concentrating their forces in northern France and Belgium. The 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions were given the task of being the spearhead of the faint by crossing the Dutch and Belgian borders near the city of Maastricht and driving on to the Gembloux Gap, southeast of Brussels.

The incredibly deep and wide Albert Canal was built in the early 1930s. The Belgian builders hacked through sandstone hills and left very steep cliffs on each side of the canal. In this area, the border with the Netherlands is effectively the Albert Canal. The Germans needed to capture the four bridges that