Sturmgruppe Granit

Positioned directly in the path of Army Group B's invasion route for Fall Gelb, Fort Eben Emael was considered one of the strongest fortresses in the world. The fort's elimination was crucial to the success of the German operational plan. …

1940-05-10

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Positioned directly in the path of Army Group B's invasion route for Fall Gelb, Fort Eben Emael was considered one of the strongest fortresses in the world. The fort's elimination was crucial to the success of the German operational plan. In a daring coup de main assault 77 German paratroopers, designated Sturmgruppe Granit, landed in gliders on top of the fort, subduing the defenders and neutralizing the fort's large guns within 30 minutes. The assault, coupled with the successful capture of nearby bridges over the Albert Canal, cleared the way for Army Group B'S advance into Belgium. The Fall of the West had begun.

Fort Eben Emael, Maastrict Vicinity, Belgium

The Battle of Fort Eben-Emael was a battle between Belgian and German forces that took place between 10 May and 11 May 1940, and was part of the Battle of Belgium and Fall Gelb, the German invasion of the Low Countries and France. An assault force of German paratroopers, Fallschirmjäger, was tasked with assaulting and capturing Fort Eben-Emael, a Belgian fortress whose strategic position and strong artillery emplacements dominated several important bridges over the Albert Canal. These carried roads which led into the Belgian heartland and were what the German forces intended to use to advance. As some of the German airborne forces assaulted the fortress and disabled the garrison and the artillery pieces inside it, others simultaneously captured three bridges over the Canal. Having disabled the fortress, the airborne troops were then ordered to protect the bridges against Belgian counter-attacks until they linked up with ground forces from the German 18th Army.

Wikipedia: Battle of Fort Eben-Emael

German

Belgian