Piercing the Peel

It was vital for the German 6th and 18th Armies to get across the River Maas and the Dutch defensive line just beyond it swiftly. The Dutch defensive line – the so-called “Peel Line” – was composed of MG bunkers and artillery casemates fronted by an anti-tank ditch, wire …

1940-05-10

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It was vital for the German 6th and 18th Armies to get across the River Maas and the Dutch defensive line just beyond it swiftly. The Dutch defensive line – the so-called “Peel Line” – was composed of MG bunkers and artillery casemates fronted by an anti-tank ditch, wire and mines. It was certain to slow the German advance. Before hostilities opened, German Abwehr troops in the uniform of Dutch MPs seized the railroad bridges at Gennap. Armored trains filled with German troops rolled across and five miles further to the Peel Line. The first resistance was met as the trains crossed the bridge over the anti-tank ditch. The trains proceeded another half-mile and then detrained their troops and organized for an attack against the back of the Peel Line.

Gennap, Holland

The German invasion of the Netherlands was a military campaign part of Case Yellow, the German invasion of the Low Countries and France during World War II. The battle lasted from 10 May 1940 until the surrender of the main Dutch forces on 14 May. Dutch troops in the province of Zealand continued to resist the Wehrmacht until 17 May when Germany completed its occupation of the whole country. The invasion of the Netherlands saw some of the earliest mass paratroop drops, to occupy tactical points and assist the advance of ground troops. The German Luftwaffe used paratroopers in the capture of several airfields in the vicinity of Rotterdam and The Hague, helping to quickly overrun the country and immobilise Dutch forces. After the devastating bombing of Rotterdam by the Luftwaffe on 14 May, the Germans threatened to bomb other Dutch cities if the Dutch forces refused to surrender. The General Staff knew it could not stop the bombers and ordered the Dutch Army to cease hostilities. The last occupied parts of the Netherlands were liberated in 1945.

German

Dutch

Scenario Type = Standard