Maginot Line 1940 Battles on the French Frontier

by Romanych, Marc; Rupp, Martin; White, John

• ISBN13: 9781846034992
• ISBN10: 184603499X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-02-23
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Summary

Constructed throughout the 1930s, the Maginot Line was supposed to form the ultimate defense against a German invasion of France. However, different sections of the line were built at different times and the strength of various sections varied widely. During their Blitzkrieg invasion, the Germans were able to identify these weak points and focus their attacks against them. This book uses new maps and period photographs to tell the story of the five German operations launched against the Maginot Line. While the Germans were able to smash through the lightly defended section of the line along the Meuse River, the line held at other key points. Ultimately the Maginot Line proved a failure, but the stiff resistance put up by some of the fortresses confirms the fighting ability of the French army during the invasion.

Author Biography

Marc Romanych is a retired US Army combat arms officer. He has a BA in History from the University of Maryland and an MA in International Relations from St Mary's University. Interested in the Maginot Line since 1995, Marc has extensively explored its fortifications. He is a member of Association du P.O. de Sentzich, a Maginot Line preservation group. Marc lives near Baltimore, Maryland. The author lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 5
Chronology	p. 6
Origins of the Campaign	p. 8
Opposing Commanders	p. 12
French commanders
German commanders
Opposing Armies	p. 15
The French Army
The Wehrmach
Orders of battle
Opposing Plans	p. 27
French
German
The Campaign	p. 31
Fall Gelb: the opening moves
Overrun of the Ardennes defences
The capture of Fort La Ferté Battle for the Maubeuge fortifications
Fall Rot: the invasion of France
Envelopment of the Metz region
Operation Tiger: breakthrough in the Sarre
Widening the breakthrough Attacks in northern Alsace
Operation Kleiner Bär: assault across the Rhine
Aftermath	p. 91
The Battlefields Today	p. 93
Further Reading	p. 94
Index	p. 95
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