[WW2 what if]Fortress Eben-Email did not fall
Posted: 2010-09-14 04:58am
Fortress Eben Emael, deemed as the strongest fortress in the world, lay exactly across the German invasion route of Belgium and France. It was deemed impregnable to conventional attack, but due to a daring and succesfull German glider attack, combined with a perfect storm of mistakes on the defenders prior to the attack, the fortress became just a speed bump for the German army passing trough the Ardennes.
But what if for whatever reason, the initial glider assault failed and the fortress held out much longer? How would it affect the Battle of France?
Will the allies respond by sending troops to the Ardennes, causing the German offensive to a halt (can they?), or even push back if they remember they have an airforce? (after all, large collumns of german equipment were sitting ducks in massive traffic jams). If so, I see Great Brittain, France and Germany duking it out in Belgium (like they always seem to do) in a prolonged war since the allies were not really designed for an offensive war while Germany will have lost the initiative to knock out France early in the war. The Kriegsmarine will be against even worse odds than it was historically. Soviet Union will be a bit of a wild card.
or
Do the alles lack the intell/initiative to see what the Germans are trying to do, therefore continueing moving north making the German pincer movement during Fall Gelb even more succesfull than it already was?
or
Do they have time/intell to see the trap, but won't have time to respond? In that case, nothing much will change on the outcome (France still getting knocked out rather quickly, Germany still loosing the Battle for Brittain etc...)
But what if for whatever reason, the initial glider assault failed and the fortress held out much longer? How would it affect the Battle of France?
Will the allies respond by sending troops to the Ardennes, causing the German offensive to a halt (can they?), or even push back if they remember they have an airforce? (after all, large collumns of german equipment were sitting ducks in massive traffic jams). If so, I see Great Brittain, France and Germany duking it out in Belgium (like they always seem to do) in a prolonged war since the allies were not really designed for an offensive war while Germany will have lost the initiative to knock out France early in the war. The Kriegsmarine will be against even worse odds than it was historically. Soviet Union will be a bit of a wild card.
or
Do the alles lack the intell/initiative to see what the Germans are trying to do, therefore continueing moving north making the German pincer movement during Fall Gelb even more succesfull than it already was?
or
Do they have time/intell to see the trap, but won't have time to respond? In that case, nothing much will change on the outcome (France still getting knocked out rather quickly, Germany still loosing the Battle for Brittain etc...)