The Maginot Line

[jonnymacbrown]

I just found a really interesting documentary about the line on Y Tube. Seems it never fell to the Germans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoQndrkkY...re=related

[greg]

the funny traduction of "mon capitaine " by "my captain "

[Aaron]

I knew it never fell but ive never seen this documentary and i found it very interesting, glad u posted it up, excellent find.

Aaron

[Hadge]

Hi All

Despite a not too promising start there are some good scenes in this documetary - worth a look

About 15 years back Mrs H and I went for a "romantic" trip round this part of the Franco-German border, going from Strasbourg up to Luxembourg along the line, and spent entire days looking round the forts at Hackenberg, Simserhof and Hatten in particular - fascinating (but very cold underground) - and well worth a visit.

Not too far from there is a "West Wall" accomodation block which had been bought by a German chap;- he was restoring it and also building a collection of AFV's - it was a quiet day so he asked me if I would like to have a look at his Radar truck! - this turned out to be a ex-WarPac mobile radar which still worked ! - and he proved it !!!

His parting comment was "its a shame you are not coming tomorrow - I am expecting a Pz IV delivery" ..its all true !!

Brilliant holiday

Updated for accuracy..... I've just had a look at some of my own video and photos, and a bit more on U-tube ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvFWdXIgN...re=related

This is the guy that I was refering to ... so (memory fails as you get older) the AFV collection is at Hatton (not part of the West Wall, but still Maginot) - this fellow is brilliant, really friendly and extremely passionate about his stuff... give him some Euro's !




Chris

[jonnymacbrown]

The documentary also made clear the total breakdown of French high command in 1940. They eventually abandoned the Maginot Line in an attempt to turn these well trained elite fortress troops into rifle divisions. The 500,000 men were all captured within a few days of leaving the fortifications. The French could have and should have attempted to use the Line as a fulcrum for their new defense. DeGaulle described the French high command in 1940 as a submarine without a periscope. J

[Mr Grumpy]

Thanks for the link, it is always good to get a different perspective on historical events, the point about if the French would have been better to have used the money the line cost to build more tanks/planes would be a interesting discussion i think, the point they made about it giving the Russians no advantage was a very good one, its the old 'quality vs quantity argument! :)