Battle of Fort Eben-Emael

E203670

The Battle of Fort Eben-Emael was a pivotal early World War II engagement in May 1940 in which German airborne troops used innovative glider-borne assaults and shaped charges to neutralize a key Belgian fortress, enabling the rapid German advance into Western Europe.

All labels observed (3)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf World War II battle ⓘ
battle ⓘ
belligerent Belgium ⓘ
Nazi Germany ⓘ
combatant Belgian Army ⓘ
German Wehrmacht ⓘ
linked to: Wehrmacht
commander Walter Koch ⓘ
conflictIn World War II ⓘ
country Belgium ⓘ
date 1940-05-10 ⓘ
defensiveStructure Fort Eben-Emael ⓘ
endDate 1940-05-11 ⓘ
followedBy further German advances in Belgium ⓘ
front Western Front ⓘ
garrisonSurrenderedTo German forces ⓘ
GermanCommander Walter Koch ⓘ
historicalSignificance demonstrated effectiveness of airborne forces against fixed fortifications ⓘ
undermined confidence in static defensive lines in Western Europe ⓘ
involvedUnit Belgian fortress garrison ⓘ
German Fallschirmjäger ⓘ
German airborne troops ⓘ
German glider-borne assault teams ⓘ
locatedNear Albert Canal ⓘ
Liège ⓘ
notableFor first large-scale airborne assault on a fortress ⓘ
innovative use of gliders in combat ⓘ
use of hollow-charge explosives against fortifications ⓘ
operationName Fall Gelb ⓘ
outcome capture of Fort Eben-Emael by Germany ⓘ
partOf Battle of Belgium ⓘ
linked to: Battle of France

German invasion of Belgium ⓘ
Western Front of World War II ⓘ
linked to: Western Front
place Fort Eben-Emael ⓘ
precededBy German planning for Fall Gelb ⓘ
result German victory ⓘ
strategicEffect contributed to German advance into Western Europe ⓘ
enabled rapid German advance into Belgium ⓘ
facilitated German crossing of the Albert Canal ⓘ
neutralization of key Belgian fortress ⓘ
theater European theatre of World War II ⓘ
timeToNeutralizeMainGuns within first day of attack ⓘ
usedTactic airborne assault ⓘ
glider-borne assault ⓘ
surprise attack ⓘ
usedVehicle military glider ⓘ
usedWeapon explosive charges ⓘ
shaped charges ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Case Yellow → notableEvent → Battle of Fort Eben-Emael ⓘ
Fallschirmjäger → notableEngagement → Battle of Eben-Emael ⓘ
linked to: Battle of Fort Eben-Emael
Invasion of the Low Countries → notableBattle → Battle of Fort Eben-Emael ⓘ
Riemst → hasHistoricalEvent → World War II battles at Fort Eben-Emael ⓘ
linked to: Battle of Fort Eben-Emael
Walter Koch → battle → Battle of Fort Eben-Emael ⓘ