THE SILENT ATTACK: The Fallschirmjager Capture the Bridges of Veldwezelt, Vroenhoven and Kanne 1940

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Much has been written about the capture of Fort Eben Emael Belgium by German paratroopers on May 10, 1940. This operation marked the first use of gliders and shaped charges and proved it was possible to drop paratroopers behind enemy lines. The training, secrecy, accuracy, and speed, in addition to the element of surprise, made for a lethal force that caused chaos among Belgian soldiers.

However, it should be stressed that these paratroopers were part of a larger group: The Sturmablteilung Koch (Koch Assault Group), the elite of the Luftwaffe in 1940, whose mission was not only to take Eben Emael, but also the three bridges over the Alberto canal near Veldwezelt, Vroenhoven, and Kanne. The success of the attack on Belgium and France would depend on the rapid conquest of those bridges.

The aim of this book is to show how it was planned and carried out the assault on the Albert Canal bridges. All this not only through a supported text documents, records and evidence, but also by many photos never published until now. Every detail, from the creation of the Koch Assault Group, until the final attack, has been closely scrutinized by reference to the best sources, as well as testimonies of Belgian and German soldiers.