housing 60 mm guns and machine guns covering the canal. 'Sud' was demolished when the canal was enlarged. 'Mi-Nord and Sud' are machine gun blocks (mitrailleuses) in the main surface of the fort. They were crucial in defending the top of the fort. 'Block O1' overlooks the canal and guarded the Lanaye locks. It housed a 60 mm gun and machine guns. Underground galleries extend over beneath the hill, connecting the combat blocks and serving the underground barracks, power plant, ammunition magazines and other spaces. Fresh air was obtained from intake vents over the canal. Personnel In 1940, Fort Eben-Emael was commanded by Major Jottrand. There were around 1,200 Belgian troops stationed at the fort, divided into three groups. The first group was permanently stationed at the fort and consisted of 200 technical personnel (e.g. doctors, cooks, weapon maintenance technicians, administration staff). The two other groups consisted of 500 artillerists each. In peace time, one group would be stationed at the fort for one week, and the other group would be in reserve at the village of Wonck, about away. These two groups would change places every week. Except for some of the officers and NCOs, most of the men were conscripts. The majority of these were reservists and were called up after the Invasion of Poland in 1939. Infantry training was poor, since the men were considered to be purely artillerists. 1940 On 10 May 1940, 78 paratroopers of the German 7th Flieger (later 1st Fallschirmjäger Division) landed on the fortress with DFS 230 gliders, armed with special high explosives to attack the fortress and its guns. Most of the fort's defenses were lightly manned and taken by complete surprise. Eben-Emael's loss delivered a hard blow from which the Belgian Army could not recover. Present day Fort Eben-Emael is now open to the public. While still military property, it is administered by the Association Fort Eben-Emael, which provides tours and activities. See also Czechoslovak border fortifications Maginot Line References Bibliography External links Fort Eben-Emael Official website A page on Eben-Emael Eben-Emael at darkplaces.org with a layout of the fort Story of Pionier-Bataillon(mot)51, Eben-Emael May 1940 Glider assault on Eben Emael as an archetype for the future Infantry Magazine, March–April, 2004 by Paul Witkowski Armament of Eben-Emael, Aubin-Neufchateau, Battice and Trancémont and Photo gallery of Eben-Emael(Czech only) Eben-Emael Military history of Belgium during World War II World War II museums