Grebbeline: Effective or Defective aspects

[PassandReviewofWW2]

The General idea in case of War was demolition and inundation to obstruct and delay any repeat of using Holland as a convenient bypass, as in WW I.

A series of defensive lines along waterways could present a considerable problem to breach in a timely manner ,combined with flooding and destroyed bridges might make any move thru Holland impossible for large Military Formations.

In May of 1940 German Units Air Dropped/Landed in unmarked Transports and Motorized Units appeared to make any kind of defense obsolete, resulting in some success taking one bridge and having control of one bridge approach .
In the confusion Dutch Forces refused to give up, and took up positions from where they began to wear down the isolated German Forces that had been Air Dropped or had unceremoniously speed past Dutch Positions, who could only hold out for short duration, if subject to counterattacks.

Along the Grebbe, the Germans noticed an area that was not flooded, that may hold the key to a complete breakthrough of Fortress Holland.
Sending in the Elite SS Storm Regiment Das Reich to clear the Way, May 11th 1940.
Using overwhelming Force the SS cleared each Bastion of the Dutch outpost line, around Wagenerian, advancing thru the overgrowth and copse was tricky, the Narrow Grebbe Stream also delayed progress.
The SS then stumbled across the Dutch Grebbeline on the GrebbenBerg HIll, steel cupolas resistant to small arms return fire raked the advancing SS ,
the SS attack began to flounder.
SS Obersturmbannfuhere Wackerly Charged up the hill, taking cover with the remaining men who followed him, wounded Wackerly was now cut off.
The plus and minus of Fixed Defenses now showed, a few Dutch Squads could hold back a larger Attacking Force, but were to few in number to counterattack.

[BramvanS]

It was not the Storm Regiment Das Reich (this regiment never existed), but SS Regiment Der Führer.

The outpost was not around Wagenerian, but Wageningen.

Good information can be found on this great (Dutch) website http://www.grebbeberg.nl/index.php?page ... grebbeberg

Bram