Maginot Line Use In1944

[Pips]

While much is made of the ineffectiveness of the Maginot LIne in 1940, how did it fair in German hands in 1944 with the Allied invasion.

Did the Allies go through it in their chase across France? Or try to by-pass it as did the Germans? And what effect did the Line play in the secondary German Winter offensive Operation Nordwind?

I ask because I can't recall reading anything about it in 1944.

[BillHermann]

Much of the Maginot Line was completly ignored when the Germans retreated in 1944. The allies walked right through it. In some cases some defences or shelters were set in Maginot fortifications by the allies close to the German border.

Having traveled around much of the Nordwind battle area it can be said that many of the Maginot line bunkers were used as shelter by both the US army and the Germans. There is a bunker east of Hatten, Casemate Esch, where the US troops took shelter and the damage to this Maginot bunker was from Nordwind along with many others in the Hatten area. Two important points regarding your question, first the defences of the Maginot linge for the Germans were pointed for the most part in the wrong direction and second most of the defences were not armed any more or were not in the same state as they were before and during the attacks in 1940. The Germans dismantled some of the weapons, took others and modified many of the defences some were destroyed. By 1944 many of the bunkers were empty shells.

And back to your first point regarding the lack of effectiveness of the Maginot Line. In some areas where the Germans attacked it was very effective. The attacks across the Rhine the Maginot Line was effective against the German attacks. The large forts along the French German border were also very effective and held out. Some until the armistice.

[Pips]

Thanks.

[Mori]

More details from the (French) wikipedia page: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligne_Maginot

Bunkers along the Rhine were of no use for the Germans and systematically neutralized. Some forts between the Rhine and the Saar were occupied by the Germans. Patch attacked some near Bitche in in December 1944, e.g.,
- Simserhof (13-19 Dec 1944)
- Schiesseck (17-21 Dec 1944)

[Sheldrake]

Even though tunnel entrances may have faced the wrong way, the positons themselves were sited for all round defence and had embrasures facing the French side. The US 100th "century" division captured Fort Schiesseck, one of the Maginot forts in a four-day assault, 17 - 20 December 1944.

[BillHermann]

Yes the defence embrasures were facing the line of allied advance and could be used for defence by the Germans but the line itself with its artillery and its interlocking fire which was how the Maginot line was designed was facing Germany. So individual bunkers could be used if need be.

[Sheldrake]

Yes the defence embrasures were facing the line of allied advance and could be used for defence by the Germans but the line itself with its artillery and its interlocking fire which was how the Maginot line was designed was facing Germany. So individual bunkers could be used if need be.

Fine, the Germans had their artillery and mortars on the German side of the line.