The Battle for the Maginot Line - Volume 2: From Kerfent to Simserhof

On June 13, 1940, surprised by the breakthrough of the Guderian armored 
corps in Champagne, General Weygand, commander in chief, gave the order 
to the large units and interval troops to abandon the line's work crews 
to their fate. Maginot to avoid encirclement.

While the withdrawal began, the Saar, a modestly fortified sector of 
30 kilometers based on defensive floods, suffered the terrible shock 
of the Armee Von Witzleben: thus began Operation Tiger at dawn on 
June 14.

In one day, the allied forces inflict an uncompromising defeat on the 
adversary. Having suffered very severe losses, and close to giving up, 
the enemy painfully continued its effort. After almost complete 
withdrawal of the French and Polish units, he managed to break 
through the next day.

Then, by a rotating movement, a few days before the armistice, he tried 
to bring down the small CORF infantry works, on the wings of the Maginot 
line.

Some surrenders will follow, but the result remains mixed. Indeed, any 
progress in the sector battered by the artillery of works means severe 
losses. This is the case of the overpowering Simserhof which stopped 
the Wehrmacht in its tracks in the Rohrbach – Bitche sector.

Once the armistice was signed, at the beginning of July the surrender of 
the many crews remaining undefeated took place, who would then leave... 
to prison camps. Incomprehension and humiliation!

This second volume, beginning at Kerfent, near Saint-Avold, brings to life 
the glorious battles of the fortress troops as far as Bitche.
A text of great rigor, unique original documents redrawn on the computer 
and more than 500 photos, most of them unpublished, give this work an 
exceptional memorial vocation.

Hardcover edition from 2024 (€ 42.00)

Brandnew book - illustrated with 524 photos and 67 plans and maps. Available by the end of this week.