New Book on Blitzkrieg of France

[MJC]

Author and long-time WAF member Marc Romanych has co-written a new and insightful volume on the 1940 invasion of France as it relates to the five pronged attack against the vaunted Maginot Line.

This previously undocumented aspect of German Military Operations is explored in detail and buttressed by new, unique archival research in the US and Europe, in addition to previously unknown photography and the excellent 2-D and 3-D maps for which Osprey has become famous.

The book is receiving extremely good reviews from Marc's author colleagues, please see the link below, and apparently is near setting an Amazon record for click-through purchases. I highly recommend this initial effort and I look forward to Marc's current work in progress, a exploration of the 42cm howitzer and its operational utility.

http://www.amazon.com/Maginot-Line-1940-Frontier-Campaign/dp/184603499X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269439771&sr=8-1

Thanks for looking.

Mike

[AFF96]

Thanks Mike! I'll order one and have a read!
Greg

[MLW]

As one of the co-author's of the book Maginot Line 1940, I am very interested in reader questions and comments.

We think we have written an interesting and detailed account of a little known aspect of the French Campaign which is completely ignored by English-language histories. Combat action is glossed over or dismissed outright, and although French-language histories do cover the topic, they are tinged with an apologist view that the Maginot Line was not defeated by the German army.

During our research, we found that German military records, French post-war studies, and first-person accounts painted a different story. The Maginot Line was central to campaign - France depended on it to secure the Franco-German frontier while the best divisions in the army were massed for the advance into Belgium. The Germans knew that to win, they had to breach the French fortifications somewhere along the Belgian border or in Alsace and Lorraine. In their minds, the Maginot Line loomed large as a threat; senior commanders were very concerned that French forces behind the Maginot Line would launch a counterattack to spoil Army Group A’s advance through the Ardennes.

Although battles for the Maginot Line were not decisive, they were significant. Approximately one third of all German divisions were involved in combat along the Maginot Line at one point or another in the campaign. The Wehrmacht attacked in ten division or larger operations and captured eleven of the 58 Maginot forts along the northeast frontier. In the most devastating attack combat engineers assaulted Fort La Ferté (located 20 kilometers east of Sedan), heavily damaged the fort and killed the entire French crew of 107. But not all German attacks were successful. Four Maginot forts easily repulsed German infantry with heavy artillery support. Another eight forts withstood intense aerial and artillery bombardment; to include shelling by 305mm and 420mm siege howitzers. These battles involved some of the heaviest fighting of the campaign.

Cheers, Marc

[Myth]

Hi
And thanks for make me know this new book
Being from Sedan, i'm very very interested by the may40 campaign sonce many years.
Book ordered
Fred

[MLW]

Fred:

Very nice website. I have a large collection of photographs related to the Maginot Line, of which some of the best are in the Maginot Line 1940 book. Yet, I have no photographs of the city of Sedan. I do however, have some photos of the French blockhouses built on the south side of the river. You are welcome to a few scans if you want to include the blockhouses on your then and now website.

Regards, Marc

[Myth]

Hi Marc and thanks for your proposition.
'cause of work, the website hasn't been updated from a long time, and the future new version will include Donchery's blocks and the little cities arround Sedan, so I accept with great pleasure.
Fred

[MLW]

Hi Fred. Please email me at maginotlineatwar@verizon.net and let's take it from there. Regards, Marc

[Vivelefrance]

Also being half-French I am very interested in such a book. Thank you for such a post!

[MLW]

My co-author and I are very happy to learn that our Osprey book - Maginot Line 1940 - has been selected as one of the "Best of Osprey." In three months it has sold more than 3,000 copies and is still selling well. The first printing may be sold out in a few more months. Thanks to those who have bought the book!

Cheers, Marc