37. Silencing Eben-Emael’s Guns Opened The Way For the German Advance
With Eben-Emael’s guns unmanned, other German paratroopers seized and secured the vital bridges the fortress had been built to safeguard. They suffered heavy casualties, but held on to the bridges, beating back Belgian counterattacks long enough for relief to arrive from regular German army units that raced to their aid. Eben-Emael’s garrison, its situation now hopeless, surrendered early the following day, May 11th, within 24 hours of the gliders’ landing atop the fortress.