Fort of Eben-Emael

Belgium / Limburg / Maasmechelen / Rue du Fort, 40
 Second World War 1939-1945, military, fortification, interesting place, war memorial
This was the cornerstone of Belgian border defences on the eve of WW2. Designed to delay any attack by the German Army long enough for national, British and French forces to organize a more comprehensive defence.

Unfortunately, the fortress was a victim of 2-D thinking. 50 German special forces soldiers landed on the roof via assault gliders and quickly disabled all of the weapons and observation ports using flamethrowers and shaped charges, rendering the 1,500 Belgian troops inside largely impotent.

www.fort-eben-emael.be/
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Eben-Emael
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   50°47'48"N   5°40'51"E