What was the Siegfried Line in World War II?

What was the Siegfried Line in World War II? Siegfried Line, system of pillboxes and strongpoints built along the German western frontier in the 1930s and greatly expanded in 1944. In 1944, during World War

What was the Siegfried Line in World War II?

Siegfried Line, system of pillboxes and strongpoints built along the German western frontier in the 1930s and greatly expanded in 1944. In 1944, during World War II, German troops retreating from France found it an effective barrier for a respite against the pursuing Americans.

How many Americans died at the Siegfried Line?

24,000 American soldiers
The Americans committed an estimated 120,000 troops plus reinforcements to the Battle of Hürtgen Forest. The battle in this heavily forested area claimed the lives of 24,000 American soldiers plus 9,000 of so-called nonbattle casualties—those evacuated because of fatigue, exposure, accidents and disease.

Which boundary was secured by Germany with Siegfried Line?

The Siegfried Line was a World War II German defensive system stretching some 390 miles along the western border of the old German Empire. Referred to as the Westwall by the Germans, it ran from Kleve, on the border with the Netherlands, to the town of Weil am Rhein, near the Swiss border in the south.

What were the Maginot Line and the Siegfried Line?

The principal difference between the two is that the former was erected in France by the Germans in World War I; the latter by the French between 1929 and 1934 on their own eastern frontier. The Siegfried Line was a fortified defensive barrier erected in France from Lens to Rheims.

Why was the Siegfried Line so called?

The name derived either from a German defensive position of World War I, the Siegfriedstellung, or from the Siegfried legend celebrated in Richard Wagner’s operas; it was popularized by a British music hall tune, “We’re Going to Hang Out the Washing on the Siegfried Line.” Known to the Germans as the Westwall, it was …

What happened to the Siegfried Line?

Geldern Emplacement. Geldern Emplacement bunker near Kleve. The Geldern Emplacement lengthened the Siegfried Line northwards as far as Kleve on the Rhine, and was built after the start of World War II. The Siegfried Line originally ended in the north near Brüggen in the Viersen district.

Why was the Siegfried line so called?

What was the difference between Allied and Axis civilian deaths?

What was the difference between the Allied and Axis civilian deaths? The Allied powers had 4,107,855 more civilian deaths than the Axis powers. What percent of the civilians killed in Germany were Jews? Roughly 6%.

Where was the Siegfried Line drawn?

It went from Kleve on the border with the Netherlands, along the western border of the old German Empire as far as the town of Weil am Rhein on the border to Switzerland. More with Nazi propaganda in mind than for any strategic reason, Adolf Hitler planned the line from 1936 and had it built between 1938 and 1940.

What remains of the Siegfried Line?

Numerous relics of the Siegfried Line remain as they were, including many thousands of ‘dragon’s teeth’: pyramid-shaped tank traps made of concrete and steel, now softened by moss and vegetation but still capable of stopping any motorised vehicle in its tracks.

Was the Siegfried Line breached?

In 1944 it was something of a Potemkin village. Dr. Todt and the German Army had never intended the line to halt an attack, merely to delay it until counterattacks by mobile reserves could eliminate any penetration.

What was the name of the second Siegfried Line?

The second, commonly known in German as the Westwall but referred to by the Allies as the “Siegfried Line”, was built farther east during the 1930s opposite the French Maginot Line. This line stretched more than 630 km (390 mi) and featured more than 18,000 bunkers, tunnels and tank traps.

Where is the Siegfried Line in World of tanks?

Siegfried Line is based on the iconic defensive line Germany built opposite to the Maginot Line in World War 2. The map reflects this with half of the map being a sprawling field with bunkers. The other half a small town featuring some fortifications. Separating both are dragon’s teeth to funnel tanks to certain crossing points.

Where to see the Siegfried Line in Luxembourg?

The Siegfried Line near Wallendorf is probably the best spot to dive into the Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg. The defensive structures around the village are part of a 630km defensive line full of pillboxes, tank traps and other stuff. I travelled to Wallendorf to see some of these defenses.

What are the tactics for the Siegfried Line?

The map reflects this with half of the map being a sprawling field with bunkers. The other half a small town featuring some fortifications. Separating both are dragon’s teeth to funnel tanks to certain crossing points. When it comes to tactics on Siegfried Line it boils down to two simple game plans.