Early 1940, The Netherlands was still building their defense against a possible raid from Hitlers Germany. In the middle section of the Eastern border, they build the so called Maaslinie, supported with the “Peel-raamstelling”, a defensive line containing rather small concrete fortifications called “kazematten” from which fixed machinegunfire could be launched upon the enemy approaching. The Peelraamstelling contained about 2000 of these Kazematten, intersected by approximately 300-400 meters. Next to that a anti-tank channel had been dug, which was supposed to prevent enemy tanks on their advance.
The state of the Dutch army in comparison to the German army was an inferior one, and modernisation of the army had not been put through properly. The river “Maas” was considered a natural barrier but the eastern border held several bridges. To prevent the enemy from crossing the bridges, they were mostly prepared for demolition by the teams responsible.
But in the early morning the Germans were able to neutralize the demolitionloads from the railroad bridge at Gennep and to decept the guards. It made them possible not only to breach the Maaslinie, but also breach the Peelraamstelling using an armoured train containing troops and penetrate Dutch soil up to 15 kilometers until the train was finally put to a hold at the town of Mill. The Germans were then able to attack the Peelraamstelling from behind. Later that same day after delaying the German advance and brave defensive efforts, the Peelraamstelling was cleared as ordered by the High Command of the Dutch army. Next defensive line for the Germans to stumble upon would be the Grebbelinie, an attachment to the North of the Peelraamstelling.
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