It was no different in de Weber’s platoon. Machine-gunner Carlier was appalled at the devastation unleashed in a few seconds. The attack on the trenches, the bunker and the surrounding houses was fast and ceasless. Three “blows” that pinned down the Belgians at the outset:

“I saw clearly the Germans jumping out of the gliders and had them in range so that I could have inflicted heavy casualties, but in seconds a hail of shells and grenades came over. These latter exploded in our trench and in those nearer the Canal. Soon we discovered that they had killed Lt.Bossaert. Despairing and dazed I sought protection in the houses near our trenches in the belief that I would be safe there, but a group of Germans had encircled the bunker. I heard a terrible explosion and was still recovering from the shock when there was a second one. Several houses had been blown up. With a great effort I managed to get free of the rubble which had fallen in on me.”

Ellersiek and his men blew up the Nicolaes house with two cases of grenades and explosives because they thought it was a Belgian command post. The building fell like a pack of cards. And the paratroopers collapsed a few more.

The casualty list for the Bossaert unit speaks volumes: of its forty-four men, twenty-four died (including Bossaert himself, in bunker N) and seven were wounded, amongst them Leemans. Over fifty per cent of the unit were dead within a few minutes of the attack beginning, a fearsome balance. As established by the commanding officer, Oblt Altmann, the operation was running to plan. Although he had landed in a small depression in the terrain about 400-500 metres west of the bridge, he was halfway between Bossaert’s trenches and the Kip van Hees height, where elements of 18th.Regt of the Line were in position. Protected against Belgian fire he was able to watch through field glasses the penetrative power of the paratroop attack. In sector south, coordinated by Obj. Pohlmann, leader of Squad 6, they were on the point of capturing the Belgian trenches by using hand grenades.

A quarter of an hour later he met with his squad leaders at his command centre, a trench 150 metres south-west of the Canal.

The Battle in the North Sector: The Lombaers-Unit Trench

This unit had been reinforced by a MG platoon from 8.Company and was positioned in the trenches running parallel to the Canal on the north side on a small elevation – Kip van Veldwezelt – between the village and the Canal. Three gliders landed north of the Bilzerbaan and the bridge. One of them came down only a few metres behind Sgt.Vandevelde’s platoon. Another landed between this platoon and that of Sgt. Rousseau. Vandevelde, who survived the attack, wrote a comprehensive and long report on what befell his platoon¹⁹. When one reads his eyewitness statement, it is not difficult to imagine the panic which spread through the Belgian trenches:

“Our trenches ran north of the Mopertingen-Maastricht highway. After my people had settled in, I thought about our instructions in the event of an attack. I checked the trenches and barbed wire defences which protected the Albert Canal slope. I did all that before I went to my hole to stand a twenty-four-hour tour of duty. I had near me Privates Ancion, Clément and Del²⁰ who occupied the left part of my trench, i.e the side nearest Lanaken.

At 2330 hrs it was all quiet and I decided to make a round as far as the nearest sleeping area which also belonged to my command. I took my belt, rifle and pocket lamp and headed towards the sector to my right. Dev., T… and P… were on watch. There was nothing to report. It was a quiet night. Everything was in order. The men knew their duty. After I returned to my trench I handed over command to Louis Ancion and went to sleep. It must have been 0015 hrs when he woke me to report that Clément had seen a movement on the Canal. It was a pair of barges coming up from Vroenhoven. The orders in this respect were clear: from 1900 to 0700 hrs all traffic on the Canal was forbidden. I ran to the command centre and telephoned for instructions. The reply came back promptly and calmed us: there was nothing to worry about. Everything was in order and we should let them pass.

After the incident with the barges I returned to my bed but could not sleep. That was towards 0230 hrs on 10 May. Shortly afterwards we heard voices. Sgt. Jules Rousseau had come to my position with a couple of men as reinforcements and to relay new orders. We should be on our guard. They were all up and about in the village where “Prepare for battle” had been ordered. It was the third time we had done this, but we were assured this time it was not a drill. Nobody believed it. Thus it happened that death surprised many civilians in their beds… Sgt Rousseau reminded me to return to my battle post.

The nearest MG to the bridge was in my trench. Eight men were squeezed in there. Farther left was a roofed communication trench to Sgt Rousseau’s position and the village. Five metres away from me, on the other side of the roofed trench, was casemate C. Behind me, fields, partially hedged in; before me, separated off by barbed wire, the Kip, which sloped down sharply to the Canal. To the right was a barricade of sandbags which were supposed to hinder an attack from that direction.

We split up as follows: near the sandbags, Ancion, Pollart, Ti…; towards the village fields, Clément, van Tongerloo and myself; Dev… and De…watched the area leading to the roofed trench. Near me was a box of grenades. I reminded my men of the instructions: I would man the MG with Pollart while van Tongerloo would direct my fire. It was 0400 hrs. No sign of officers, news or new orders…

Suddenly we heard something, a kind of soft rustling from the sky, and we raised our heads to look, each asking himself what on earth could it be. At once we saw aircraft with a white fuselage circling over Holland on the far side of the Canal. Seconds later they flew across the Canal and circled overhead, losing height. We could not hear their engines, and so knew they were not aircraft in that sense. The wings looked odd too. (We did not know then that these were gliders.)