“Suddenly we heard aircraft engines crossing Dutch airspace, but nobody thought they would be German aircraft, not to mention an attack. Then we heard broadcast on the radio confirmation that the Germans were coming.”

The Belgians could not imagine that they were vulnerable. As at Veldwezelt, the Abwehr had made the closest inspection of the Vroenhoven bridge and its surroundings. Their report of November 1939 on Vroenhoven states:

“Just behind the frontier is a trench across the street, seventy metres behind that a barricade of paving stones. Another seventy metres behind that another cross-trench. The earthworks removed from these trenches are used for the barricade. Only a motor-cycle with sidecar can get through. The bridge is closed at either end by a heavy barred iron gate. There is a sentry on both gates and at the foremost trench. (Double.) Behind the Canal a thick wire entanglement. At the moment it is still possible to go round the obstacles to one side. Across the water on the western edge of the Canal close to the road is a heavy bunker. Farther into the slope, level with the towpath both sides of the bridge 100 metres along is a MG-casemate which can spray along the Canal. Telephone and electric cables on masts west of the road.”⁷

German espionage persisted in its attempts to find out everything about the defence of the bridge. Months later the following was stated in a report dated 4 March 1940 concerning the anti-tank bunkers manned by the Frontier Cyclists⁸:

“In all bunkers there is a small radio apparatus for transmitting and receiving. The apparatus in peacetime were kept in the barracks. The apparatus relied on morse and included a handle with four buttons. One of these means “gas”, another “enemy aircraft”, a third “attack”, it is not known what the fourth one means. The receiver has a loudspeaker through which orders come from the barracks. Such orders would be “prepare to destroy” or “destroy”. If the latter, the bunker crew has to seal off the bridge and evacuate all civilians within 400 metres. The battalion (or company?) of the Frontier Cyclists Regiment may have four light military vehicles each fitted with two MGs capable of a speed of 40-50 kms/hr.”

Heading for Vroenhoven

Group Beton took off from Cologne-Ostheim aerodrome aboard eleven gliders. The Ju 52 tugs were commanded by Lt. Seide. Initially no major difficulties were encountered. The pilots heading for Vroenhoven followed the lit route easily, and thus the course was held with precision. Otto Zierach, one of the SA Koch Staff officers aboard the glider belonging to Squad 1 described the flight thus⁹:

“According to plan the take-off began to roll at 0430 hrs, chainwise at thirty second intervals, one minute behind each group, heading eastwards. After passing a large town to the right the chains ascended for their course. The groups closed up during the ascent. Beacons served as signposts. After leaving the last beacon astern we were to unhook at an altitude of 2400 meters, about twenty-five kilometres from the destination. This final straetch would be the silent approach. We had reached about 2,000 metres when we saw a brightly lit town ahead. Calculating the passage of time and altitude it could have been Aachen but was actually Maastricht.”