Allied Base
US Pillbox
Description
The pillbox was a hardened enclosure
providing excellent protection, made of such durable
materials as concrete and rebar.
The Allies installed numerous bunkers
along the Maginot Line – the system
of French combat fortifications along
the German border. It is believed that
the Maginot Line was the most powerful
and well-equipped line of defense in all
of World War II. It featured fourteen bunkers per kilometer, with a wall
thickness of 3.5 to 4 meters of
fortified concrete, interconnected
into a unified whole by a system of underground
railways, galleries and trenches,
complete with power stations, warehouses,
hospitals, headquarters and communication centers.
Nevertheless, these defenses stood broken
for several hours, after they
were stormed by a German infantry assault supported with
air and artillery – and without the aid
of tanks.