The Need for Organisational Resilience - Chapter 1

foothold on the other bank of the river before mobile bridges and pontoon bridges can be

assembled. The standard technique for crossing a river is to saturate the enemy overlooking

the river bank with firepower. Under cover of smoke, assault troops – in rubber dinghies −

cross the river. The enemy needs to be dislodged before any attempt to establish a ferry

system or the construction of a pontoon bridge can commence. Having overcome any

opposition in close proximity to the initial crossing, the assault troops press farther inland to

widen the bridgehead and prepare for any counteroffensive. Meanwhile, a protective shield

of anti-aircraft batteries is established to counter air assaults on the still-vulnerable

bridgehead. Once heavier equipment can be brought across, tanks and other armoured

vehicles can support the assault troops to break out of the bridgehead. This complex,

bottlenecked, undertaking of an amphibious crossing of a river provides the defending side

with ample opportunity to disrupt any crossing or the establishment of a bridgehead.

Another obstacle faced by the Germans was fortification along the Dyle river in Belgium,

together with the fortresses of the Maginot Line. In the 1930s, France started building a

massive line of fortifications from the Swiss border to Luxembourg. An extension – although

less fortified − was built up to the Channel coast after 1934. The main purpose of the

Maginot line was to protect the industrial areas of Alsace and Lorraine by holding up an

enemy until reinforcements could be brought forward to stiffen a defence, and also support

any offensive operation.

A fortress of the Maginot Line. (BArch, n.d.)

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