A Tough Nut to Crack

A Tough Nut to Crack. . , As World War I progressed, German strategy took on a defensive posture. While Allied trenches were designed for the purpose of launching attacks and raids, German trenches were developed with strongly prepared 2nd and 3rd tier defensive lines. These defensive lines were interlocked with strong points made of steel reinforced concrete bunkers. Usually placed in commanding positions on the battlefield, these bunkers or pillboxes were often armed with multiple machine guns. Built with concrete walls measuring in excess of two feet the bunkers could withstand the heavy artillery barrages that proceeded the attacks. A well placed concrete machine gun bunker could hold up an advance for hours or days and taking it usually meant high casualties as infantry would try to get close enough to insert grenades through the small machine gun openings., In World War II the Germans capitalized on the techniques of concrete bunker construction creating massive systems from the coasts' of France to the very heart of Berlin. Today many of these structures from both wars are still standing bearing scars in their concrete as testimony to the struggles to take each position.,

Corporal Hugh F. Cox, Company C, 314th Infantry, 79th Division crawled upon his stomach to within a few yards of a nest and hurled a hand grenade, killing the gunner and silencing the gun. , From the History of the 79th Division American Expeditionary Force, of the battle to take Montfaucon

, [Caption:] , German pill box taken during the advance of the American 79th Division. Haucourt, (Montfaucon Sector) Meuse, France. October 22, 1918.