What shaped charges did GRANIT use at Eben-Emael?

Short answer

Granit used primitive, unlined shaped charges fixed onto Eben-Emael's turrets. When detonated they shook the turrets but failed to destroy them, so other airborne troops had to climb onto them and smash the gun barrels. The group numbered eighty-five men in eleven gliders.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

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Unlined shaped charges

The Granit group used primitive shaped charges, unlined. They were fixed onto the fort's turrets and detonated: they shook them but did not destroy them, so other airborne troops had to climb onto the turrets and smash the gun barrels.

The Granit group

The Granit group, commanded by Oberleutnant Rudolf Witzig, was made up of eighty-five men distributed among eleven gliders. In the operation as a whole, 493 airborne troops took part. Fifty DFS 230 transport gliders were deployed for the assault force.

What Eben-Emael protected

The fort overlooked several important bridges over the Albert Canal. The garrison surrendered at 12:30. The capture of the bridges and the neutralisation of the fort's artillery pieces allowed the infantry and armour of the 18th Army to bypass other Belgian defences and advance into the heart of Belgium.