Editing Siegfried Line (section)

=== Minor early role ===
At the start of World War II, the Siegfried Line had serious weaknesses. After the war, German General [[Alfred Jodl]] said that it had been "little better than a building site in 1939" and, when Field Marshal [[Gerd von Rundstedt]] inspected the line, the weak construction and inadequate weapons caused him to laugh.{{cn|date=January 2024}} Despite France's declaration of war against Germany in September 1939, there was no major combat involving the Siegfried Line at the start of the campaign in the West, except for a [[Saar Offensive|minor offensive]] by the French.<ref name="atkin1990">{{cite book |author=Atkin, Ronald |title=Pillar of Fire: Dunkirk 1940 |publisher=Birlinn Limited |year=1990 |isbn=1-84158-078-3 |location=Edinburgh |pages=28}}</ref> Instead, both sides remained in a safe position behind their defences, during the so-called [[Phoney War]].

The [[Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda]] drew foreign attention to the unfinished Westwall, in several instances showcasing incomplete or test positions to portray the project finished and ready for action.<ref>Kaufmann JE, Kaufmann HW: "Fortress third Reich", page 130–5. DA Capo Press, 2003.</ref> During the [[Battle of France]], French forces made minor attacks against some parts of the line, but the majority was left untested in battle. When the campaign finished, transportable weapons and materials, such as metal doors, were removed from the Siegfried Line and used in other places such as the [[Atlantic Wall]] defences. {{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} <nowiki>The concrete sections were left in place in the countryside and soon became completely unfit for defense. </nowiki>{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} The bunkers were used for storage instead.