Editing Fall Rot (section)

===Maginot Line===
[[File:Maginot Line ln-en.svg|thumb|The Maginot Line]]
[[Army Group C]] in the east was to help [[Army Group A]] to encircle and capture the French forces on the [[Maginot Line]]. The goal of the operation was to envelop the [[Metz]] region, with its fortifications, to prevent a French counter-offensive from Alsace against the German line on the Somme. The XIX {{lang|de|Panzerkorps}} (General [[Heinz Guderian]]) was to advance to the French border with [[Switzerland]] and trap the French forces in the [[Vosges Mountains]] while the XVI {{lang|de|Panzerkorps}} attacked the Maginot Line from the west, into its vulnerable rear to take the cities of [[Verdun]], [[Toul]] and Metz. The French had moved the 2nd Army Group from the Alsace and Lorraine to the Weygand line on the Somme, leaving only small forces guarding the Maginot Line. After Army Group B had begun its offensive against Paris and into Normandy, Army Group A began its advance into the rear of the Maginot Line. On 15 June, Army Group C launched Operation Tiger, a frontal assault across the [[Rhine]] into France.{{sfn|Romanych|Rupp|2010|p=52}}

German attempts to break the Maginot Line prior to Tiger had failed. One assault lasted for eight hours at the north end of the line, costing the Germans 46 dead and 251 wounded for two French were killed at {{lang|fr|[[Ouvrage Ferme Chappy]]}} (Chappy Farm shelter) and one at {{lang|fr|[[Ouvrage Fermont]]}}. On 15 June, the last well-equipped French forces, including the Fourth Army, were preparing to leave as the Germans struck; only a skeleton force held the line. The Germans greatly outnumbered the French and could call upon I {{lang|de|Armeekorps}} of seven divisions and 1,000 guns, although most were First World War vintage and could not penetrate the thick armour of the fortresses. Only 88&nbsp;mm guns were effective and 16 were allocated to the operation; {{nowrap|150 mm}} guns and eight railway batteries were also employed. The {{lang|de|Luftwaffe}} deployed {{lang|de|[[5th Air Corps (Germany)|Fliegerkorps V]]}}.{{sfn|Romanych|Rupp|2010|p=56}}

The battle was difficult and slow progress was made against strong French resistance but the fortresses were overcome one by one.{{sfn|Romanych|Rupp|2010|pp=56–80}} {{lang|fr|[[Ouvrage Schoenenbourg]]}} fired 15,802 {{nowrap|75 mm}} rounds at German infantry. It was the most bombarded of all the French positions but its armour protected it from fatal damage. The same day that ''Tiger'' began, {{lang|de|Unternehmen Kleiner Bär}} started. Five assault divisions of the VII {{lang|de|Armeekorps}} crossed the Rhine into the [[Colmar]] area with a view to advancing to the Vosges Mountains. It had 400 artillery pieces including heavy artillery and mortars. The French 104th Division and 105th Division were driven back into the Vosges Mountains on 17 June. On the same day, XIX {{lang|de|Korps}} reached the Swiss border and the Maginot defences were cut off from France. Most units surrendered on 25 June and the Germans claimed to have taken 500,000 prisoners. Some main fortresses continued the fight, despite appeals for surrender. The last fort did not surrender until 10 July and then only under protest and after a request from General [[Alphonse Joseph Georges|Alphonse Georges]]. Of the 58 big fortifications on the Maginot Line, ten were captured by the German army.{{sfn|Romanych|Rupp|2010|pp=90–91}}