This was the largest coal reserve in that part of France—and in northern Europe, in fact—and that coal was quite necessary to the Germans to fuel their war machine. We'll take a look at this quick video clip, and you'll get an appreciation of the height of the ridge and the strategic position that the ridge was protecting.
C'était la plus grande réserve de charbon de cette région de la France, et de tout le nord de l'Europe en fait, et les Allemands avaient absolument besoin de ce charbon pour alimenter leurs machines de guerre.
