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Originally Posted by Mohoender
I'm pretty sure it works but that depends on the general battle condition. That wasn't only used by the Germans but it was also used against them.
That was used with success (by the Australians) at Tobrouk where the troops used to remain into their holes while the tanks where progressing. Then, they got out behind them, taking out the protecting infantry and attacking from behind.
That was also used with great success at Kursk by the Russians and later, Von Manstein used it against the Russians sometime after Stalingrad (winter 1943-1944). Von Manstein, managed to stop an all out Russian offensive with inferior troops (2nd line Germans, Italians and Romanians) that should have been wiped out. he stopped T-34 with almost no tanks.
I also think that it was used by Hezbollah against Israel during the last war in 2006.
The problem with it is that it works only if your troops have steel nerves and your position can't be taken by a flank maneuver. The Russians advisors kept it as the main tactic for a long time and the Egyptians used it often against Israel. Each time, Tsahal sent its tanks on a long range flank maneuver that cut the defending position from behind. Then, you only have to crush the defenders as if they were some kind of nuts. That's also what happened with the Magino Line by the way (also a fixed defensive line). Worse, the French had decided to save money and the turrets couldn't turn 360°.
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Actually, elastic defence is a WW1 German system, post Hindenburg/Ludendorf. It was used by other armies though in other places too about that time. Also, just to be nitpicky, the 'Maginot guns couldn't turn 360º' isn't true
The real problem with the Maginot guns was that they were too light a calibre, being mainly 75mm - much too light for a fortification gun. The French wanted speed of fire over weight of shell. The Maginot line worked brilliantly, the German's didn't dare attack it directly except in one set-piece assault after it was already outflanked. The real reason the French, in my view, lost the Battle of France is a certain general named 'Gough' cutting and running to Dunkirk and leaving the French to do it alone.