Exploring WW2 bunkers in Normandy, France.

[1911ly]

I envy you being able to explore this stuff! you rock brother, you rock!

 

[Sylvain]

I envy you being able to explore this stuff! you rock brother, you rock!

Glad you like it Larry.

There are more in the same field that I didn't get to see today.
Maybe during a next trip.

 

[1911ly]

Glad you like it Larry.

There are more in the same field that I didn't get to see today.
Maybe during a next trip.

Looking forward to it buddy!

 

[red_zr24x4]

Thanks Sylvain, awesome as always!

 

[GregD]

Just great Sylvain . . . Thank you

 

[Leadeye]

Great pics Frenchman. I'm curious about what was used as aggregate for the concrete, is some sort of local round stones?

 

[Sylvain]

Great pics Frenchman. I'm curious about what was used as aggregate for the concrete, is some sort of local round stones?

Probably pebbles from the beach nearby.

 

[Sylvain]

Some more pictures I haven't shared yet.

An observation bunker overlooking the sea on top of a cliff.

That's taken from the roof of the bunker.

There are 4 steel beams sticking out of the concrete, one on each corner.
They used to support a roof on top of the observation deck.

Similar to that bunker:

Not sure if it was destroyed during the war or removed after for safety reasons.

That bunker had no artilery but from that position German troops could direct mortar fire on the nearby beach.
The mortar positions were a few miles inland.

 

[Sylvain]

Ther bunker is partially underground with several rooms inside.
Most of those rooms still have doors which is quite rare for a bunker left abandoned for so many years.

Here is the floor plan.

 

[Sylvain]

Crew room with bunk bed attachements on the walls.

There is also an escape tunnel in that room, not shown on the floor plans.

 

[Sylvain]

 

[Sylvain]

The door leading to the communications room, with gun port covering the entrance stairs.

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

Those are amazing. I can't imagine what they looked like when new and operational. Quite amazing.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Thor]

Cool. I remember seeing a lot of these back in the '70's including Hitler's bunker. Amazing monuments to ineffective static defense...some still sitting unused all these years later after Patton just drove around them.

If you're going to build a Maginot Line today it had better encircle the country and extent to space...even then it would only be a temporary measure.

 

[Sylvain]

Those are amazing. I can't imagine what they looked like when new and operational. Quite amazing.

Thanks for sharing!

Some are kept the way they were during WW2 as museums.

You can also find original pictures to see what they looked like.

 

[Sylvain]

Cool. I remember seeing a lot of these back in the '70's including Hitler's bunker. Amazing monuments to ineffective static defense...some still sitting unused all these years later after Patton just drove around them.

If you're going to build a Maginot Line today it had better encircle the country and extent to space...even then it would only be a temporary measure.

I wouldn't call the Atlantic Wall ineffective.
It made it much harder for the Allied to land in Europe.

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

Interesting... Appears to be quite tidy and efficient.

 

[Sylvain]

 

[Sylvain]

The doors are probably one inch thick and have some heavy duty locking mechanism.
All stuck in place by decades of rust.

Same for the hinges.
One door is stuck halway shut, making it harder to enter the room.

 

[Thor]

I wouldn't call the Atlantic Wall ineffective.
It made it much harder for the Allied to land in Europe.

Except that it was ineffective in the end (and not a significant delay either). Mark for mark it could have been money spent better elsewhere. Franc for franc it would have been better for the French to spend it elsewhere also as it proved entirely ineffective. Even if Germany respected the border of other countries Dora and Ferdinand would have defeated the Maginot Line.