SS: THE GERMAN DEFENSIVE BARRIER known as the Atlantic Wall included two areas that met the requirements for a massive Allied invasion, beaches that were accessible to landing craft, tanks, and other vehicles and were not too far from British ports or from Germany, the ultimate objective. Suitable beaches around Calais were only 30 miles from the port of Dover and 200 miles from the German border, but the proximity to the Reich meant that they were well defended. The other promising landing site between the fortified ports of Le Havre and Cherbourg in Normandy was farther from Germany but was chosen because beaches there were less heavily defended.
Wonderful_Counter1 on
those Germans sure knew how to do defense on a grand scale, huh? But IMHO, while it’s impressive, it also seems a little too extra,
WokeBush_ on
The majority of this line was defended by drafted troops from occupied territory and men otherwise unfit for frontline service, and the majority of them were under-equipped with outdated weaponry. Most of the fortifications were very minor in scale. But it’s still cool to think about and study
SchillMcGuffin on
The whole „Atlantic Wall“ area shown wasn’t fortified to the level of Omaha Beach. Areas particularly unsuitable for landing due to tides or bluffs or other conditions, or just very far from Britain, might be practically empty, or have only small observation posts or coastal artillery batteries.
theodiousolivetree on
In France there is Fortress located in „La Pallice“. It’s nearby La Rochelle. It’s property of French army. It was Fortress to give protection to submarines. 35 years ago when I was serviceman I went over there for military’s duties. France doesn’t destroy it because its destruction coasts too much money. The biggest British bomb didn’t destroy it in 1944.
Ugly souvenir from Germans.
TomLondra on
It didn’t work !
newnilkneel on
Reminds me of The Continental System
bishal_3499 on
I have watched a documentary in YouTube about this it purpose was same as great wall of china to stop the invasion my outer force, if it was ever build i think it would have been the strongest defensive wall ever.
Illustrious-Low-7038 on
The most impressive part about this id that it worked. The French Atlantic ports were too well fortified or too bombed out to be of any use. Im not sure but i think it was only when they took Antwerp in Nov/Dec 1944 did the Allies have any real port.
RFB-CACN on
Good thing the Nazis didn’t have time to build Nordstern and fill it with new warships, it was meant to become the main Nazi stronghold in the Atlantic Wall.
blsterken on
It’s crazy to me that 10% of all the concrete and steel used on the Atlantic Wall (from the Spanish border to Norway) and over 50% of all excavation and tunneling was done on the Channel Islands. Talk about a misallocation of resources.
GrantLee123 on
It went all the way up through Norway. I’ve visited German bunkers in Brensholmen on Kvaløya in Norway.
dhkendall on
I’d recognize that font anywhere that’s a Nat Geo map!
Legado_des_pleiades on
Düsseldorf and Essen are swapped
Nikkonor on
This map is missing something like half of it (the northern half).
Relevant_Silver1149 on
Interesting minor WWII side note:
The German battlecruiser Gneisenau had nine 28cm cannons in three triple turrets. After the ship was bombed while in dry dock, they instead installed the cannons on the coast of Norway.
One of the turrets, the Caesar, was installed *inside of a small mountain* at Austrått Fort. Around 650 Yugoslavian slaves worked on excavating and installing the turret. It was test-fired once, and never saw any real engagement.
It was of course decommissioned after the war, and was opened as a museum in 1991. Today it is one of the most complete surviving German WWII coastal batteries.
You can now get a guided tour through the five floors of the mountain bunker and gun turret, which includes seeing the living quarters, the ammunition feeding system, and climbing up the inside of the main turret itself.
There’s also a beautiful view over the Trondheim fjord when you exit up top, and a lovely family running the farm and a cute café on the old fort’s farm property.
sirbruce on
„Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man.“ – Gen. George S. Patton
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SS: THE GERMAN DEFENSIVE BARRIER known as the Atlantic Wall included two areas that met the requirements for a massive Allied invasion, beaches that were accessible to landing craft, tanks, and other vehicles and were not too far from British ports or from Germany, the ultimate objective. Suitable beaches around Calais were only 30 miles from the port of Dover and 200 miles from the German border, but the proximity to the Reich meant that they were well defended. The other promising landing site between the fortified ports of Le Havre and Cherbourg in Normandy was farther from Germany but was chosen because beaches there were less heavily defended.
those Germans sure knew how to do defense on a grand scale, huh? But IMHO, while it’s impressive, it also seems a little too extra,
The majority of this line was defended by drafted troops from occupied territory and men otherwise unfit for frontline service, and the majority of them were under-equipped with outdated weaponry. Most of the fortifications were very minor in scale. But it’s still cool to think about and study
The whole „Atlantic Wall“ area shown wasn’t fortified to the level of Omaha Beach. Areas particularly unsuitable for landing due to tides or bluffs or other conditions, or just very far from Britain, might be practically empty, or have only small observation posts or coastal artillery batteries.
In France there is Fortress located in „La Pallice“. It’s nearby La Rochelle. It’s property of French army. It was Fortress to give protection to submarines. 35 years ago when I was serviceman I went over there for military’s duties. France doesn’t destroy it because its destruction coasts too much money. The biggest British bomb didn’t destroy it in 1944.
Ugly souvenir from Germans.
It didn’t work !
Reminds me of The Continental System
I have watched a documentary in YouTube about this it purpose was same as great wall of china to stop the invasion my outer force, if it was ever build i think it would have been the strongest defensive wall ever.
The most impressive part about this id that it worked. The French Atlantic ports were too well fortified or too bombed out to be of any use. Im not sure but i think it was only when they took Antwerp in Nov/Dec 1944 did the Allies have any real port.
Good thing the Nazis didn’t have time to build Nordstern and fill it with new warships, it was meant to become the main Nazi stronghold in the Atlantic Wall.
It’s crazy to me that 10% of all the concrete and steel used on the Atlantic Wall (from the Spanish border to Norway) and over 50% of all excavation and tunneling was done on the Channel Islands. Talk about a misallocation of resources.
It went all the way up through Norway. I’ve visited German bunkers in Brensholmen on Kvaløya in Norway.
I’d recognize that font anywhere that’s a Nat Geo map!
Düsseldorf and Essen are swapped
This map is missing something like half of it (the northern half).
Interesting minor WWII side note:
The German battlecruiser Gneisenau had nine 28cm cannons in three triple turrets. After the ship was bombed while in dry dock, they instead installed the cannons on the coast of Norway.
One of the turrets, the Caesar, was installed *inside of a small mountain* at Austrått Fort. Around 650 Yugoslavian slaves worked on excavating and installing the turret. It was test-fired once, and never saw any real engagement.
It was of course decommissioned after the war, and was opened as a museum in 1991. Today it is one of the most complete surviving German WWII coastal batteries.
You can now get a guided tour through the five floors of the mountain bunker and gun turret, which includes seeing the living quarters, the ammunition feeding system, and climbing up the inside of the main turret itself.
There’s also a beautiful view over the Trondheim fjord when you exit up top, and a lovely family running the farm and a cute café on the old fort’s farm property.
„Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man.“ – Gen. George S. Patton