Atlantic Wall
Atlantic Wall | |
---|---|
Part of Nazi Germany | |
Western coast of Continental Europe and Scandinavia | |
Type | Coastal defence and fortifications |
Length | 1670 miles (2687 km) |
Site information | |
Controlled by | Nazi Germany |
Condition | Partially demolished; mostly intact |
Site history | |
Built | 1942–1944 |
Built by | Forced labourers |
In use | 1942–1945 |
Materials |
|
Battles/wars | World War II |
Events | St Nazaire Raid Dieppe Raid Operation Overlord Operation Undergo Battle of the Scheldt |
Garrison information | |
Past commanders | Erwin Rommel (1943–1944) |
Occupants | Wehrmacht |
The Atlantic Wall (German: Atlantikwall) was an extensive system of
Background
World War II in Europe began on 1 September 1939, with
History
Creation
Prior to the Atlantic Wall decision, following a number of commando raids, on 2 June 1941 Adolf Hitler asked for maps of the Channel Islands. These were provided the next day and by 13 June 1941 Hitler had made a decision. Ordering additional men to the Islands and having decided the defences were inadequate, lacking tanks and coastal artillery, the Organisation Todt (OT) was instructed to undertake the building of 200–250 strong points in each of the larger islands. The plan was finalised by the OT and submitted to Hitler.[4] The original defence order was reinforced with a second dated 20 October 1941, following a Fuhrer conference on 18 October to discuss the engineers' assessment of requirements.[5]: 197 The permanent fortification of the Channel Islands was to make them into an impregnable fortress to be completed within 14 months.[6]: 448 Festungspionierkommandeur XIV was created to command the project of fortifying the Channel Islands.
It was six months later on 23 March 1942 that Hitler issued
Regelbau
The Regelbau (standard build) system used books of plans for each of over 600 approved types of bunker and casemate, each having a specific purpose, having been updated as enemy constructions were overrun and examined, even testing some to destruction for effectiveness. They incorporated standard features, such as an entrance door at right angles, armoured air intake, 30-millimetre (1.2 in) steel doors, ventilation and telephones,[10]: 7 internal walls lined with wood, and an emergency exit system.[11] There were over 200 standardised armour parts.[12]: 350
The standardisation greatly simplified the manufacture of equipment, the supply of materials and the budgetary and financial control of the construction as well as the speed of planning for construction projects.[13]: 50
To offset shortages, captured equipment from the French and other occupied countries armies were incorporated in the defences, casemates designed for non-German artillery, anti tank and machine guns and the use of turrets from obsolete tanks in tobrukstand pill boxes (tobruk pits).[13]: 51
Organisation Todt
The OT supplied supervisors and labour as well as organising supplies, machinery and transport to supplement the staff and equipment of construction companies. Many of them were German, however construction companies in occupied counties bid for contracts. Companies could apply for OT work or could be conscripted.[13]: 53 Companies failing to complete their work on time, which was always possible as the OT controlled the material and manpower of each firm, could find themselves closed down, or more likely fined, or taken over or merged with another firm to make a more efficient larger unit. Successful firms however could make attractive profits.[13]: 53–4
The OT obtained quotes for necessary works and signed contracts with each construction company setting out the price and terms of the contract, such as bonus payments for efficiency, including the wage rates and bonus payments for OT workers (which depended on their nationality and skill). There could be several construction companies working on each site.[13]
Labour comprised skilled volunteers, engineers, designers and supervisors, who were paid and treated well. Second came volunteer workers, often skilled technicians, such as carpenters, plumbers, electricians and metal workers. Again, these workers were paid, took holidays and were well treated. Next came unskilled forced labour, paid very little and treated quite harshly. Lastly came effective slave labour, paid little, badly fed and treated very harshly.[13]: 75 The OT ran training courses to improve labour skills.[13]: 18
Massive numbers of workers were needed. The Vichy regime imposed a compulsory labour system, drafting some 600,000 French workers to construct these permanent fortifications along the Dutch, Belgian, and French coasts facing the English Channel.[14] Efficiency of the OT decreased in late 1943 and 1944 as a result of manpower pressures, fuel shortages and the bombing of worksites, such as V-weapons sites, where some volunteer workers refused to work in such dangerous areas.[13]: 50
OT Cherbourg in January 1944 dealt with 34 companies with 15,000 workers and 79 sub contractors. Daily, weekly and monthly reports showing progress, work variations, material used, stocks of material, labour hours used per skill type, the weather, equipment inventory and quality, level of supervision, employee absences, staffing levels, deaths and problems experienced all had to be filed with the OT.[13]: 57
British attacks
Throughout most of 1942–43, the Atlantic Wall remained a relaxed front for the
Reorganisation
Early in 1944, with an Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe becoming ever more likely,
D-Day
By the time of the
Channel Islands
The
However, the Channel Islands lacked strategic significance and the Allies bypassed them when they invaded Normandy. As a result, the German garrisons stationed on the islands did not surrender until 9 May 1945—one day after Victory in Europe Day. The garrison on Alderney did not surrender until 16 May. Because most of the German garrisons surrendered peacefully, the Channel Islands are host to some of the best-preserved Atlantic Wall sites.[21]
The commander in Guernsey produced books giving detailed pictures, plans and descriptions of the fortifications in the island, Festung Guernsey.
Fortresses
Many major ports and positions were incorporated into the Atlantic Wall, receiving heavy fortifications. Hitler ordered all positions to fight to the end, and some of them remained in German hands until Germany's unconditional surrender. Several of the port fortresses were resupplied by submarines after being surrounded by Allied Forces. The defenders of these positions included foreign volunteers and Waffen-SS troops.[22]
Preservation
France
Many French construction companies benefited financially from helping construct the Atlantic Wall; these companies were not penalised during the post war period.[34]
Immediately after the war, there was little interest in preserving the wall due to the negative memories associated with the Nazi occupation. Some of the beach fortifications have toppled or are underwater, while those further inland still exist mainly due to their location.[35]
One of the best preserved parts is the Todt Battery. In 2011, renewed efforts to preserve the wall were spearheaded by organisations in Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The question has been raised over whether France should declare the wall a National Monument to ensure it is preserved; however no government so far has envisaged this.[36]
Elsewhere
Although the defensive wall was never fully completed, many bunkers still exist near Ostend, Channel Islands, Scheveningen, The Hague, Katwijk, Noordwijk, Den Helder, and in Scandinavia (Denmark and Norway specifically).[37]
See also
- British anti-invasion preparations of the Second World War
- Czechoslovak border fortifications
- Decauville wagonused in the construction of the wall
- Siegfried line
- Maginot line
- Mareth line
Notes
References
- ^ Lohmann W. & Hildebrand H., Die Deutsche Kriegsmarine, Verlag Hans-Henning Podzun, Bad Nauheim (1956)
- ^ J.E Kaufmann,The Atlantic Wall: History and Guide, 2012
- ^ a b c d e Lightning War 2009.
- ^ "History:Fortifying Guernsey". Festung Guernsey. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016.
- ISBN 978-0750937498.
- ISBN 978-0952047933.
- ^ Kaufmann & Robert 2003, pp. 196–197.
- ^ a b Hakim 1995, p. 161.
- ^ a b c d Darman 2012, pp. 8–9.
- ISBN 978-0953163106.
- ^ "The Regelbau concept". Archived from the original on 18 November 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
- ISBN 9780306816352.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Handbook of the Organisation Todt - part 1. Military Intelligence Records Section, London Branch. May 1945.
- ^ a b The Great Landings 2009.
- ^ Mountbatten 2007, p. 72.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Overlord 2009.
- ^ a b c Assault Plan.
- ^ Ambrose 1994, pp. 221–222.
- ^ Stephenson & Taylor 2013, pp. 11–12.
- ^ McNab 2014, p. 197.
- ^ Stephenson & Taylor 2013, pp. 64–65.
- ^ Kaufmann & Robert 2003, p. 252.
- ^ Kaufmann & Robert 2003, p. 14.
- ^ Zuehlke 2009, p. 527.
- ^ Saunders 2001, p. 210.
- ^ Williams 2013, p. 148.
- ^ Jersey 2015.
- ^ Saunders 2001, p. 180.
- ^ Pauls & Facaros 2007, p. 270.
- ^ a b c McNab 2014, p. 179.
- ^ Delaforce 2005, p. 134.
- ^ Saunders 2001, p. 165.
- ^ Hastings 2004, p. 158.
- ISBN 978-2207108802.
- ^ Hitler's Atlantic Wall.
- ^ "Hitler's Atlantic Wall: Should France preserve it?". BBC. 13 September 2011.
- ^ Williamson 2012, pp. 7–8.
Sources
Printed
- ISBN 0-671-67334-3.
- Darman, Peter (2012). The Allied Invasion of Europe. ISBN 978-1-4488-9234-1.
- Delaforce, Patrick (2005). Smashing The Atlantic Wall: The Destruction of Hitler's Coastal Fortresses. Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-84415-256-8.
- ISBN 0-19-509514-6.
- ISBN 0-333-90836-8.
- Kaufmann, J. E.; Robert, Jurga (2003). Fortress Third Reich: German Fortifications And Defense Systems in World War II. ISBN 0-306-81239-8.
- McNab, Chris (2014). Hitler's Fortresses: German Fortifications And Defences 1939–45. ISBN 978-1-78200-828-6.
- Mountbatten, Chris (2007). Combined Operations: The Official Story of the Commandos. Read Books. ISBN 978-1-4067-5957-0.
- Pauls, Michael; Facaros, Dana (2007). Cadogan Guide Dordogne, the Lot & Bordeaux. New Holland Publishers. ISBN 978-1-86011-354-3.
- Saunders, Anthony (2001). Hitler's Atlantic Wall: Fortress Europe. University of Michigan. ISBN 978-0-7509-4554-7.
- Stephenson, Charles; Taylor, Chris (2013). The Channel Islands 1941–45: Hitler's Impregnable Fortress. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-0375-7.
- Williamson, Louis (2012). U-Boat Bases And Bunkers 1941–45. ISBN 978-1-78200-002-0.
- Williams, Paul (2013). Hitler's Atlantic Wall: Pas De Calais. Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-84884-817-7.
- Zuehlke, Mark (2009). Terrible Victory: First Canadian Army And The Scheldt Estuary Campaign: September 13 – November 6, 1944. D & M Publishers. ISBN 978-1-926685-80-9.
Online
- "Assault Plan". United States Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
- Schofield, Hugh (13 September 2011). "Hitler's Atlantic Wall: Should France Preserve It?". British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
- "Jersey – My Island – History – German Occupation". British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
Media
- Lightning War (television documentary). United States: World Media Rights. 2009. Archived from the originalon 2 April 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
- The Great Landings (television documentary). France: France 2. 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
- Overlord (television documentary). United States: World Media Rights. 2009. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
- The Atlantic Wall and its significance in Allied planning for the D-Day landings are featured in the novel Villa Normandie (Endeavour Press, 2015) by Kevin Doherty.
- The many constructions of the Wall still standing have been photographed by Jonathan Andrew and Stephan Vanfleteren.