Atlantic Wall built by Germany against Allied attack during WW2Bunker,Port en Bessin, Normandy,France,
THE ATLANTIC WALL. Bunker,Port en Bessin, Normandy,France, WORLD WAR TWO ENDED IN EUROPE IN MAY 1945 THE ATLANTIC WALL BUILT BY GERMANY IN WORLD WAR 2 STRETCHED FROM NORWAY VIA DENMARK HOLLAND BELGIUM AND FRANCE TO THE SPANISH BORDER THE MAIN CONCENTRATION OF BUNKERS BLOCKHOUSES AND DEFENCES WERE ALONG THE DUTCH BELGIAN AND FRENCH COASTAL AREAS MOST UNDER THREAT FROM AN ALLIED INVASION THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WALL BEGAN IN 1942 AND CONTINUED UP UNTIL THE JUNE 6th ALLIED INVASION ON D DAY IN 1944 TENS OF THOUSANDS OF WORKERS AND PRISONERS FROM THE GERMAN OCCUPIED AREAS OF EUROPE WERE EMPLOYED BY THE ORGANISATION TODT NAMED AFTER FRITZ TODT THE GERMAN ENGINEER WHO DIED IN 1942 TO BE SUCEEDED BY ALBERT SPEER IN THE BUILDING WORK BETWEEN THE RIVERS LOIRE AND DIVES 87 257 WORKERS WERE USED INCLUDING 55 000 FRENCHMEN 11 500 GERMANS 4 200 DUTCH 6 600 BELGIANS 2 600 NORTH AFRICANS AND SEVERAL THOUSAND FROM EASTERN EUROPE THE ATLANTIC WALL WAS THE LARGEST BUILDING PROJECT SINCE THE ROMAN EMPIRE MANY OF THE COLOSSAL GUN BUNKERS AND UNDERGROUND DEFENSIVE CHAMBERS REMAIN SOME HAVE FALLEN FROM CLIFF TOP POSITIONS WHILE OTHERS ARE PARTLY CONSUMED BY SAND DUNES THE RAVAGES OF WAR TEN THOUSAND TON BOMBS AND 60 YEARS OF COASTAL WEATHER HAVE HARDLY AFFECTED THESE LEVIATHAN LIKE STRUCTURES WHICH LOOK LIKELY TO LAST AS LONG AS THE RUINS OF ANCIENT ROME A FITTING REMINDER OF A WORLD THAT COULD HAVE BEEN FROM 60 YEARS AGO 2005
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Photo credit: © BRIAN HARRIS / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: albert, atlantic, bessin, bunker, concrete, defence, en, forced, france, guns, labour, normandy, port, speer, todt, wall, ww2
