Sunday, June 29, 2014

May Family Visit: Part 3 Atlantic Wall

During our day-trip to Oostende on the coast of Belgium, we visited the Atlantic Wall.   The Atlantic Wall was a German bunker/fortification built along the Atlantic coast.  Originally, these trenches/fortifications stretched all the way from Norway to the French-Spanish border.  It was constructed by the Germans during WW1, but also used by them again during WW2.   The Germans were trying to prevent the American, British, and Canadian forces from coming ashore. 
 
 



 
Anti-aircraft gun

 
 WW2 Mine






 
bomb shelter

 
trenches

 
above the bunker/trenches

 
aimed at the Atlantic


 
walking through the trenches

 
 
 
The Germans used these phones to call the gunmen when they spotted an aircraft

 
This says:  "Attention, the enemy is listening!..."

 
These plane photos and their names were pinned to the wall near the phone.   These photos were there to help the spotters identify them. 


 
Reenactment of a room below











 
The following is a list of obstacles that the Germans used on the beaches.  These obstacles prevented the tanks from coming ashore.  See pics that correlate below:
 







 
We really enjoyed seeing the fortification and learning more about this part of history along the Belgian coast.
 
 

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