 The Wurzburg Reisse Radar on display at Musee du Radar in Douvres, Normandy |
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14440 Douvres-la-Délivrande Normandy, France Coordinates: 49.285698 -0.403048 An easy to find museum not very far from Juno Beach in Normandy. Take the D79 and drive south to the D404. There is a four way interchange on the motorway (highway). Take a left on the D83, it will be sign posted as Route de Beny. Drive a short distance and the museum is on your left hand side. If you are coming from the south the same road counts which is the D404, again a very easy to find museum and close to the D-Day beaches. This is a very unique museum as not only does it include some very well preserved bunkers but also was the site for a very important radar installation for the Germans. The site includes the original Wursburg Riese Radar and a superb presentation on the radar sites operations located in the German command bunker. On hand most days is a tour guide who translates in English, French and German. As read from one of the display boards: The radar station held 238 men under Lieutenant Igle (Luftnachtricten regiment 53), repulsed all their attacks (all as in the allies) with the help of their 6 50 and 75 mm antitank guns, 7 20 and 37 mm flak guns, 1 mortar and about 20 machine guns! The strong point was also protected by barbed wire and a minefield. The Canadians were content to lay siege to the radar station. On 17th of June, 400 men from the British 41st Royal Marine Commando supported by the tanks of 22nd Dragoon company, finally captured the position after a short battle, at a cost of 12 tanks and a few killed and wounded.  Click to enlarge and read display board. |  Click map to enlarge  Parking for the Musee du Radar - As always in Normandy everything is very well sign posted.  The entrance and parking for the museum, this site has a large parking area. There is also a nice gift shop on the way in.  Great photo of a garrisoned German unit enjoying some play time. Note the KAR98 rifles on the rack, the M40 helmets and the air intake/outtake system for the stove, a few pretty local girls add a nice touch to the bunker. |
All photographs on this visit were taken between July 16th, 2016 and are subject to copyright. Please be respectful and do not copy them for your own personal or professional use. If you would like to contact the photographer and admin of this web site please e-mail admin@germanbunkers.com I used two different cameras on the 2016 visit. The Nikon Coolpix 35mm and the Apple iPhone Six Plus. |
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 The L479 Anton type German Command bunker at the Radar Museum in Douvres, Normandy. |  The entrance way to the L479 bunker type. It now holds a really nice presentation on the Radar Station and the Atlantic Wall. |  A sideways glance and the damage the bunker endured during the siege of the complex. |
 A detailed map displaying the vast extent of the Atlantik Wall, inside the command bunker. |  A beautiful and detailed diorama of the German Command bunker at Douvres, Normandy. |  A film is constantly running showing the details of the radar station and it's operations. |
 Another shot of the command bunker and the museum it houses today, the wood paneling added long after the war... |  A nice touch to the museum is the detailed reader boards. |  Stepping down into the command bunker and quarters, these steps could tell a few tales... |
 A look inside the personnel quarters at the command bunker. I don't think that's Rita Hayworth on the wall, probably Lilli Marlene... |  Some of the items found at the site over the years, M40 type helmets, a gas mask canister, a nice phone set etc. |  Life in the bunker, a radio, books and a nice place to to sleep, what more could you want? |
 Looking down the hall which pass the anti-rooms, stairs out directly ahead. |  Machine gun embrasure. |  The metal plate opens and shuts, looking out down the line of sight the gunner would have a nice view of who's coming. |
 And we leave the command bunker with a nice close up shot of the MG embrasure. |  The reader board for the sites H622 bunker. |  The H622 personnel bunker, a common site on the Atlantik wall. |
 A look above and down the 622 bunker. Note the ammo niche at the end. |  The entrance to the Tobruk is open, the other entrances to this 622 are closed with a wire mesh. |  A last look at the 622 bunker. Maybe those other rooms will be open on another visit? |
 The L486 power station bunker. This bunker provided electricity to the five radar stations on the site. |  A frontal shot of the L486 power station bunker which was sadly closed. |  A sideways glance at the L486 bunker, note the Formstein concrete cinderblocks. |
 A really nice shot of the L486 with MG embrasure to the left. |  Another nice shot which includes the machine gun niche and rusted steel plate, still in place 70 plus years later! The brick work is unique I think... |  The information plate for the Wursburg Riese radar. |
 The Wurzburg Reisse Radar on display at Musee du Radar in Douvres, Normandy |  A close up shot of the radar itself, long since torn away from it's mounting arm. |  Another look from a different angle. I would love to see a historical tracking of the signatures that thing picked up! |
