October 22nd, 2023
Not far from Laffaux lies Flakstellung B and the remarkably well persevered remains of a German bunker type L 425. The camouflage patterns are truly exquisite. This flak batterie also was home to a Würzburg radar, barracks & 6 x 10,5 cm Flak, 3 x 2cm Flak guns.
Text remain on the walls, also in pristine condition. Rough translation: If there is a risk of gas, remove the connection ring and screw in the outer filter. And the crew room with escape shaft on the left, original gravel I believe, removed in a hurry in case of emergency.
The gun scharte and text which reads: When the light is on, close the gap. The bunker number 428 written in red paint on the left by the stairs. The wooden remains of the gun scharte, not cast in concrete. This visit was one of my highlights this past summer, a remarkable site.
2023 marks the 10th anniversary of visiting France and photographing the remains of the Atlantikwall.
It’s been an incredible journey and I am pleased to say I have amassed enough photographs to release a 1st edition book.
I am not sure of the release date yet but I plan on two types, the first one will be a coffee table release comprising mainly of photographs. The second one I will give more details on later.
(Above photo: the 622 type bunker at Marg 03, Quiberville, Northern France, an astonishing site)
Here is a list of some of the German bunker remains and museums I visited this year:
Soissions – Hauts-de-France
Wolfsschluct II bunker and surrounding remains
FHQ Museum
Margival SK Bunker
Flakstellung B
Flakstellung C
Other bunker sites in the area I haven’t listed here yet
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Friville-Escarbotin – Hauts-de-France – Bei de Somme region
Ca 010 FuMG Skorpion, Vaudricourt
Ca 02
Ca 013
Ca 015
Tre 011
Marg 03
Tre 06
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Normandy
Trou 08
Stp 05
Wn 104
Stp 133
Stp 110
Stp 111
Wn 104
Wn 109
Wn 121
Wn 127
Wn 237
MKB Landemer / Castel Vendon
Wn 229
Wn 227
Knickebin K10 Luftwaffe Radar bunker
Wn 454
V1 Feurstellung Nr 17 14 – Mesnil-au-Val
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Bretange / Brittany
Ra 104a
Ra 104b
Ra 107
Fort Montbarey museum
Re 302 Graf Spee Museum
B 90
B 91
B 92
B 94
B 96
B 97
B 100
B 101
U-Boat museum Brest
B 317 – Vf HWB Unterstand, FL 304, FA Flakstand
Hospital bunker Morvan
MKB Vormars
Batterie Quilbignon
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Lorient
U-boat museum Lorient
U-boat DOM Bunkers
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Vannes
Va 300
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Saint-Nazaire/Pays de la Loire
U-boat bunker pens Saint-Nazaire
Nz 105
Nz 351 command post bunker now a museum
(Above photo: The 621 type bunker at Wolfsschluct II, Margival, Northern France.)
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This is WN37, Asnelles, Gold Beach, Jig sector – This 677 type bunker had a 8.8 cm (88mm) gun, this deadly menace was responsible for taking out 6 British tanks on D-Day.
Battle damage clearly visible & the rear entrance shows the exhaust vent for the guns fumes & gases.
For additional photos of our visit to Wn 37 please visit here.
This is the remarkable Hochleitstand of Marineküstenbatterie Oye-Plage & manned by 8/Marineartillerieabteilung 204. The Germans disguised it as a church belfry. The Germans mined the base but failed to demolish it and so it leans to this day.
This is StP St Firmin Bihen H.K.B. of the AOK 15 HKAR 7 Batterie which held 17 cm guns. Covering the Baie de Somme this 688 type casemate bunker now sits in a flooded sandpit. We took this photograph on our latest visit to France in 2022 and will be updating the web site as time permits.
This most recent trip covered areas which we haven’t researched before including:
Saint-Malo in Brittany
Saint-Nazaire in Pays de la Loire
Ile de Re in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine
We also were able to include a number of new additions which we had missed on previous trips including ones in Normandy, Fecamp, Baie de Somme and the Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
This is WN Rheinhilde in Les Hemmes de Marck, France. Here 2 Tetrahedron obstacles block near the entrance to this exquisite type 219 bunker, note the camouflage. This type were constructed for dual enfilade fire from along the beach. Inside the gun room left and right embrasures.
It was manned by Jägerregiment 36/18 Luftwaffenfelddivision & covered the beach exits. Still skirting the perimeter barbed wire & concrete posts, a small MG position called a Dreischartenturm with its Panzertür type 16P7 steel door still intact & a destroyed guard hut.
This is the SK V2 Feuerstellung in Eperleques. The sheer size of this complex is staggering. Designed to launch V2 rockets and was targeted by allied bombing raids using Disney & Tallboy bombs. Photos here showing bomb damage, & in the woods the old railroad connecting the base.
Click here for directions and more on the V2 museum in Eperlecques, Northern France.
August 30th, 2021 – This is Stp 120 Martha in Plage des Ecardines & home to an R120 Observation Bunker and an R630 MG bunker. Seen here the 120 with the with 21P7 cupola up close, adjacent unterstand, machine gun scharte & entrance. Distance shot of both bunkers as the sun starts to set. The Panzerplatte on the R630 MG Schartenstand or Machine Gun bunker or frontal armor plate is still intact. This Stp played an important role in the defense of the 18. Luftwaffen-Feld-Division.
August 10th, 2021 – This is WN Beate located in Zuydcoote, east of Dunkirk & was manned by the 18 Luftwaffenfelddivision. Seen here a Tobruk built into the sand far back from the beach, look at that concrete symmetry! An interesting location that features Wellblech shelters and masonry structures.
May 16th, 2021 – This is Marineküstenbatterie Oye-Plage & the exquisite Leistand which the Germans disguised as a church. It now tilts to the left after a failed demolition by the allies.1st shot captures the suns rays while a family enjoy a BBQ picnic! Rebar on side & iron doors frozen in time.
April 19th, 2021 – This is Stp 109 Dusseldorf, Cap Blanc Nez. Seen here a type 622 Doppelgruppenunterstand bunker or quarters for German soldiers with blast wall to protect the troops. It was home to units of Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe & Heer & was heavily defended, surrendered September 25th, 1944. Note the bomb craters in a recent screen capture from Google earth.
February 28th, 2021 – Then & now, this is WN 102 also designated as Stp 12, Utah Beach, Normandy. Seen here the R667 bunker with it’s 5cm KwK 39 gun L/60 flanking the beach. The bunker surrendered on June 7th, 1944 to the U.S. 22nd Infantry Regiment. Lastly the close up of the machine gun scharte.
February 21st, 2021 – Our Sunday update includes a visit to Stp 18 Marinekustenbatterie Oldenburg. This massive batterie not far from Calais was the home to 2 massive SK Bunkers which housed 24cm SK/L50 guns capable of firing a 150kg shell. Very special are the steel fronts unseen on most of the gun bunkers on the Atlantikwall.
December 27th, 2020 – Our post Christmas update takes you to the beautiful Cap-Gris Nez at it’s most northern point and once home to Stp 161 Bumerang. This was a very strategic area for the Germans shortly after the invasion of France in 1940 and was the location for both artillery and observation. It was a sizeable Stutzpunkt (Stp) and had a large number of Vf and FA type bunkers which can still be seen today, amongst the grazing sheep!
December 22nd, 2020 – Our Christmas week update takes to Stp. 245 Batterie Brommy which provided cover to Cherbourg in Normandy. This visit in 2018 only covered one of the M270 casemate bunkers, another visit we will explore the other remains.
November 29th, 2020 – Our Sunday updates continues with our visit to Stp 259 Pechnelke – MKB Flugplatz. There are 3 R671 bunker casemates here. Pictured here an unusual 671SK type with reinforced concrete. This bunker actually held the telemeter. Moving onwards into the 3rd one & looking out from the gun room & 3 beauties in a row.
November 28th, 2020 – Our Saturday update takes you to Stp 259 Pechnelke – MKB Flugplatz home of the Marineartillerieabteilung 240 a large Naval batterie covering the defenses of Boulogne. Here the Vf Hospital bunker, a tragic mess inside. Original tiles still exist on the walls and how this German surgery would have looked.
November 15th and 22nd, 2020 – Our combined Sunday update brings you last weeks and this weeks update and visit to Stp Berck-Nord located in Northern France & the home of a very large German
coastal batterie of the 1245 6/HKAAR. Seen here the enormous R127 & R611 casemate bunkers & an R105b bunker with the original metal plate for the MG34 machine gun! The R105b is a Westwall type bunker found on the Atlantikwall. This rare type of bunker provided flanking fire and faced south. View from the outside, inside the entrance defense, the plate for the MG 34, German writing still visible above the duct. Also seen here the escape hatch and the close combat embrasure.
November 1st, 2020 – Our Sunday update brings you to WN 159a Falke in the beautiful Cap Gris-Nez in Northern France which is home to an extended Wellblech personnel bunker. The complete photo set can be found here: Wn 159a Falke
A Wellblech personnel bunker part of Wn 159a Falke. Cap Gris-Nez, Northern France.
September 27th, 2020 – Our Sunday update brings you to part 2 of WN Luise, Grand Fort-Philippe. A tobruk defends the north from La Fleuve Canal via the English Channel. Inside the gun room of the R612, note the fading ammunition chart for the gunners. A view of the R134 and the 2 Vf2a’s 1 of which is blocked by a cow in our last shot!
September 20th, 2020 – Our Sunday update brings you to part 1 of our trip to WN Luise located in Grand Fort-Philippe, Northern France. Once home to the Jagerregiment 36/18 Luftwaffenfelddivision. Seen here an R612 front and back still with camouflage, an LAG gun bunker, & the remains of the barbed wire posts, such wonderful small details.
September 14th, 2020 – Our latest update takes you on a hike to the beautiful Mont de Couple outside the town of Saint-Inglevert in Northern France. This beautiful walk offers breathtaking views of the Bay of Wisant and the surrounding area. In the distance in these photographs you can clearly see the white cliffs of Dover. This strong point played an important part in the German defences of the area.
More photographs of our trip can be found here:
September 11th, 2020 – Our latest update takes you to the Contentin Peninsula at his farthest point, where you will find Stp 351 HKB Stahl outside the hamlet of Auderville.
Seen here an R679 type bunker, one of several, a view from the R631 Leistand or observation bunker which has panoramic views of the English Channel.
August 4th, 2020 – Our latest update takes you on a sweltering hot day in Leffrinckouke, Northern France on our 2016 trip and to the home of MKB (Marinekusten Batterie) Malo Terminus. The Germans built the batterie on the site of the French batterie Zuydcoote in 1778. I will post the entire photo set later on but for now here are four photographs including one of four R671 casemate bunkers, the M162a Leistand fire control bunker and an SK bunker. Check back soon for more updates!
July 20th, 2020 – Our latest Twitter update includes a lovely visit to the beautiful seaside town of Wissant in Northern France. Here we took a day trip to see some really nice remains of the Atlantikwall at Stp 119 Preussen. Seen here a tan and a tank wall! A view of the tank wall on the beach and as it exists today and the cutaway at the end of the wall. In the distance and up close an R631 Schartenstand bunker for 47mm anti-tank gun, up close with periscope mount & tobruk.
July 7th, 2020 – Our latest Twitter update includes one our favourite visits along the Atlantikwall, Marine Kusten Batterie Waldam, east of Calais in the area known as Oye Plage.
Not to be missed is the exquisite Drehturm SK gun bunker, the only one of it’s kind ever built and could rotate 360 degrees.
Some of our photos from the visit that day can be found here MKB Waldam – Oye Plage
Drehturm SK gun bunker, MKB Waldam.
June 26th, 2020 – Our latest Twitter update includes a trip to Marine Kuste Batterie Vasouy in Honfleur, Normandy. This exquisite set of remains includes two M272 casemate bunkers and a M262 Fire Control bunker. The two casemates had 15.2 cm S.L.K. guns and we will feature our entire photo set in the coming weeks on it’s own dedicated page on the web site here.
June 16th, 2020 – Our latest update includes a fascinating then and now photograph of the K5 28cm railway gun built by Krupp as it is being shunted into it’s massive Dombunker in Wimereux, Northen France. Today the bunker is home to a design firm and decorated on the outside by potted plants!
June 8th, 2020 – Our latest update includes more breathtaking video footage from Klaas Meijer in the Netherlands. Klaas has featured several updates including the German Infantry Regimental Headquarters at Rijksdorp, Wassenaar (Wn 289). It was responsible for the defence of the Wassenaarse Slag and consists of more than 30 bunkers.
Klaas has his own YouTube channel which can be located here: https://www.youtube.com/user/klaasmeijer
June 4th, 2020 – Our latest update includes some beautiful film footage from Klaas Meijer and his research into German bunkers in the Netherlands. Klaas is a Spokesman for the Netherlands Ministry of Defence, he is also an historian and veteran.
Klaas has his own YouTube channel which can be located here: https://www.youtube.com/user/klaasmeijer
This is a great YouTube channel to subscribe to and we will announce here when he has another update.
Here is one of his latest videos, “Sperre 314) the anti-tank wall at the Waalsdorpervlakte was defended by a St 625 artillery bunker. The wall protected Stutzpunktgruppe Scheveningen in the north.
May 21st, 2020 – Our latest update brings us to Dieppe, in Normandy and the home of some beautiful remains of the Atlantikwall. The Germans designated the are with the prefix of “DIE” and this particular area was named DIE 010. Here we will focus the camera on the R630 bunkers, one of which includes a beautiful fresco painted by one of the garrisoned German soldiers.
We will be posting more photos this week and the entire photo set to the Die 010 section later on.
Click on each image to enlarge.
May 17th, 2020 – Our Sunday update includes a visit to WN 126 Bonn in Sangette, Northern France and a visit to two R637 Observation bunkers. The bunkers can be found within walking distance of the once mighty Lindemann batterie. The R637 Observation bunkers here oversaw the Eisenbahnartillerieabteilun 725 railway batterie in Calais.
Click here to access the photo set.
February 23rd, 2020 – Our Sunday Twitter and web site update –
This is Stp Fort Mahon located at Fort Mahon Plage in the Baie de Somme. It’s a really beautiful area and home to two remaining R671 bunkers of the H.K.A.R. 1245 Heers Kusten Artillery Batterie. The casemates had 10.5 cm K331 guns. Beautiful camouflage patterns visible.
December 8th, 2019 – Our Sunday Twitter and web site update –
On an exquisite evening between Audinghen to the north and Audresselles to the south in Northern France is the Observation bunker at WN168 Leyer. On top the sun sets over the English Channel, inside not a bad view either and looking north it’s big cousin the mighty Turm 4 of the Batterie Todt.
November 17th, 2019 – Our newest Twitter update brings you to our latest visit of the German gun batterie Vill 013 HKB Mont Canisy, Benerville-sur-Mer, Normandy. This sprawling complex features over 250 meters of interconnecting tunnels, three 679 casemate bunkers, trenches, mortar positions, ammunition bunkers and personnel bunkers. Our expanded photo set will be featured soon so stay tuned!
Click here to visit our official Twitter feed or click here to visit our dedicated page to the bunker photographs at Mont Canisy.
June 15th, 2019 – Our latest update includes the photo sets taken at WN 166 Seydiltz in the Cap-gris-Nez area and the hamlet of Cran aux Eufs. Here we focus the camera on the FuMo 214 Wurzburg Reise Radar base and bunker remains.
Click here to visit WN 166 Seydiltz
March 4th, 2019 – This weeks update starts off where we left on our Twitter update last week at WN 106, Utah Beach, Normandy. Take a look at the photographs we took on the outside and the inside of this R501 troop bunker with tobruk.
Click here to access WN 106, Utah Beach.
March 3rd, 2019 – Our latest update brings you our new section called “Funkraum” or radio room in German. This new section is an ongoing update and new additions will be added as time permits. We will feature information and photographs of Bunker phones and bunker communication systems.
Click here to access our new Funkraum section.
January 11th, 2019 – We kick off our New Years updates with an extended web site update and a visit to the exquisite and remarkable MKB Waldam located just east of Calais. We have posted a number of really nice photographs from our trip there in the summer of 2018.
Click here to access MKB Waldam
December 19th, 2018 – We have completed the new navigation menu under Bunkers in France. You can now sort by designation for the German 7th and 15th Armies as well as by region. For those of you new to the defensive structures built by the Germans during the Second World War, the Germans had each section or area of defense put into designations. For instance Lower Normandy where the D-Day landings took place for such areas as Omaha Beach fell under the designation: “AOK 7 – KVA H – KVGr Bayeux / KVUGr Bessin”. AOK 7 standing for 7th Armeeoberkomando, or Army command of the 7th Army. As time permits the web site will be update to feature all of the photographs taken on the last three visits as well as future ones we hope. We will continue to send out updates here in this section as well as on our Twitter feed.
October 29th, 2018 – We have completed the new navigation section under “Freie Kuste”. Here you can visit the areas we covered on our 2016 and 2018 trips from Calais to Dunkerque.
Click here to continue to Freie Kuste
October 21st, 2018 – Our weekend Twitter update takes you to Batterie Seeadler, a German Naval Observation bunker east of Cherbourg.
Click here to visit our official Twitter feed
October 20th, 2018 – Our weekend Twitter update take you to the French Musee Dunkirk 1940.
Click here to visit our official Twitter feed
October 12th, 2018 – Our weekend Twitter update takes you to Stp 255 Batterie du Roule in Cherbourg and the site of fierce fighting between the U.S. and German army.
Click here to visit our official Twitter feed
October 6th, 2018 – Our weekend Twitter updates include a visit to Stp 135 Batterie Crisbecq in Normandy, the scene of ferocious fighting on D-Day.
Click here to visit our official Twitter feed
September 22nd, 2018 – Our weekend Twitter updates includes a visit to Stp 391 Heere-Kusten-Artillerie-Batterie Petite Thot.
Click here to visit our official Twitter feed
September 14th, 2018 – Our weekend Twitter and web site update includes an extensive photo display of our July, 2018 trip to the U.S. Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mere-Eglise, Normandy.
September 9th, 2018 – Our weekend Twitter update includes four stunning images of WN 481 in Cherbourg and it’s home to four R669 bunkers, one of which displays the eagle emblem, a rare and beautiful part of the Atlantikwall fortifications in France.
Click here to visit our official Twitter feed
We are currently conducting a major overhaul on the web site. Please forgive any errors you may see as we are reformatting all of the pages to conform with cross browser and platform functionality, meaning the web site will appear the same on all platforms including PC, IOS and Android for all mobile devices including phones and tablets. You may have also noticed we are in the process of reconstructing the navigation menu, this will sort the categories much better as we now have so many new entries to add from our 2018 summer trip to France and Belgium.
Thank you for your patience!
September 2nd, 2018 – We have two new updates to add since returning from our summer trip to the Atlantikwall in France and Belgium.
Our first update takes us to the breathtaking remains of Stp Bamburg in Belgium.
Click here to continue to Stp Bamburg
September 2nd, 2018 – Continued – Our second update is a trip to WN 241 The German occupied French fort at Digosville, Normandy.
Click here to continue to WN 241 Le Fort de Digosville
The R637 and R600 bunkers at Stp 120a, Sauerland, Wissant, Northern France.
August 20th, 2018 – We have returned from our 2018 summer trip to France and Belgium and have covered an enormous amount of territory. Almost 2,000 miles of road traveling has netted us almost 10,000 photographs and many hours of great video. As you can understand it will take sometime to start updating the web site, we hadn’t even finished uploading our 2016 photo sets but will as soon as we have time. For now please visit our official Twitter feed for weekly updates and photographs from our latest summer excursion to the remains of the Atlantikwall.
May 8th, 2018 – We have updated the web site with Stp Martha, featuring the R120 and R630 bunkers on the beach close to Grand-Fort-Philippe.
–Click here to continue
May 2nd, 2018 – We have added a new section to the web site – Suggested Reading. This new section will detail books that we recommend reading for our viewers, all of the which will be related to World War II.
– Click here to continue
April 20th, 2018 – We have fixed most of the table alignment issues on the web site. Viewers will now be able to continue enjoying the site on all platforms. Remember if you are using an iPhone to turn your phone in the horizontal or landscape position for optimal viewing enjoyment.
April 17th, 2018 – We are aware of an issue with the table settings on the web site not working correctly. We are working on resolving the problem as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience!
Our March 25th update features our final installment of photographs taken in 2016 at WN 62 on Omaha Beach including the Wellblech bunker, VF Observation bunker, the trench system network, the 7.62 cm field gun emplacement and the 61a 5 cm mortar and tobruk emplacement.
– Click here to continue
Our March 20th Twitter update features the German Goliath weapon which was an unsuccessful weapon on D-Day.
– Click here to access our Twitter feed
Our March 18th update will focus our continuation of WN 62 at Omaha Beach and the Upper 669 bunker.
– Click here to continue
Our March 8th update includes our long overdue project on the defenses of Omaha Beach and WN 62. There were two H669 bunkers present during D-Day and we focus this update on the lower H669. This is an ongoing project with more updates coming including video that I took in 2016 so stay tuned. We have included an extended photograph selection from this visit.
– Click here to continue
We aplogise for the long delay in updates but it has been a busy start to 2018!
Today we have updated the web site with our continued Normandy section and a visit to WN44 La Breche located in the beautiful seaside town of Arromanches, the site of the British landing force on D-DAY at Gold Beach.
– Click here to continue
Our January, 2018 New Years update include two new additions to our links section, scroll to the bottom of the links page to see the latest updates.
– Click here to continue
01/24/2018
Our weekend update includes a new page addition, the Leistand at Oye Plage. This iconic Fire Control bunker leans like the tower of Pisa but stands firm and strong all these years later. Some really nice photographs taken on a beautiful summers day in northern France, 2016.
– Click here to continue
12/17/2017
Another new page has been added with our July of 2016 visit to the beautiful Mont-de-Couple in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region and to STP 139 Hamm. We have added some extended photographs to this section, it was one of our favourite sites to visit.
– Click here to continue
12/09/2017
We have added another new page detailing Luftwaffe airfield remains, Jagdgeschwader 26, a very important airfield during the Battle of Britain and home to Luftwaffe ace Adolf Galland.
– Click here to continue
12/07/2017
We have added a new page to the Nord-Pas-de-Calais section, STP 131 Paderborn. A look at the photos of the four R669 bunkers taken on the 2016 summer trip.
– Click here to continue.
12/06/2017
We have updated the web site to the latest software version 4.9.1. A prior rollback was fixed.
12/06/2017
We added a new page to the Normandy section,
Pointe du Hoc. A look at some of the photographs I took on the 2013 trip.
– Click here to continue.
11/18/2017
We have added new additions to the Pas-de-Calais section
– Click here to continue.
11/15/2017
We have added a new map from the U.S. National Archives which details the U.S. Army Rangers push to the Maisy Batterie. – Click here to continue.
11/16/2017
