Plans for the Future


Hitler's War Directive No16,16th July 1940, commands that rail-borne artillery emplacements are to be constructed to support "Operation Seelowe, the invasion of England.The railway network on the coast,connecting these sites, stretched from Calais to Boulogne.These were also supplemented by coastal batteries, the main 5 where: "Oldenburg" to the east of Calais,"Lindemann", the biggest batterie with 3, 406mm guns, near Sangatte;"Grosser Kurfurst"(Great Elector) at Cap Gris Nez, "Todt" at Haringzelles, 3km SE of Cap Gris Nez, and lastly, "Friedrich August", near Wimereux.

National Canadian Archives

The man given the responsibility of this enormous task was Dr Fritz Todt who,in 1933 constructed 7000km of 'Autobahn' covering the whole of Germany.After completing this task,with a workforce of a quarter of a million men at his disposal, he began work on the 'Westwall'.
From his headquarters in Wiesbaden which marked the launch of the 'Todt Organisation',on a round the clock basis,he organised supplies,men and material working on the 14,000 sites over an area of 630km, involving over 340,000 men.
On 11th, January,1942, this batterie at it's impressive inauguration was named 'Siegfried" but,less than a month later,on 8th February Dr Todt was killed in an air crash which, its cause remains a mystery to this day. The batterie changed it's name to 'Todt" in honour of his work.

D.C.Davies

Construction

This is only a brief look at how these structures were made......
A full description can be found in Anthony Saunder's excellent book, 'Hitler's Atlantic Wall'...
ISBN 0 7509 2544 2. From Sutton Publishing


The wooden 'shuttering' is erected to construct the concrete base and lower wall of the bunker.At the back, can be seen the start of the track for the wagons carrying the liquid concrete to pour in to the 'mould'.This photo is an open emplacement being made on a beach somewhere.Later in the war when wood became scarce, pre-formed concrete shuttering was used.

Bundesarchiv

After the shuttering and steel re-enforcing was complete,the concrete mixers on the track were arranged around the 'mould' and, when the mix was ready,was poured down chutes, helped on it's way by shovels.
Note the lattice work of the steel re-inforcing bars.The concrete was poured in 25cm layers then compacted down by vibrating.

Bundesarchiv

    The left photo shows the pivoting chassis of Batterie Todt's 380mm SK C/34 gun.Note the gantry in the background for lifting the gun assembly in place.
The right photo is the gun mount today, the breeze block 'box' on top is to seal off the shaft beneath.

D.C.Davies

This is the bearing housing for the trunnion of the gun.Note the oil-way grooves on the inside of the bearing.

D.C.Davies

Two views of the gantry crane.
In the left picture is M.Holdrick, the batterie's first Commanding Officer.

D.C.Davies

The arrival of the barrel!
It weighed 120 Tons, and is being pulled by 3,FAMO Sd.Kfz 9 18T's.These were the Wehrmachts largest half-track prime movers.

D.C.Davies

The breech of the gun surrounded by the framework of the turret.

D.C.Davies

Another gantry used for assembly of the gun and construction of the turret.
The batterie is almost finished.

D.C.Davies

Hitler and Raeder coming down from the roof during construction.
Lower photo shows Japanese Foreign Minister with Kapitan Shilling.

D.C.Davies

Now under the command of '4/Marine Artillerie Abteilung 242'.
Front and back views of completed Batterie Todt in 1942.
Paintings of trees were used to disrupt it's appearance, and even a 'house' was painted on the back!In the lower photo, the entrance slope is just visible between the guard and the white post.

D.C.Davies

A montage showing the bunker's inauguration parade, inside of the turret showing the breech, and Rommel visiting the site.

D.C.Davies

A photo of two of the other three casemates which made up 'Batterie Todt',
taken from 'Turm 1', which is now the museum.
'Turm' 2 is on the left (I think !)of the Haringzelles farm, with 'Turm' 3 on the right.


After the batterie was captured by the Canadian 9th Infantry Brigade


This particular photo is of great interest to me.....It is from a book about the Second World War, sent to me when I was 7 or 8 years old, by our kind relations in Ohio, USA.
This was probably the first photo I had ever seen of a German 'bunker'.
Can you imagine my surprise on our 2nd visit to Batterie Todt, nearly 40 years later, when we were talking with Mr Davies in his hotel, and looking through his extensive collection of memorabilia, I saw the very same photo !!!!!

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