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How I Spent My Summer Vacation: MAGINOT LINE
Reaganite Republican ^
| 27 August 2015
| Reaganite Republican
Posted on 08/27/2015 5:41:11 AM PDT by Reaganite Republican
Always wanted to see this, finally had me a look...
This particular section of France's 1930s-era defensive Maginot Line fortifications -a marvel of engineering at the time- has been extensively restored by enthusiast groups in the area, some of whom I was able to meet with on the visit. This entrance is known as 'Fort de Shoenenbourg', located in a hilltop forest near the German frontier (the Rhein) in the Alsace region of France, about 40 minutes north of Strasbourg.
They did a great job keeping it authentic, really takes you back in time as you wander the 4-5 kms of tunnel and facilities now open to the public. One local involved with the rehabilitation of this part said it was in very, very bad shape when they first got hold of it (from the government), as the installations were last manned as defensive positions against any possible Warsaw Pact invasion in the early 50s -before France possessed nuclear weaponry- and had sat abandoned ever since...
-click any to enlarge-
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Retractable gun turrets guard entrance, narrow-gauge rail line for groups, cargo runs into main gate |
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All tunnels in fort shared can run the trains, which run ferried troops, ammo, etc to the various gun/observation positions |
TOPICS: History; Military/Veterans; Politics; Travel
KEYWORDS: fort; france; maginot; military
To: AdvisorB; ken5050; sten; paythefiddler; gattaca; bayliving; SeminoleCounty; chesley; Vendome; ...
To: Reaganite Republican
That’s awesome! (in the actual sense of the word). Thanks for sharing this- if only they’d thought to do the same thing on their border with Belgium...
3
posted on
08/27/2015 5:51:44 AM PDT
by
TexasBarak
(I aim to misbehave!)
To: Reaganite Republican
Toured a section back in the early 1990s. The section I saw wasn’t as restored as this.
Very cool. Thanks for sharing!
4
posted on
08/27/2015 5:53:14 AM PDT
by
Gamecock
(Many Atheists: "There is no God and I hate Him!")
To: Reaganite Republican
awesome. Next summer crawl through some Vietnamese?Laos tunnels and take pics for us ;)
5
posted on
08/27/2015 5:58:06 AM PDT
by
DCBryan1
(No realli, moose bytes can be quite nasti!!)
To: Gamecock
Impressive. Make a great fallout shelter.
6
posted on
08/27/2015 5:58:24 AM PDT
by
marktwain
To: Reaganite Republican
Wow, a great many pictures, thanks.
Absolutely fascinating underground facility, interesting 20th century technology.
7
posted on
08/27/2015 6:01:59 AM PDT
by
PROCON
(FReeping on CRUZ Control)
To: Reaganite Republican
With time, nothing sets-solid like concrete!
8
posted on
08/27/2015 6:02:45 AM PDT
by
Does so
(SCOTUS Newbies Will Imperil America...)
To: Reaganite Republican
Amazing, but what a waste of resources. Government spending at its ‘best’
9
posted on
08/27/2015 6:06:55 AM PDT
by
FatherofFive
(Islam is evil and must be eradicated)
To: Reaganite Republican
That’s cool - but I would’ve passed it by. Then again, I’m part German.
To: PROCON
Great stuff to look at. That is part of France that I would like to visit. Saw drawings in some books as a kid.
11
posted on
08/27/2015 6:18:53 AM PDT
by
wally_bert
(There are no winners in a game of losers. I'm Tommy Joyce, welcome to the Oriental Lounge.)
To: Reaganite Republican
Oooooh I want one of those shell racks to keep my wine in!
12
posted on
08/27/2015 6:29:37 AM PDT
by
To Hell With Poverty
(All freedom must be transported in bottles of 3 oz or less. - Freeper relictele)
To: Reaganite Republican
Beyond cool, thanks for posting.
To: Reaganite Republican
I wonder how quickly they’d be converted to shelters for billisonaires, like they’re doing to the old Soviet sites in eastern Germany?
14
posted on
08/27/2015 7:00:06 AM PDT
by
Old Sarge
(I prep because DHS and FEMA told me it was a good idea...)
To: TexasBarak
Belgium was supposed to build similar fortifications along it’s border.
I don’t think they even started the project.
Hitler hated the idea of assaulting fixed defensive positions.
“Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man.”
Gen. George S. Patton
What If.
What if Belgium *had* completed their section of fortifications?
Would Hitler have then thrown his entire military might against a weak Soviet Union?
He could have made an agreement with Poland to transport the army through Poland.
Or he could have invaded from Finland, whom he was allied with.
That would have left the western allies without a cause for war.
If so, could he have won?
I enjoy wondering about the what ifs of history.
15
posted on
08/27/2015 7:41:17 AM PDT
by
oldvirginian
(A proud CRUZ CRAZY and VRWC member)
To: oldvirginian
I understood that the French dragged their feet along the Belgian frontier because if they built the fortifications there it violated official Belgian neutrality, so politicians can be thanked for lack of completion in that sector
To: Reaganite Republican
Thanks for the pics. Glad you had a good time.
17
posted on
08/27/2015 7:58:11 AM PDT
by
tet68
( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
To: Reaganite Republican
Ahhh.
I had thought the Belgians were supposed to build along their eastern border and link up with the French.
France would have been better off backing up and continuing the fortifications well inside their own border.
I don’t know the geography of the area, but I assume it could have been done.
Politicians, the bane of mankind since the first government was instituted.
18
posted on
08/27/2015 8:31:16 AM PDT
by
oldvirginian
(A proud CRUZ CRAZY and VRWC member)
To: Reaganite Republican
19
posted on
08/27/2015 9:19:01 AM PDT
by
Vendome
(Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
To: Reaganite Republican
Yep, I visited a couple of the Maginot line forts back during tours with the old 3d Armd Div.
20
posted on
08/27/2015 12:12:37 PM PDT
by
GreyFriar
(Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
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