Introduction to strategic bunkers
Strategic bunkers are fortified underground structures designed to protect essential personnel, equipment, and operations in the event of conflict or disaster. These often secret facilities play a role in national defense and the continuity of vital services
.Developed primarily during the 20th century in response to growing threats from aerial bombardment and nuclear weapons, strategic bunkers have evolved to meet various military, governmental, and civilian needs.
From World War II to the Cold War, these underground structures housed command posts, communication centers, military production factories, and even hospitals.
Shelters for essential services
In order to ensure operational service under all circumstances during crisis periods, certain bunkers were set up, allowing for the maintenance of telecommunications or electricity management.
The EDF “Aboukir” Electric Center
The EDF Aboukir Electric Center is an industrial site built in 1926 by the Paris Electricity Distribution Company (CPDE), which was later merged with Électricité de France (EDF). It was equipped with steam turbines to produce electricity from coal for the city of Paris even in times of conflict, hence the construction of this small bunker
Gare de l’Est (see virtual tour)
Origin and occupation of the shelter
Specially built to face aerial attacks, particularly the gases that raged during World War I and strongly marked public authorities, this place was first occupied by military personnel and railway workers. Under the Occupation, they were replaced by German management.
Function and classification of the installation
The function of this shelter was to house an essential railway activity for operations: command and traffic regulation for the entire Eastern region on one hand, and in all the station tracks on the other. The term bunker is actually improper since it is not fortified. This is an “active” shelter. Ordered in April 1939 by military authorities, it was completed in November 1941.
Configuration and equipment of the shelter
The underground maze then includes eleven rooms, each with a specific function. On one side, the two rooms reserved for command, and the four rooms dedicated to train regulation; on the other, the three rooms that give them the means to function: energy, blower, telephone exchange, preceded by an antechamber for the supervisor. A generator set, batteries, and accumulators were installed so that 50 people could work and breathe for 10 hours in the shelter, without replacing the ambient air. But also, to replace this equipment, stationary bicycles were provided to produce the electricity necessary for ventilation and air filtering.
Mystery about actual use and date of conservation
A gray area remains about its actual use. Besides the perfect condition of the installations, no testimony has reached us, no graffiti or signs of wear. The German inscriptions show that the occupiers had prepared it for their use.
Unique historical value
After the dismantling of similar shelters in Paris stations, the shelter at Paris-Est station is a unique witness site.
Entrée du bunker de la gare de l’Est
Vélos permettant de générer de l’électricité pour alimenter l’abri
Salle de commande des infrastructures ferroviaires
Orange shelter (Saint-Amand)
Origin and initial function of the Saint-Amand shelter
First designed as an amplification center for long-distance underground lines, particularly to ensure communications between Paris and Strasbourg as well as Paris and Metz, these lines were of crucial importance for communication with eastern cities and the Maginot Line.
Military reassignment and use (1960-2000)
From 1960 until the 2000s, it was reassigned as a military telegraph and telephone center, ensuring all routing operations for telegraph communications of the army, ministries, intelligence services, and NATO. For this purpose, this shelter, built on three floors, was equipped for the comfort of officers in case of prolonged alert, with rest rooms and dormitories.
Abandonment and obsolescence of the shelter
Since then, the Saint-Amand shelter has fallen into oblivion due to the significant presence of asbestos in the premises, combined with the obsolescence of telegraph and wired telephone lines. Moreover, the privatization of France Télécom and the sale of the plot led to the relocation of the facilities.
Sortie de l’Abri Saint-Amand
Porte inter-étage
National center for the implementation of space and radio telecommunications
Guérite de sécurité à l’entrée du tunnel
Emblème peint représentant le 8e régiment de transmissions
Administrative and emergency bunkers
Emergency bunkers in capitals
In the category of emergency bunkers, many bunkers can be found in capitals, located under strategic buildings.
A Secret Bunker under parliament
This once-secret anti-nuclear bunker, located 50 meters underground, was under a Parliament. Its objective was to secure leaders and its committee in case of a potential nuclear raid. Once the danger had passed, they were supposed to take the metro to a station, then change for an armored train. This underground structure was built by workers who thought they were creating a metro tunnel, so they couldn’t disclose that it would become a secret bunker.
Characteristics and equipment of shelter H4
The shelter could accommodate 2,200 people, with an area of 3,500 to 3,800 square meters, and was completed in 1962 or 1963. It was equipped with an air filtration mechanism with a capacity of 4,000 cubic meters, adapted to filter radioactive dust. A 150 cubic meter water tank and a generator were also installed, capable of producing up to 30 kW of electricity.
Salle de filtration de l’air
Porte de l’accès à l’abri, situé 50 mètres sous terre
Headquarters of the French Forces of the Interior (FFI)
The PC Rol Tanguy: the secret bunker of the Parisian resistance
Initially designed as a passive defense shelter, this underground bunker was reused by Colonel Rol-Tanguy as the Resistance Command Post on August 20, 1944, at the beginning of the popular insurrection against the Nazi occupier.
The discovery of the catacombs
In 1943, René Suttel, a medical student, discovered an access to the catacombs via a staircase at Saint-Anne Hospital, connecting the shelter to the famous Paris quarries. With his friend Jean Talairach, he mapped the galleries, exploring the surroundings of German shelters to determine their limits.
A strategic asset for the resistance
Their clandestine work revealed the strategic potential of this shelter. By sharing their discoveries with the Resistance, they helped Colonel Rol-Tanguy establish an effective command post, thus facilitating the coordination of the insurrection against the occupier.
Escalier d’accès à l’abri FFI
PC Rol Tanguy
Bureau du Directeur Général FFI
Sortie
Underground factories and military production
Aeronautical industrial venter: Center V
As early as 1936, the Ministry of Air became interested in the potential of the Cravant site. A vast aeronautical project entitled “Center V” was imagined by engineers to transform the plain and quarries into an industrial site sheltered from bombs. The beneficiary was the National Society of Aeronautical Constructions of South East: SNCASE. It was to occupy the site to assemble the modern medium bomber that France so badly needed, the “LeO45”.
An unfinished project in the face of german invasion
Unfortunately, these major works only began with the declaration of war in September 1939, and despite the efforts of the builders, no structure was completed at the time of the German invasion in June 1940. “Center V” was supposed to produce parts and assemble the bomber.
German occupation and aircraft repair
The Germans nevertheless took possession of the premises in October 1943 to occupy them until August 1944. More than 160 aircraft would be repaired in the underground quarries.
Vestiges of the occupation and their disappearance
The occupants left behind a considerable number of aircraft carcasses, including slightly more than 120 fuselages and about 150 wings, which transformed the underground quarry into an apocalyptic landscape, strewn with scattered aircraft parts. However, nowadays, nothing remains of all this, as successive users have completely erased all traces of these vestiges.
bureaux situés dans la carrière souterraine
Interdit de fumer
Introduction to V1 missiles
V1 missiles, also known as Vergeltungswaffe 1 (or Vengeance Weapon 1) or “buzz bombs,” were developed by Nazi Germany during World War II. These missiles, propelled by a jet engine, were designed to strike strategic targets at long range, mainly enemy cities.
Use of underground sites for V1 missiles
Underground sites were frequently requisitioned to make V1 missile factories. These tunnels served as launch ramps for V1s, offering a number of tactical advantages to German forces. First, the underground offered protection against Allied bombing, allowing missiles to be stored and launched safely. Additionally, they allowed for discreet and rapid launching of missiles, thus reducing the chances of detection by Allied forces.
Rampe de lancement de missile V2
The Cannerberg tunnels: an assembly factory
In the 1940s, Nazi occupation forces took possession of the Cannerberg tunnels (Netherlands) dating from medieval times. These tunnels would then be used to establish an assembly plant for V1-type missiles. During the Ardennes offensive, German forces were driven from the site, and the military evacuated, thus allowing the armed command of American forces to take control.
Conversion of the site into an american control post
After World War II, and especially with the advent of the Cold War, American forces installed a control post on the site in 1949. The command favorably evaluated the existing facilities, also noting that access roads were already concreted and electricity was in place. Due to its isolated location, the site was deemed ideal and the quarry was then transformed into a bunker. Development work began in 1956, and the site was classified top-secret.
Transformation of galleries into military infrastructure
This transformation led to a profound metamorphosis of all the galleries. A real underground city emerged, notably with the concreting of certain galleries, particularly near the main entrance. Access was strictly controlled, and various military infrastructures were erected: command post, machine room, telephone room, tanks, kitchen, infirmary, toilets and showers, bar, etc.
Disappearance of traces of the medieval past
During this installation phase, all the walls of the quarry were scrupulously scraped, resulting in the total disappearance of the medieval inscriptions that were there. Directional signage was then installed, and the main axes were transformed into streets, bearing names such as Alphastreet, Bravostreet, Golfstreet, Foxtrotstreet, etc… (see virtual tour)
Centrale électrique souterraine
Centre de commandement
Poste de secours
Porte blindée permettant d’accéder au bunker
Centre de commandement
Centrale électrique
The development and strategic impact of the V2 missile during World War II
The development of the V2 missile: a german retaliatory weapon
All over northern France, the Germans undertook to manufacture and store the A4 V2 missile. This rocket had a range of 300 km, with an accuracy of 8 km. The propellant that powers it operates on alcohol with liquid oxygen as an oxidizer.
Origins and characteristics of the V2
Following the first German defeats, Hitler initiated on December 22, 1942, the industrial production program of the A4 rocket, which was then renamed V2. This name is the abbreviation of “Vergeltungsawaffe 2”, which means: “Retaliatory Weapon No. 2”. The choice of this weapon, rather than another, comes from the fact that the rocket could not be countered by any other. Moreover, it can be fired from mobile launch sites that are difficult to locate.
Strategic objectives and implementation
The objective was to bomb London and prevent the Allied landing in Normandy, but it was operational too late. The Todt organization took charge of this plan to construct special concrete structures (“Sonderbauten”) intended to produce the rockets. It was decided to create 2 types of structures: assembly and storage factories as well as liquid oxygen production plants. This gas was intended to be used as an oxidizer for the German V2 rocket.
The transition from V1 to V2: A technological evolution
The transition from V1 to V2 missiles during World War II was motivated by the improvement of German propulsion technologies and military capabilities. V2 missiles offered greater range, improved accuracy, and higher speed compared to their predecessors. This evolution represented a significant leap in missile technology, paving the way for future developments in long-range ballistic missiles.
Gare souterraine
Galeries lourdement consolidées pour supporter les bombardements
Pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, cette carrière a été utilisée par les Allemands, dans le but d’y ériger une usine pour la production d’oxygène liquide. Ce gaz était prévu pour être utilisé comme comburant pour la fusée allemande V2, destinée à bombarder Londres. L’usine, construite en béton armé, mesure 211 mètres de long sur 12 mètres de large, avec une hauteur d’environ 10 mètres. Malgré cela, l’usine n’a jamais été opérationnelle, le projet étant abandonné en juillet 1944 à cause de l’avancée des Alliés.
Usine de production d’oxygène liquide
Usine de production d’oxygène liquide
Usine de production d’oxygène liquide
The strategic evolution of Cherbourg’s underground: from torpedo storage to the Cold War
Construction of the underground for torpedo storage (1933-1939)
The excavation of an underground facility began in 1933 to house a torpedo storage depot for submarines based in Cherbourg. After four years of work, the site was completed: along a central gallery of 98 meters, eight lateral alcoves were dug to accommodate torpedoes and test their watertightness. The workers had just enough time to settle in before the outbreak of World War II.
German occupation and expansion (1940)
On June 19, 1940, despite valiant resistance, the fort overlooking the Mountain and its underground facilities had to lower its flag to the Germans. Convinced of its strategic utility, they dug an additional gallery and four batteries, each housing a 105 mm cannon with a range of 15 kilometers, all connected by a command post.
Liberation by the allies (1944)
Four years later, almost to the day, the military installations were captured by the Allies. The assault by the 313th Infantry Regiment of the American Army ended in hand-to-hand combat. Losses were very heavy on both sides.
Use during the Cold War
During the Cold War, the underground facility retained its purpose. It was also planned that in the event of armed conflict or exercises, the admiral commanding the maritime district would establish his command post there. In the command room, there was no red button to trigger a nuclear attack, nor even a presidential chair. But there were giant maps on the walls, armored doors, and an evacuation airlock.
Alvéoles destinées au stockage de torpille
Salle de commandement
Storage tank
Many storage tanks for fuel oil or chemical products intended for the manufacture of missiles and weapons are also found in various military projects.
Cuve de stockage allemande
Immense cuve souterraine de stockage de carburant destiné aux forces aériennes et terrestre de l’armée populaire de la RDA.
L’un des 8 réservoir de stockage de fioul
Ancienne cuve de fioul construite par les allemands
Ancienne cuve de fioul construite par les allemands
Turbine production factory for warplanes
Allied bombing and Hitler’s response
In 1943, American and British forces launched a successful bombing campaign against Nazi Germany’s factories. Facing this threat, Hitler ordered the relocation of factories underground to secret locations to maintain vital war production.
The underground construction project
A hill in Germany was selected for the construction of tunnels covering an area of 452,000 to 645,800 square feet. Work began in April 1944, involving a large German construction company specialized in underground structures.
Construction started in April 1944, involving a major German construction company specialized in building underground structures, such as sewer systems and underground railways. Founded in 1890, this company had played a crucial role in rebuilding Germany after World War I and had contributed to job creation in the construction sector before the war.
Porte n°9
longs tunnels
Salle désafectée
Exploitation of forced labor
The nearby Nazi concentration camp provided slave labor for the work. This project cost the lives of approximately 4,500 slave workers.
Project scale and purpose
By the end of the war, about 8 miles of tunnels had been dug to house a factory producing turbine parts for warplanes.
Liberation and rescue
On April 11, 1945, the tunnels and camp were liberated by the American army, and nearly a thousand prisoners were rescued from the concentration camp.
After World War II, the bunkers, initially intended to be demolished by the Red Army, were preserved for future use. In the 1970s, the East German army significantly expanded these tunnels to create an advanced supply depot. Stocked with tons of ammunition and equipment, the tunnels could distribute their supplies within 24 hours thanks to an efficient loading system.After reunification, the national army of the Federal Republic of Germany took over the tunnels, removing all munitions for safety reasons.
Underground Hospitals: A strategic refuge in times of war
The Val Criquet Hospital
Enhanced protection and security
Underground hospitals offer unparalleled protection against aerial attacks and bombings during wartime. Built underground, these medical facilities withstand explosions and debris, ensuring the safety of patients and healthcare staff in the most dangerous situations.
State-of-the-Art equipment for ptimal care
These structures are equipped with advanced ventilation, air filtration, and water purification systems, guaranteeing a high-quality sanitary environment. Energy autonomy is ensured through backup generators and strategic reserves, allowing continuous operation even in the event of essential service outages.
Resilience in the face of crises
En période de conflit, les hôpitaux souterrains constituent un refuge sûr pour dispenser des soins d’urgence vitaux. Leur conception robuste et leur équipement spécialisé en font des centres médicaux cruciaux lorsque les infrastructures de surface sont menacées ou saturées.
A model of medical adaptation
The innovation of underground hospitals demonstrates the medical sector’s adaptability in response to modern security challenges. These facilities represent a significant advancement in healthcare infrastructure during crises.
Plan de l’hôpital du Val Criquet
Salle de l’hôpital souterrain
Wagon ayant servi lors de la construction des galeries souterraines
