In addition to the extensive gun and anti-aircraft batteries which lined the coastal side of the port of Dunkirk was an internal ring of defensive sites inland for its protection.
Many of the sites can still be found today, although some only have one or two structures left, and others are hiding in plain sight so you could easily miss them when touring the town.
Starting at the area near to the beach where British and French troops were evacuated in May and June 1940 – and near to the superb Operation Dynamo 1940 museum – you’ll find Widerstandsnest ‘S’ and ‘R’ where a modern sculpture park hides two large bunkers.
At Wn S you can see the roof of a R515 casemate, one of the most frequently built concrete defensive buildings for housing machine gun in front line areas. Today it is mostly buried and has a piece of modern artwork perched on its roof.
At Wn R – near to the southern entrance to the park and further away from the beach - is a completely buried R631 casemate which covered the roads towards to the port with its 4.7cm Skoda fortress gun. The only evidence of its existence is a large mound which is covered in vegetation.
A few hundred metres to the west of the park is Stp Werft where a R505 casemate for an anti-tank gun is located and this is a large, multi-room bunker which hides in plain sight.
With render and a modern paint style covering the once bare concrete outer walls, it’s easy to miss this structure as being from the second World War and hosing a deadly weapon.
Further to the south and near to the Dunkirk town hall you can catch a glimpse of the remains of Wn P which stands on top of a raised bank in the centre of a college campus. Although not accessible to the public, from the nearby Rue Jules Hocquet you can see the rounded edges of a mortar Tobruk. Behind it is MG Tobruk and a small open emplacement which, from aerial views, would appear to be a position for a 5cm KwK anti-tank gun.
A R505 and a R515, along with a Tobruk for a tank turret make up the defences of Wn M which stands on an artificial island near sluice gates on the Canal des Moeres. Today the buildings are covered by outdoor entertainment spaces and a theatre/café.
Wn L is the most southerly of the ring of defence sites and has the most remaining structures, although these are difficult to find among the housing on this small island which is surrounded by the canal network running away from the port area.
Here you can catch corners and edges of bunkers amongst the buildings. These include a R607 ammunition bunker, a R608 section, battalion, and regimental HQ building, an R134 ammo stores, and a R638 hospital/aid station.
Wn H stands across the canal and behind a large marina behind the main industrial port area. Just two buildings remain, and these are well spaced from each other. A R515 casemate for a heavy machine gun stands at the southern end of the site while to the north, near to housing, is an almost fully buried R625 casemate for a 7.5cm Pak40 gun once positioned to face to the south west to cover the rear entrances to the port from inland.
The only building which remains at Wn F is a large air-raid shelter and this now stands on private land to the east of an oil refinery so can’t be accessed.
Wn E is the most westerly of the sites and there are two remaining building here – a R515 casemate for an anti-tank field gun and an open emplacement for a 5cm KwK anti-tank gun which also has a small shelter next to it.
The R515 lies inside a metal recycling yard and can’t be accessed due to site safety while the open emplacement is now heavily overgrown but can be seen from the Route du Pont Noir road.