The Normandy port city of Le Havre – on the mouth of the River Seine – was classified as a ‘Festung’ or fortress city due to the level of defences created by German forces following its occupation.
As well as fortifying existing French forts and defensive sites, dozens of new German sites were created along the clifftop coastline, surrounding the port, and in the city itself.
Many of these have disappeared under the expansion of the city but there are a still a few remnants to be found around the port, although not all are accessible any more.
Stp Innenstadt is the site with the largest number of big bunkers still visible and has several special construction shelters, an M168 bunker for 50 men, and a R622 double group shelter located close to the port.
Around 1.5km to the north east of these buildings, along the Cour de la Republique, is a cluster of large constructions, including two large special construction hospital bunkers linked by an extensive underground facility, plus a R619 machinery bunker. The hospitals on Rue Henry IV and Rue de Trigauville are perhaps the largest which remain inland.
Inside, the two hospital buildings are vast and feature three main wards, an operating theatre, doctors’ rooms, an X-ray imaging room, morgue, medical equipment sterilisation room, baths, toilets, air filtration rooms, a huge boiler room, generator room, and many other spaces for troops, patients, and medical staff.
One of the most fascinating sights can be found on the upper walls and ceilings of the operating theatre and adjoining surgeon’s preparation room where a green, bioluminescence paint has been used which would allow surgery to continue even if the lights went out.
There are vestiges of the original buildings which occupied this area prior to the German occupation which can still be seen inside too as the site was previously used as a beer brewery and also was used to store huge blocks of ice – incredibly brought in via ships from Norway!
Although not open to the public, we were able to visit the huge shafts which brough the ice blocks down from the surface to their underground storage locations – it’s an amazing piece of construction.
Outside of the hospital, on the same level as the surrounding street there are passages and garages for ambulances, and the roof area was also used to position an anti-aircraft gun.
Le Havre was subject to Allied bombing raids throughout the war, but it was the full spectrum assault of Operation Astonia where air, sea, and land-based attacks of September 10, 11, and 12 which finally saw the city and its vital port liberated by British and Canadian forces.
Around 11,300 German troops are reported to have been captured on September 12, but it would take until October 9 for the port facility to be cleared for Allied use in landing men and materiel for the liberation of Europe.
The hospital bunker is open to the public for guided tours one day each month - more information can be found at www.memoire-et-patrimoine-le-havre.fr