Following its occupation by German forces, the beautiful city of Angers in central France became the location of some of the highest-level command headquarters outside of Berlin.
From mid-1940 onwards the area included, among others, the headquarters for Army Group B, the 7th Army, Luftwaffe Atlantic coast command, 11th Flak Division, and was the location for the Kriegsmarine’s main control and communications centre.
The central, inland location meant it could act as a hub for controlling Normandy, Brittany, and the Atlantic coast, without the fear of commando raids or regular bombing by Allied aircraft.
Many of the city’s larger chateau were commandeered and some very large bunkers were built both in the inner city and on the eastern and southern outskirts, some of which can still be seen today.
To the south of Angers, across the Loire river in the town of Murs-Erigne, was the location for the Kreiskommandantur, or District commander, who had a special construction bunker built to the north eastern part of the town.
This area has been developed over recent years, and the site is now a place of large apartment blocks surrounding the site where the main bunker once stood.
However, this massive construction hasn’t been removed in within a central park area you can still see the edges of the bunker near to the car and cycle parking spots.

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