Planned to be one of two Fuhrer headquarters constructed in France, Wolfsschlucht III near the village of Saint-Rimay was a site Hitler only passed through to one of the most significant meetings of the Second World War.
The third of three Wolfsschlucht sites - translated as ‘Wolf Canyon or Gorge’ and linked to Hitler’s codename of ‘Grey Wolf’ – it’s one of the smallest of the 20 or so Fuhrer HQ sites built.
The other two Wolfsschlucht sites were at Margival, France where a massive complex of bunkers and defensive structures were constructed and at Bruly-le-Pesche, Belgium where he watched the fall of France in May/June 1940.
Of the three, WI was the one he spent the longest time at with reports of Hitler occupying a chalet in the woods between June 6 and 26, 1940. Hitler only spent one day at WII – a complex of over 800 buildings and bunkers – for a meeting with Field Marshalls Erwin Rommel and Gerd Von Rundstedt to plan Germany’s response to the Allied landings in Normandy earlier in the month. He arrived early on June 17, 1944, but while he was there the site was subjected to an air raid, and he left shortly afterwards.
The two bunkers, supporting defences, and fortified railway tunnel built for Hitler and his aides at Wolfsschlucht III were never used by them, although he did visit the area on his train for meetings with French Head of State, Marshal Philippe Petain, and Vichy Prime Minister Pierre Laval, on October 22 and 24, 1940.
The station at Montoire-sur-le-Loir – just three kilometres west of Saint Rimay - was selected for the meeting due its proximity to the 500m long railway tunnel at Saint Rimay where Hitler’s private train could retreat into in the case of an Allied air raid.
It was at the station where the famous photograph of Hitler and Petain shaking hands was taken and broadcast around the world, portraying the First World War hero as a traitor of France and a Nazi collaborator. Petain would be head of the French Vichy state, based in the central France spa town of the same name, and later put on trial for his actions.
Construction began on Wolfsschlucht III in late 1942, with some believing it to become a command post from which to direct action against any Allied landings on France’s Atlantic coast.
Armoured steel doors were added to the single track Saint Rimay railway tunnel in order to protect German command trains. Two large air-raid shelters/personnel bunkers were also built at the northern entrance to the tunnel, and both can be visited today with permission from the landowners.
Both bunkers are extensive with more than 20 rooms inside the thick concrete walls. There are three main entrances – one at each end of a long corridor, with a third entrance in the middle leading to the main corridor and entry into the inner sanctum of the building.
Inside you can see the remains of office spaces, bedrooms, a boiler room for heating, communications rooms with underfloor ducts for cables, and several toilets.
Nearby a smaller personnel shelter was under construction (but never finished) while a large anti-aircraft gun post – one of several positions originally at the site - was also built between the two entrances to the tunnel.
The largest building of the complex though was a 42m long telephone exchange bunker set around 800m to the east of the tunnel area. Heavily overgrown at the edge of woodland until recently, it can now be visited with care.
There are around 30 rooms inside here, with several of those at the front of the building near the entrance looking like smaller offices while there were also much larger communications rooms which look to have been partially divided in places.
Outside, on the left hand side of the massive structure when looking from the front there are two large rooms believed to be a boiler room and canteen area.
A set of steps near to the main entrance takes you down to a lower level, but this is completely flooded and not accessible.
This building was directly connected to Berlin as well as major operation centres at Le Mans, Orleans, and Tours.
Building work at Wolfsschlucht III was paused in August 1943, perhaps due to the realisation that the Atlantic coast was unlikely to be an Allied landing area, and resources were diverted to other sites. When the Allies did land in France on June 6, 1944, Wolfsschlucht III was already abandoned.
The tunnel is still in use by local light freight and so it’s advisable not to venture inside, except on days where the local town runs guided tours of the site.

TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION
The Saint Rimay tunnel is 509m long and was inaugurated in 1881. It features two sets of doors – set a few metres inside at each entrance – and are made from 5cm thick armoured steel plates. Inside the tunnel the roof has been upgraded with concrete.

‘HITLER’S’ BUNKER
Left of the northern entrance/exit of the tunnel you can see the larger and most well equipped of the two bunkers constructed at Wolfsschlucht III, perhaps for the Fuhrer or a high-ranking officer. It features a single entrance with 4m thick concrete walls protecting personnel/office and sleeping rooms, a separate bathroom, fuel/boiler room, and a defensive gas lock room.

HQ BUNKER
To the right of the tunnel entrance/exit also features 4m thick walls but has two entrances leading directly into the bunker where you can see a series of rooms for personnel, including a toilet, boiler room, and anti-gas lock spaces.

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE
Measuring 42m long by 12m wide, this is by far the largest construction at Wolfsschlucht III and can be found in woodland around 800m to the east of the tunnel and bunkers.
It has three entrances onto a long central corridor which links multiple rooms for communication equipment, offices, a kitchen, and a toilet block.
This huge bunker also has a lower, underground level but access to this isn’t recommended for safety reasons.

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