The Atlantic Wall (1) France

by Zaloga, Steven J.; Johnson, Hugh; Ray, Lee; Taylor, Chris

• ISBN13: 9781846031298
• ISBN10: 184603129X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-06-19
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Summary

With Germany's gradual loss of the strategic initiative to the Allies, in 1942 Hitler was forced to construct an impenetrable wall of fortifications along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coast. However, Hitler's grandiose Atlantic wall scheme was hampered by the realities of Germany's wartime economy. Without the resources and manpower to fortify the entire coast, the emphasis was placed on the great 'festung' ports. This first in a series deals solely with the structures on the French Atlantic coast, starting with the Pas de Calais and extending down to Spain. Featuring detailed illustrations and diagrams of the various sections of the Atlantic wall and the role that they played, it gives an insightful analysis into some of the most accessible fortifications of World War II.

Author Biography

Steven J. Zaloga received his BA in history from Union College and his MA from Columbia University. He has worked as an analyst in the aerospace industry for over two decades, covering missile systems and the international arms trade, and has served with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think-tank. He is the author of numerous books on military technology and military history. The author lives in Abingdon, Maryland.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 4
Design and development	p. 5
Kriegsmarine defenses in France
German Army defenses in France
Principles of defense	p. 28
Tour of the sites	p. 34
Naval coastal artillery
Army coastal artillery
Army infantry strongpoints
The living site	p. 43
The sites at war	p. 49
Operation Astonia: Festung Le Havre
Operation Weiihit: Festung Boulogne
Operation Undergo: Festung Calais
Aftermath	p. 57
The sites today	p. 59
Further reading	p. 62
Unpublished army reports
US Army foreign military studies series
Published studies
Index	p. 64
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