Fortress Third Reich : German Fortifications and Defense Systems in World War II

by Kaufmann, J. E.

• ISBN13: 9780306812392
• ISBN10: 0306812398
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-07-09
• Publisher: Perseus Books Group

Summary

The Atlantic Wall is perhaps the most famous World War II-era fortification line in Europe, but in fact Germany built other fortified defensive lines throughout the entire war--from the coastal defenses along the English Channel to the famous West Wall and the hurriedly constructed East Wall. As a result, forts, bunkers, and defensive lines are found--many half-built due to Hitler's vacillating enthusiasm for defense--throughout the territory once occupied by Hitler's forces.Fortress Third Reichis the first and only comprehensive treatment of Germany's World War II fortifications. The authors also treat Germany's other important defensive systems, such as its fearsome air defense, and their text is supplemented by scores of remarkable technical drawings by Robert M. Jurga.

Author Biography

J.E. Kaufmann is the author of six books on fortifications. He and his wife, H.W. Kaufmann, live in San Antonio, Texas. H.W. Kaufmann is the wife of J.E. Kaufmann, the author of six books on fortifications. They live in San Antonio, Texas.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	viii
Introduction	x
The Lights Went Out	1	(32)
A New Era Dawns	1	(2)
The German ``Feste''	3	(7)
Coastal Fortifications	10	(1)
Revolution in Artillery and the Birth of the Feste	11	(11)
The Great War	22	(11)
From the Ruins of the Second Reich	33	(16)
Coastal Defenses and the Reichsmarine	39	(3)
The Reichswehr	42	(5)
Relationship with Soviet Union	45	(2)
Rise of Nazism	47	(2)
Rearming and Fortifying the Reich: The Wehrmacht Prepares	49	(64)
Fortifying the East	49	(8)
Oder-Warthe Bend (OWB)---The East Wall	57	(19)
Expansion of the German Armed Forces	76	(13)
Strategic and Economic Planning	77	(12)
The West Wall---Shield for Aggression	89	(8)
The Road to War	97	(16)
Blitzkrieg to Victory 1939 to 1942	113	(66)
The March to War	113	(2)
War Begins	115	(8)
Build-up of Coastal Fortifications	123	(7)
The Propaganda Campaign	130	(8)
Air Defenses of the Reich	138	(20)
Passive Air Defense	146	(1)
Air Raid Protection	147	(6)
Flak Towers	153	(5)
Command and Control: Protecting the Leadership	158	(6)
Armored Trains	164	(2)
German Expansion 1939-1942	166	(13)
Years of Retreat 1942 to 1944	179	(102)
The Retreat to the Reich Begins	179	(3)
The Atlantic Wall	182	(32)
U-Boat Bunkers	182	(7)
Beginnings of the Atlantic Wall	189	(5)
Building the Atlantic Wall: 1942 to January 1944	194	(20)
The Fortifications of the Atlantic Wall	214	(42)
Types of Bunkers	219	(12)
Artillery Batteries	231	(25)
On the Other Fronts	256	(25)
The Southern Front	256	(9)
The Southeast Front	265	(4)
The French Mediterranean Coast and the Riviera	269	(2)
The Northern Front	271	(3)
The Eastern Front	274	(7)
Desperation and Defeat 1944 to 1945	281	(69)
1944---Year of the Paper Fortress	281	(6)
Behind the Fronts	287	(15)
Against the Partisans	287	(4)
The Wonder Weapons and V-Sites	291	(8)
Bombproof and Underground Sites	299	(3)
Final Preparations for Invasion	302	(15)
The Allied Invasion Begins	317	(10)
Preparations of the Defenses of South France---The Sud Wall	321	(2)
Collapse of the Western Front	323	(4)
Disaster on the Eastern Front	327	(5)
Clinging to the Last Lines of Defense	332	(18)
Appendix 1: Armored Parts for Fortifications	350	(1)
Appendix 2: Concrete Specifications	351	(1)
Appendix 3: Atlantic Wall Fortresses 1944--1945	352	(1)
Appendix 4: Evaluation of Bomb and Heavy Naval Guns on Fortifications	353	(2)
Glossary	355	(2)
Bibliography	357	(6)
Index	363