Made by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), this WWII film shows some of the German fortifications built in Occupied France and elsewhere. Slave labor is seen being used to erect massive installations, including gigantic forts, pillboxes, and conceivably even launch facilities, bunkers and ramps for secret weapons like the V-1, V-2 and V-3 super gun. A road train is seen at 2:00, consisting of massive artillery pieces being moved into position. Canopies of camouflage are seen, hiding massive amounts of German artillery.
The Atlantic Wall (German: Atlantikwall) was an extensive system of coastal defence and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe from Great Britain during World War II.
Hitler ordered the construction of the fortifications in 1942. Almost a million French workers were drafted to build it. The wall was frequently mentioned in Nazi propaganda, where its size and strength were usually exaggerated. The fortifications included colossal coastal guns, batteries, mortars, and artillery, and thousands of German troops were stationed in its defences. When the Allies eventually invaded the Normandy beaches in 1944, most of the defenses were stormed within hours. Today, ruins of the wall exist in all of the nations where the wall was built, although many structures have fallen into the ocean or have been demolished over the years.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
