Duzey, France. Photo's German Artillery Bunkers & 380mm

Pierre Grande Guerre

Pierre Grande Guerre

New member
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Dear Friends,

Pierre is still alive and has more photo-footage to edit for future updates.
For now I would like to ask your attention for 2 new Special Theme Photo Impressions about the German artillery bunkers and the 380mm "Gros Max", or "Fat Max" , concrete artillery platform and base near the French village of Duzey.
Duzey is situated "behind the German lines" some 27 km northeast of Verdun. Since 1915 it used to be a secret place of high strategic value to the Germans for their long range artillery guns, directed at Verdun, the town itself , and the battlefields around it.
I do hope you appreciate these new photo-pages about Duzey.
Thanks a lot for your attention and visiting my photopages!
Click HERE .

Pierre GG

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"Fat Max"
 
Thank you Pierre. I really enjoy your fotos! I am wondering, were the bunkers used to house/protect the artillery troops that served the guns? Your foto shows that the original guns were out in the open. Brian
 
Thanks for your kind reactions! I really do appreciate your reactions. :D
@ Brian. I could not find any relicts or traces of shelters for the artillery troops in the Bois de Warphemont. I suppose the shelters were mainly underground dug outs like the ammunition bunker. The Germans kept sometimes extended complex underground tunnelsystems and dugouts.

Another reason may be that the Germans felt themselves quite safe on the distance of 30 km from Verdun. As you can see in the pages about Camp Marguerre in the nearby Loison ( some 8 km) the Germans settled them quite comfortably behind the lines in small decorated bungalows.

Besides that, in the twenties of the 20th century the French and the Belgians ( and it seems a lot of Chinese labourers) made a great effort to remove most traces of the battlefield. When possible: blowing up bunkers, removing barbed wire, and filling up trenches, shell holes and mine craters.
On my trips I am sometimes still amazed, about what still has been left after this "cleaning Operation". Alas, I also suppose, that most of the possible the relicts on the surface are not to be found anymore.
Never mind, I will stay curious and I keep tracing these spots. :)

Pierre
 
A little off topic there is a good film that shows the effects on France and the great efforts to return life to normal. The movie is called "Life and Nothing But" it is in French with english subtitles .It was made in the 90's .
It covers the foriegn labourer's in the film.
Mark
 
Hello everybody,

There were three 38cm SKL/45 positions near Verdun.

The building of the first two positions began by the end of 1914, these positions were "Ferme Sorel" and "Bois de Muzeray".
The concrete platforms were inclined by 5° to increase the vertical maximum angle of the guns and allow a maximum range of 27.000m with a 750kg shell.
The german denomination for this type of platform was: Anschiessgerüst

The third position "Bois de Warphemont" was built in 1915. It had a semi-circular form to allow a side angle of 144°
The german denomination for this type of platform was: Bettungsschiessgerüst.

Recently i visit the second site of 38cm "Langer Max" near Verdun. The site named "Bois de Muzeray"
Here is a picture of this site

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Pascal
 
Thanks a lot, Pascal, for adding more information here about the positioning of the guns and the other 380mm artillery gun locations near Verdun. Next time I visit the region of Verdun, I have 2 more locations to go for! :D
Thanx again!

Pierre :thumb up:
 
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