Demolition of Saint-Nazaire bunker on its way
In Saint-Nazaire the bunker of the Marine Flak Abteilung 820 still resists the demolition hammer. It will be destroyed in the end, but it’s stronger than expected.
It is huge too. 1500 m2, with walls 2 meters thick. The demolition started in june 2016 and should finish before 1 September, when then school next to it opens again. But at the moment only half of the bunker is gone.
The city of Saint-Nazaire has a reputation of bunker demolition. They even had plans to get rid of another Marine Flak Abteilung headquarters, the unique Fl 250 bunker at St-Marc. Fortunately for now, this plan is on hold.
As a headquarters near the coast it commanded six light anti-aircraft batteries around the Festung Saint-Nazaire. They gave the 17 heavy anti-aircraft batteries cover against low flying fighters. Saint-Nazaire had this huge amount of anti-aircraft guns because of the presence of the U-Boot base in the city center.
More photo via http://bunkersite.com/locations/france/nazaire/cp-nazaire.php
1946 IGN aerial view of the bunker still in the open.
The huge bunker from the air. (Photo: Alain Chazette)
This demolishing is it political at all as bunkers can be converted to other uses just look at Hamburg.