Maginot line videos

Discussion in '1940' started by cash_13, Jan 12, 2009.

  1. cash_13

    cash_13 Senior Member

    I have found ( although they were not lost ):D loads of video footage on you tube etc of bunker enthusiasts.......and a few of my favorite forts of the Maginot line.....Hobling is one of my favorites.......and Veckring

    Anyone wanting to go please be very careful as you can see from the videos they are in a bad way and decaying all the time....also some are still classed as in military hands......some even have cameras......

    But above all when you go if you do, have at east one person with you when you explore and a further person above ground that can contact someone in the uk with your GPS co ordinates or map ref to give to the emergency services.....they can then contact the services in France and co ordinate a rescue.....

    But better that you contact a group in the uk that go in a big party with proper equipment!!!



    Here is a a complete program explaining the maginot line for those people that dont know to much about it sorry its in five parts, and the clips after are of an exploring nature

    YouTube - The Maginot Line feature Documentary part 1 of 5

    YouTube - The Maginot Line feature documentary part 2 of 5

    YouTube - The Maginot Line feature Documentary part 3 of 5

    YouTube - The Maginot Line feature Documentary part 4 of 5

    YouTube - The Maginot Line feature Documentary part 5 of 5

    YouTube - Petit ouvrage du Mottenberg

    YouTube - Petit ouvrage du Hobling

    I wont fit through this hole:p

    YouTube - gros ouvrage maginot du mont gros (PART 1-2)

    Part 2

    YouTube - Gros ouvrage Maginot du mont gros (PART 2-2)

    Gros Overage Castillion

    YouTube - Linea Maginot: Gros Ouvrage de Castillon

    Be careful and enjoy;)
     
  2. MLW

    MLW Senior Member

    Very nice! Despite the glaring errors and the pejorative name calling of Germans as "Boche," it is one of the few videos I have seen in English that even attempts to discuss the German attacks against the Maginot Line. It did though, conveniently leave out notable German victories in the Maubeuge, Faulquemont, and Rohrbach sectors.

    Cheers, Marc
     
  3. cash_13

    cash_13 Senior Member

    No one else interested in the greatest fortification of all time?:huh:
     
  4. MLW

    MLW Senior Member

    Two - you and me - is about typical by my experience. After all, most people don't that the Maginot Line was involved in any substantial combat action.
     
  5. cash_13

    cash_13 Senior Member

    Know what you mean, I see your from the states I hope you are lucky enough to visit the line someday its awe inspiring.......being from near London its only a few hours away to the nearest part Le Ferte
     
  6. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Sorry, missed this for some reason. Thanks for posting those links - will have a good explore of all that later.
     
  7. MLW

    MLW Senior Member

    cash_13 - Have you thought about visiting the petits ouvrage around Maubeuge? They have quite a good history. For my part, I was stationed in Germany in the 1990s and visited almost all major fortfied works in Alsace and Loarraine. I am now in the middle of co-authoring a book about German attacks aganist the Maginot Line. Fortunately, there is lots of resource material at the US National Archives, which is close to my house.

    Cheers, Marc
     
  8. cash_13

    cash_13 Senior Member

    Marc sorry for some reason I missed your reply..

    Yes I have been to all the fortifications around Alsace and the Loraine areas most seem to be flooded though or in the hands of farmers....

    You mention your resource as coming from the US National Archives are the readily accessible on the web??


    Regards Lee F
     
  9. MLW

    MLW Senior Member

    Lee - Unfortunately, most of the US National Archive's WWII material is not digitized, and therefore is not on the Internet. Furthermore, I don't see future initiatives in the works to put this material online.

    The only way to get access to the captured German records and photographs is to visit the archive in College Park, Maryland and then search through the various record groups. In my case, I live 30 minutes away and have spent many hours scanning photos and documents. The one bright spot for those who do not live near the archive is possibility of ordering scans of captured German unit records on DVDs, of which there are a lot from 1940.

    Cheers. Marc
     
  10. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    Just came across these links now, well posted Lee
     
  11. Phaethon

    Phaethon Historian

    I've got to say, these are some of the best links I've seen. The Marginot line has always fascinated me, if not for its sheer size, then for the fact that it was a state of the art fortification that may never be bettered. I'd give my hind teeth to explore it like these guys,

    well posted!
     
  12. cash_13

    cash_13 Senior Member

    I have explored it and there's no reason why you cant as long as you are able bodied..

    My first time down inside one of the smaller works I took my blind friend Phil with me it was always something we had planned to do together but due to one thing or another and then the on set of Glaucoma meant he gradually lost the sight in both eyes till he was completely blind.......he was adderment that he wanted to go, so in the early nineties we went over to France to the Metz region and arrived in the early evening just after dark and parked the car up....then taking it really steady went into Hobling down the stairs etc and explored each block slowly and surely......He said it was one of the best things he had ever done..........and was well chuffed he went..

    Glad you like the links
    Regards Lee
     

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