German WWII Atlantikwall Pillbox

Nazi Pillbox, Scheveningen Beach, The Hague, Netherlands

When I was a kid living in Holland in ’75 and ’76 I used to ride my bike to the beach (Scheveningen Beach) with my brother Mike and our friends. Near the end of the ride we passed through extensive sand dunes before we reached the North Sea. At the periphery of the dunes we passed these Nazi German R671 Pillboxes, which are remnants of the German Atlantikwall heavy artillery defense system.

The Atlantikwall was an extensive system of costal defense fortifications built by Hitler and Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of Europe and Scandinavia which included trenches, gun positions, colossal coastal guns, and thousands of German troops stationed to protect against the anticipated Allied invasion of WWII. They are part of a last generation of static defences built on such a large scale.

In writing this entry I came across a website that visually depicts the Third Reich’s massive defensive line established on the European Western coast.  Of special  interest to me were the photographs of the intricate tunnel systems built  beneath these very structures on this small section of the Dutch coast. I highly encourage you to explore this link (Bunkersite.com) and visit the tunnels and trenches under this and other beaches as well as descriptions of other components of the Third Reich’s Atlantikwall. Start with the gray links on the left of the page. This photo is from my 2014 visit back to Holland.

February 19, 2016 | Categories: Photography, Travel | Tags: beach, den haag, german, HDR, holland, Nazi, netherlands, Nikon D90, photography, Travel and Tourism, water, World Heritage Site, WWII | 3 Comments