Todt Battery

The Todt Battery is a battery of coastal artillery built by the Germans in World War II, located in the hamlet of Haringzelle, Audinghen, near Cape Gris Nez, Pas de Calais, France. It was one of the most important coastal fortifications of the Atlantic Wall, and consisted of four 380 mm calibre Krupp guns with a range up to 55.7 km, capable of reaching the British coast, and each protected by a bunker of reinforced concrete.

History

The battery fired its first shell on 20 January 1942, although it was only officially opened in February 1942 in the presence of high Kriegsmarine dignitaries. Originally to be called Siegfried Battery, it was renamed in honour of the German engineer Fritz Todt, creator of the Todt Organisation and responsible for the construction of the Atlantic Wall, who died in a plane crash days before the battery's inauguration.

The battery was taken by Anglo-Canadian troops in September 1944, after an intense aerial bombardment, as part of Operation Undergo.

Museum

One of the four casemates now houses a museum about World War II, Musée du Mur de l'Atlantique. The exhibits include military hardware, including, outside, one of two surviving Krupp K5 artillery rail-mounted cannon.

Gallery

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  A German soldier at the Todt Battery during World War II

• Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1986-104-10A, Atlantikwall, Batterie "Todt".jpg

  One of the battery's 38 cm guns during WW2.

• 280 mm Eisenbahngeschuetz K5 (E), Audinghen 01 09.jpg

  K5 28 cm railway gun breech, at the museum.

• Musee mur atlantique vue globale.jpg

  Another view of the Todt Battery

• Batterie Todt - Audinghen 15 Sotamuseo Ranskassa.jpg

  Bunker in 1993.

• Musee mur atlantique vue face.jpg

  Bunker housing the museum.

• Musee mur atlantique maquette.jpg

  Diorama showing the battery's four bunkers.

References

Bibliography

• This article was created from the translation of the article Batterie Todt the French Wikipedia, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 3.0 Unported and free documentation license GNU.

External links

• Todt Battery Museum website (in French)
• Battery Todt on Bunkersite.com