Identifying Underground Factories

Discussions on the propaganda, architecture and culture in the Third Reich.
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Simon Gunson
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Identifying Underground Factories

#1

Post by Simon Gunson » 05 Jan 2009, 14:40

This is the Mountain at Kahla. Me-262 fighters were built underneath the mountain here and then rolled out at the bottom onto a funicular railway which carried them to the top of the hill. On top of the hill was a 3,300 foot long runway. New aircraft were literally flown off the factory roof to be fitted out.

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I am genuinely interested to know what other factories our members can identify ?
Particularly I'd like to know not just their names, but also their locations, the concentration camps nearby where they drew their labour and what was built in each underground complex, so that perhaps we can build up a research resource.

Another approach might be to look at various vehicles, aircraft or u-boats etc and say where did they come from. U-boats for example were prefabricated. Open to you people...

Image

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DrG
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Re: Identifying Underground Factories

#2

Post by DrG » 17 Jan 2009, 17:58

One of the largest German complex was in the northern Garda Lake, between Lombardy, Trentino and Veneto (Northern Italy). It was made of a series of road tunnels used, in 1944-45, as war factories for the Alpine Redoubt. On the western coast of the lake, between Gargnano and Riva, there were the Breda (machine guns) and Fiat (aircraft engines), while in the tunnel between the eastern side of the Lake (village of Torbole) and the Adige river there were the Caproni factories (aircraft parts).
These factories can be easily seen also today because... they are (again) the road along the western coast of the Garda ("Strada Statale 45bis Gardesana Occidentale"); while the eastern gallery, being a connection between the Adige River and the lake, is less known.

Google Map

Reference: G. Cocconcelli, "Tunnel Factories", Giorgio Apostolo Editore, 2002, http://www.apostoloeditore.com/libri11.htm (despite the title, its text is in Italian language only).


Simon Gunson
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Re: Identifying Underground Factories

#3

Post by Simon Gunson » 25 Jan 2009, 10:38

An interesting reference to Zement at Ebensee, in Austria:

http://www.thirdreichruins.com/ebensee.htm

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PavelH
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Weser Flugzeugbau G.M.B.H. -Janska CZ

#4

Post by PavelH » 02 Jun 2012, 12:04

Weser Flugzeugbau G.M.B.H. Bremen - underground factory in the CZ - Janska.
A parts for Junkers and Messerschmidt airplanes and the whole FA 223 helicopters, were producted there.
A sub-camp KL Flossenbürg was near this factory, were the "workers" lived.

http://www.podzemirabstejn.cz/ -use google trasnlator or something like this, coz the pages works just in the czech language.

Just a few pics. from my visit

P.
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PavelH
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Weser Flugzeugbau G.M.B.H. -Janska CZ

#5

Post by PavelH » 02 Jun 2012, 12:09

while a guided tour you can drive into the one of the labyrinths
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Geoff Walden
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Re: Identifying Underground Factories

#6

Post by Geoff Walden » 03 Jun 2012, 20:18

Great pics, Pavel! Thanks!

I know the original query was from 2009, but this page "Tunnel and Shelter Researching" has been around for quite awhile. (It has also moved around a lot on the internet.) It has a lot of what you were looking for, Simon.

http://www.reocities.com/capecanaveral/1325/

JamesL
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Re: Identifying Underground Factories

#7

Post by JamesL » 12 Jun 2012, 00:51

I understand that there is a massive tunnel complex near Oberammergau. It was used for aircraft production. The US THIRD ARMY tried to destroy the complex when they captured it but it was just too big. I have heard it was also used as an atomic bomb shelter during the Cold War.

Oberammergau now hosts a NATO school and NATO students can tour the tunnels.

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Geoff Walden
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Re: Identifying Underground Factories

#8

Post by Geoff Walden » 13 Jun 2012, 20:34

Hi James,

Do you have any details of the tunnel tours for the NATO School students? The tunnel entrances are sealed - how do they get inside? I have been recently corresponding with someone at the NATO School, and he confirmed that the tunnels are sealed, with no possibility to get inside. So I'm curious to know, how the NATO School students get inside there. Thanks!

shaver13
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Re: Identifying Underground Factories

#9

Post by shaver13 » 13 Jan 2015, 13:35

JamesL wrote:I understand that there is a massive tunnel complex near Oberammergau. It was used for aircraft production. The US THIRD ARMY tried to destroy the complex when they captured it but it was just too big. I have heard it was also used as an atomic bomb shelter during the Cold War.

Oberammergau now hosts a NATO school and NATO students can tour the tunnels.
That is also what I have heard from the reliable source that it was used as an atomic bomb shelter.
Geoff Walden wrote:Hi James,

Do you have any details of the tunnel tours for the NATO School students? The tunnel entrances are sealed - how do they get inside? I have been recently corresponding with someone at the NATO School, and he confirmed that the tunnels are sealed, with no possibility to get inside. So I'm curious to know, how the NATO School students get inside there. Thanks!
Probably there is a secret tunnel wherein the student have had discovered, that is why the information reveals.

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