Paris Catacombs

[Michael Banks]

I am new to this forum and apologize if I make any errors regarding the following request: I have read a brief account involving an SS team sent into the Paris Catacombs during the German occupation of Paris. The purpose was to learn of the extent of the French Resistance in the catacombs. The SS team disappeared and was never found again. Has anybody and additional information concerning this event?

[mty]

Sounds interesting. Are you sure it was Waffen-SS team insted of a group of WH sappers or Feldgendarmerie? On the other hand, that might well have been only a rumor put up by the French resistance.

[Michael Banks]

No idea of the actual identity. Just a brief note in a book I found in a used bookstore in Portland, Oregon. After doing research on the internet, and not finding anymore information, I went back to look for the book and could not find it - nor could I remember the title.

If I find out anymore information on this I will post it.

[mty]

To me that sounds quite fictional. Perhaps something even put up by the resistance movement members themselves? Either during the occupation or post-war. Any Frenchmen here to clarify things up?

[Michael Banks]

I agree, it does sound fictional, although when I looked in to the possibility, I came across accounts in which the catacombs were described as harboring both French Resistance and German military units, although they never reportedly crossed paths. When coupled with the fact that individuals have been known to become lost and disoriented in the catacombs, I became intrigued by the possibility that there was some truth to the story. I've been looking for any references, even fictional, but I cannot find anything.

[Daniel Laurent]

Hi Michael,

I've been looking for any references, even fictional, but I cannot find anything.

Neither I do...
I put the question in 2 French historical forums, nothing clear yet, only questions and interrogation marks...

However, yes, the catacombs were used by the Resistance and they had on the Germans a big advantage : They had the sole complete set of maps available, so to have a German unit lost in the tunnels is a possibility.

[D.Laurent]

perhaps they are still searching for the exit !

[Daniel Laurent]

[quote="D.Laurent"]
aarf, same name.... Who are you Monsieur Laurent ? Send me a PM

For ther non-French members of this forum, you have to know that :
1 - Laurent in France is like Smith in the UK or Kim in Korea.
2 - But, unlike elsewhere, the French Laurent are ALL members of the elite.

[D.Laurent]

off-topic:
sorry Seth_Soldier (du forum de juin44) wouldn't have been appropriated for this forum ( ).
i join because i wanted an answer the oost-cappel atrocities (1940) unfortunately i've received no answer here ...

[Daniel Laurent]

off-topic:
sorry Seth_Soldier (du forum de juin44) wouldn't have been appropriated for this forum ( ).
i join because i wanted an answer the oost-cappel atrocities (1940) unfortunately i've received no answer here ...

Seth-Soldier !

The world is small and the French will conquer it all

But I still don't know why you took my name... Am I such a celebrity ?

[kstdk]

Hello

Regarding th Catacombes, have a look at this:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=da&rls= ... is&spell=1

Try the links in the first search, there are some maps of the Catacombes.

Regards
Kurt
kstdk

[Thom@s]

About the Resistance in the Paris "catacombs", lots of information U gave are a little bit faked. For instance, never Rol Tanguy used a nickname like Morel (even if it's written in a book) ; I asked him the question few years before he died. The was no fights between French and Nazi inside the old underground limestone quarries (aka "catacombs"). And of course I never heard about this team of Germans who got lost into these quarries.
The history of the Paris Underground has been my subject for more than 30 years ; Sorry ! But if U still have questions, I can try to help U.

[Stanford9]

The Paris catacombs are enormous (roughly 170 miles on several levels and in various areas), I suspect that we live above a catacomb area here near the Palais Royal as the immediate area has been subsiding again causing buildings to move and crack - all a touch alarming as rows of buildings have been known to collapse into the catacombs as the the ground and the old quarries below suddenly opened up.

Is it possible that German troops vanished while in the catacombs? Yes it is, others do and they have died from time to time, though since the police and Paris authorities cracked down this is very rare. That said, private rave parties are still held down there at times and in 2004 the Paris police found a complex with a properly equipped cinema and even a restaurant on the right bank under the Trocadaro just across from the Eiffel Tower.

I've worked in the main Paris catacomb area at Denfert-Rochereau, and for various reasons was once left alone down there for an hour or so... alone apart from the 6 million dead Parisians that is. It's not silent, you can hear rustling noises and the odd drip! The most bizarre was when I started to hear distant crunching noises, they appeared to be coming closer and then fade away and then closer... and closer... As my lamp played over them the countless skulls around me seemed to grin. Finally, as my hair began to stand on end and the sweat trickle down my face.... my colleague reappeared munching a large bag of crisps. True as I'm sitting here!

I believe the catacombs and the vast Napoleonic Paris sewer system were too useful not to have been used at times by the résistants, and so were inevitably searched by the Nazis, the vast sewer network was used as well, it's fascinating too - if you don't mind the rats that tend to use you as a bridge, the sewers tend to mirror the streets above and have the same street names on the walls. Oddly it doesn't tend to smell too bad down there.

[bladingchick]

I went down into the catacombs in 1998 and I went into both the French and the German offices. It was completely amazing. They were in fact very close but they never did meet apparently. The layouts were so different. The French being large rooms with tables and places to talk and plan. But the German was in a grid system in the shape of a U with rooms coming off the corridors. The jails at the end of the U. It was so amazing. Email if you want to know more. [email protected]