Fort des Dunes

During the Battle of France in 1940, large numbers of French and British troops arrived in the Dunkirk area, separated from their units. The Camp des Dunes was established at the fort to process French soldiers and to assign them duties. General Georges Blanchard, whose First French Army had effectively ceased to exist, arrived at the fort on 30 May. The fort became the headquarters of the French 12th Motorized Infantry Division on 1 June. On 2 June the fort was attacked by aircraft. Two bombs exploded in the courtyard of the fort. Among the dead was the 12th Motorized Infantry's General Janssen. Another bombing raid on 3 June hit the fort with six bombs, heavily damaging the fort and killing six more officers, with a total of between 150 and 200 killed at the fort in both raids. The repeated attacks and heavy damage led the 12th Division to leave the fort.[4]

Following the last evacuations from the beaches and port of Dunkirk on 4 June, German forces took possession of the fort. The Germans made repairs to the fort and organized reburials of soldiers who had been interred where they had fallen or who had been entombed by debris, mostly carried out by local citizens and prisoners of war. The fort became a component of the German Atlantic Wall fortifications, primarily as an annex to the Zuydcoote battery. Apart from functioning as a rations depot, the fort supported an anti-aircraft battery with a radar installation.[2] A small blockhouse was built by the Todt Organization on the west side, with another bunker covering the approach road. These were reinforced in 1944 with temporary revetments and a heavy machine gun position.[5] German troops left significant murals and decorations in the magazines and barracks.[2]Durant la bataille de Dunkerque, en juin 1940, la 12e Division d'Infanterie Motorisée (DIM) assurant la défense du front entre Uxem et Bray-Dunes avait choisi d’installer son état-major au Fort des Dunes, peu soumis jusqu’alors aux bombardements ennemis.

Le 2 juin 1940, quelques heures après la mise en place des unités de commandement au sein des bâtiments, l’ouvrage subissait de violents bombardements aériens et des tirs d’artillerie causant de nombreux décès dont celui du général Gaston Janssen, tué avec une partie de ses cadres dans une cour intérieure.

Le 3 juin 1940, un nouveau bombardement aérien provoqua la mort d'une centaine de soldats et causa d'important dégâts matériels.fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_des_Dunes

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2017-04-19
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Fort des Dunes Haut de France Leffrinckoucke Nord Pas de Calais Séré de Rivières bataille de Dunkerque france guerre wars
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