Führerhauptquartier Tannenberg (also known as "Installation T") was a Führer Headquarters built in 1939 for use as a military command and control facility by Adolf Hitler. It was located near Freudenstadt and Hitler stayed there for a week in 1940 while inspecting the fortresses that formed the Maginot Line.
| Tannenberg | |
|---|---|
| Germany | |
  Tannenberg Tannenberg location on a map of pre-1945 Germany | |
| Coordinates | 48°29′44″N 8°15′49″E / 48.49556°N 8.26361°E |
| Type | Command and control |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1939 |
| Built by | Organization Todt |
| In use | 1940 |
| Fate | abandoned / demolished |
History
editTannenberg was constructed on Kniebis Mountain in the heart of the Black Forest on the grounds of an existing installation of Germany's western air defense zone near Freudenstadt.[1] Built by the Organization Todt in the winter of 1939–1940, it has been described as a prototype for the Wolf's Lair.[2][3][4] The site's designation, "Tannenberg", was from the Battle of Tannenberg during World War I.[4]
Hitler stayed at the Führerhauptquartier Tannenberg from 28 June to 5 July 1940, following the Fall of France, using it as a base from which to tour the fortresses of the Maginot Line.[5] This is the only time it was known to have been used by Hitler.[4]
Most of the buildings were demolished during the German withdrawal from the Western Front in 1945.[4] One building, which remained standing, was subsequently used to store fertilizer and other supplies by foresters.[4]
As of 2015, the location of Tannenberg sits within the Black Forest National Park.[4]
Design and layout
editTannenberg consisted of two concrete bunkers, one used as Hitler's private quarters and a second as a communications facility.[1] The site also included a number of wood-frame structures, including a mess hall, barracks, guest quarters, a conference center, and a guard house.[1] The perimeter of the complex was ringed with barbed wire.[1]
See also
edit- Adlerhorst - a nearby Führerhauptquartier
References
edit- ^ a b c d Short, Neil (2013). The Führer's Headquarters: Hitler's command bunkers 1939–45. Bloomsbury. p. 23. ISBN 978-1849083027.
- ^ Johnson, Aaron (1999). Hitler's military headquarters: organization, structures, security, and personnel. Bender. p. 131. ISBN 9780912138800.
- ^ Felton, Mark (2014). Guarding Hitler: The Secret World of the Fuhrer. Pen and Sword. p. 232. ISBN 978-1473838383.
- ^ a b c d e f Frank, Hans Goerg (28 September 2015). "Fundament eines Führerbunkers von Adolf Hitler im Nationalpark Schwarzwald". Südwest Presse (in German). Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- ^ Baxter, Ian (2009). Wolf's Lair: Inside Hitler's East Prussian HQ. History Press Ltd. p. 19. ISBN 978-0750950794.