Slammer
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2013
- Messages
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The tri-state area where the borders of Switzerland, Germany and France meet must have one of the most weaponized pieces of real estate in central Europe during the first part of the twentieth century, the big clubfoot of the Westwall packed a big punch with heavily armored bunkers and to the west the Maginot line, in neutral Switzerland stands the Limmat line.
The defensive positions are pretty clear if you visit the bunkers on all three sides, between Germany and France the Rhein valley is a 20 kilometer flat plane, impossible to march an army over without being seen and addressed by the weapons of the fortifications, the sheer amount of cannons would stop any invasion in it's tracks, despite being seen as a exercise in futility by the hind-sight of a post war society, the Maginot line was very effective indeed.
Faced with the real threat of invasion by France, Switzerland turned to the continents other superpower of the period and asked Germany for assistance. However Henri Guisan, one of only four Swiss generals and the last one to be appointed, went down a different route with the so-called Réduit National system whereas Swiss forces would retreat into the fortifications in the mountains, the Réduit National is so ingrained into Swiss consciousness that even today every newly built house has a atomic bunker in the cellar, incase of war Switzerland could get 90% of the entire population to safety within hours.
By now you may have gathered that Slammer is a Biker, it's not so much my "hobby" or my "way of life" but more my sexual orientation, and of my biking pleasures is what I call "Zen-Biking" where I simply go where the bike takes me. last week I rode the squiggly roads between France and Switzerland, where the border interlocks like a zip.
Come on, let's go for a ride and look at some of the bunkers.
Heading down to the Swiss Kanton of Jura. The backroad to Delémont.
It's hard to go for a whizz in the whoods without chancing on Concrete
Inside and looking surprisingly intact, however it smelled as if something had died in there so my gag reflexes got a good test, yup! Working fine.
The Maginot line and a bunker half swallowed by vegetation.
One of those with a machine gun turret on top.
These things really look menacing.
I held the camera through the porthole, pity these things are used as a convenient dumpsite.
"Don't mess with me," seems to be what this thing is saying.
"Don't mess with me either!"
Even in the villages along the way; bunkers, bunkers, bunkers!
This kind seems to be the standard type, literally hundreds of them are dotted around the countryside.
Those itty bitty ones are supplemented by the larger command post bunkers.
"Seriously, don't mess with me!"
Swampbunker, can you feel the ground squelch beneath your feet?
Standing pretty much alone and miles from the next pub, this bunker would have been one hell of a hardship posting.
The defensive positions are pretty clear if you visit the bunkers on all three sides, between Germany and France the Rhein valley is a 20 kilometer flat plane, impossible to march an army over without being seen and addressed by the weapons of the fortifications, the sheer amount of cannons would stop any invasion in it's tracks, despite being seen as a exercise in futility by the hind-sight of a post war society, the Maginot line was very effective indeed.
Faced with the real threat of invasion by France, Switzerland turned to the continents other superpower of the period and asked Germany for assistance. However Henri Guisan, one of only four Swiss generals and the last one to be appointed, went down a different route with the so-called Réduit National system whereas Swiss forces would retreat into the fortifications in the mountains, the Réduit National is so ingrained into Swiss consciousness that even today every newly built house has a atomic bunker in the cellar, incase of war Switzerland could get 90% of the entire population to safety within hours.
By now you may have gathered that Slammer is a Biker, it's not so much my "hobby" or my "way of life" but more my sexual orientation, and of my biking pleasures is what I call "Zen-Biking" where I simply go where the bike takes me. last week I rode the squiggly roads between France and Switzerland, where the border interlocks like a zip.
Come on, let's go for a ride and look at some of the bunkers.
Heading down to the Swiss Kanton of Jura. The backroad to Delémont.
It's hard to go for a whizz in the whoods without chancing on Concrete
Inside and looking surprisingly intact, however it smelled as if something had died in there so my gag reflexes got a good test, yup! Working fine.
The Maginot line and a bunker half swallowed by vegetation.
One of those with a machine gun turret on top.
These things really look menacing.
I held the camera through the porthole, pity these things are used as a convenient dumpsite.
"Don't mess with me," seems to be what this thing is saying.
"Don't mess with me either!"
Even in the villages along the way; bunkers, bunkers, bunkers!
This kind seems to be the standard type, literally hundreds of them are dotted around the countryside.
Those itty bitty ones are supplemented by the larger command post bunkers.
"Seriously, don't mess with me!"
Swampbunker, can you feel the ground squelch beneath your feet?
Standing pretty much alone and miles from the next pub, this bunker would have been one hell of a hardship posting.
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