Gigantic WWII U-Boat Bunker
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- Опубліковано 25 чер 2024
- In this video we are going to take a tour of the gigantic bunker that was built for the construction of German Submarines or U-Boats. We are going to explore this bunker not just from the outside but also from the inside as we look at why the bunker was built and how they planned to mass produce Type XXI submarines.
Spoiler alert, the bunker was never finished, the Allied bombs damaged it to such an extend that the Germans gave up on it.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:24 Dimensions
00:47 Construction
01:34 U-Boat Construction
02:48 Inside the bunker
03:41 Bomb damage
04:49 After the war
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I've made a small mistake in my video, it was the 617 Squadron that bombed it on March 27, 1945, not the 615 Squadron.
Here is some more Information:
www.denkort-bunker-valentin.de/index.php?id=108
One thing which nobody ever anymore visits is the Eibia G.m.b.H. Near Bomlitz. This was the most important plant for smokeless ammunition as well as Nitroglycerin which ran up to 6 story's underground between bunkers. I grew up and actually did some of the mine and bunker clearing as a kid we played there and when ever we found stuff we had the MP come and decide what to do with it. Thru the years it produced the highest amount with over 65000 ton's of it.
75 years later I'm still bitter and have an extreme dislike for Germans after losing two uncles because of the Germans and how they were complicit in killing so many innocent people. They still owe the world!
@@canam851 Losses had been made on both sides. I lost a lot more than you will ever loose but I respect that you are upset. I just hope you at least found your family members. Mine are still missing in action. We know one fell in the Kessel in Stalingrad and was never recovered. My aunt had to flee from the russians and got ran over by a train where she lost both of her legs. In 199x she passed away from normal age. Our country was divided for over 50 years and I was there when the wall came down. I was also one of the first western who crossed thru it to the east side of Berlin. On top I am jewish so don't tell ever again. Find your piece by educating your children what happened and why it happened. Let them read the book "THE WAVE" it is something everyone should read because it show's how easily you can manipulate the mass.I am born in the 70's and I visited most of the Concentration Camps because my uncle who also is jewish who lost most of his family in the camps made me learn about the history so that I never do the same mistake his Generation did.
@@lsellclumanetsolarenergyll5071 fyi no, my relatives bodies were never found and I'm of Jewish heritage too. The difference between you and I is the German people for the most part were complicit in what happened to so many innocent people! Your boy Hitler set the rules for every tyrant to follow.
That roof thickness is incredible. Vast resources were just poured into all kinds of things like this. It's crazy.
double entendre
@@mateo1726 for real.. they had those tank gun bunkers and all the other underground hideouts. Be an insane number. Wonder if more than hoover damn?
That roof alone would had to have been poured in sections or it'd still be curing today lol.
Nobody
My house that has 1m thick concrete floors: are u challenging me?
Hey no base can stand to the mighty British bomb THE GRANDSLAM
Good thing too, or they definitely would have won the world.
When I was in the US Navy, The USS Miami visited Bremerhaven for a scheduled port call in 1998 and we were offered a tour of the bunker. It was a very educational tour and I really enjoyed it.
America doesn't have anything like this, and never will. you've never fought an enemy on your own soil, so you do not know what war is about. don't come the usual shit about the civil war you had, that's not like fighting for survival like we had in Europe. sure, you found this educational. dig deeper, all of Europe was a war zone, a whole continent at it. you don't know the half of it.
@@davidmarshall1259 I’m glad we are not related. Your comment is both unnecessarily rude and unjustifiably arrogant. I am glad the Americans came to our aid in both world wars as they made a vital difference in the first and saved Western Europe from tyranny in the second. They also provided the means by which the Cold War was sustained and eventually won. Even today we benefit from the American nuclear umbrella and please don’t think our own independent nuclear deterrent and that of the French are anything other than a means to draw the USA into a nuclear war if we are attacked and they are not.
Try visiting www.abmc.gov/Cambridge or www.abmc.gov/Brookwood when this pandemic is over. The USA sent her best and suffered loss as a consequence. I was born 60 years ago and haven’t seen war against Britain as you describe. I served for 31 years in the Army and haven’t seen war as you describe. I study military history and still have no idea of what my parents experienced during the blitz in London, and both told me about it. You state that the Americans have no idea what it was like to suffer as Europe did in the world wars, well neither do I and neither do you. You seem to hold that the European predilection to engage in total war both on the continent and around the world is a good thing, something we should be proud of. Well it isn’t but that predilection is why there have been American forces stationed in Europe since 1941. I for one am glad they are here.
@@davidmarshall1259 If you were to ask the Confederate Soldiers that faced Sherman's army on his march to the sea, I am sure they'd disagree. Civilians were murdered, the women raped, homes, barns, crops and just about any buildings of use were destroyed. Animals slaughtered, and foodstocks confiscated. Thousands starved or died of disease due to their weakened condition. I believe the Civil War in the south was indeed about survival to them.
@@reallyoldfatgit Thank you
@@davidmarshall1259 America has many coastal defense sites, some pre-dating the world wars.
For those looking to find it easier - 53°13'00.81" N 8°30'14.87" E
Tx
Yes! Thank you.. I swear, coordinates are my go-to. Cause I've seen so many false places on Google Maps, haha.
My dad used to live some five or ten minutes away from the bunker in the 90s and when I was in my teens I "visited" Valentin from the outside a couple of times and peeked through and over the fence. When I joined the German army, I got in contact with the commander of the site, if I could visit it (as with your army pass you can/could actually enter 'every' military facility in Germany). To my amazement I could have, but I somehow did not make it to Bremen that year.
Great to hear, that it is open to the public now. Definitely put that on the list for my next stop there.
"Valentin" was the second largest submarine bunker in Europe. A million tons of gravel and sand, 132,000 tons of cement and 20,000 tons of steel were used to build the bunker. A body found in the foundation of the bunker on June 28, 1957, was apparently one of the deceased forced laborers. The blasting of the bunker was also discussed, but then discarded because the possible damage in the area would have become too great. It was assumed that the large collapsing masses would produce an artificial earthquake, as a result of which the district of Rekum would be largely destroyed and the nearby Farge power plant would be severely damaged. And so "Valentin" will surely be seen for many years over "Rekum". Greetings from Germany.
Thanks for the added info!
I KNEW OF THE TYPE 21 BUT NOT OF THIS PLACE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THE AMOUNT OF CONCRETE,WOW.
Yea when ya think there's a lot of cubic metres.
I don't recall which one, but one of the sub pens I visited on the east coast of France it was said that the concrete was so thick they calculated it had only finished curing 10-15 years ago.
@@hebdomatical Yes, l do believe that it's years and years till it becomes super hard.
6lr6ak6 the Hoover dam needs another 300 years from now to harden
@@RichLord the Hoover dam has chilled water pipes running through it to aid in the harding of concrete
Wow! I was stationed near Bremen 1977-1980 during the Cold War. If I had known, I would have visited this.
You could only see it through the gate.
Very interesting man, never knew about this. Keep it up.
More to come!
in 1000 years in the future, archeologist will say that this was the ancient German religious temple
@Ridhuan AB Who or what will you place inside to convince people this was a place of worship 🙂?
@@scifiknut thats what all archaeologist do, every ancient thing is a religious temple
Historians esp war historians leave the fcking group. 🤦♂
Ridhuan AB narr, they’ll think it was a McDonald’s takeaway lol 😂
“The Ancient Germans worshipped this being, an aquatic creature called an Uboot. They built this place to serve their aquatic overlords.”
That just made the destination list. Thanks for sharing!
Agreed! Now to only get to Europe... lol
I recently visited this site as part of following my fathers footsteps through Europe. It is like a massive mausoleum. So incredibly interesting, and well worth a visit
One thing which nobody ever anymore visits is the Eibia G.m.b.H. Near Bomlitz. This was the most important plant for smokeless ammunition as well as Nitroglycerin which ran up to 6 story's underground between bunkers. I grew up and actually did some of the mine and bunker clearing as a kid we played there and when ever we found stuff we had the MP come and decide what to do with it.
Well done to the German government keeping it and opening to the public
Something the U.K. really should take note of
I live near cammel lairds and sadly we think it’s ok to raise one of few U-boats from the sea bed then decide to cut it into sections and just display one part of it 😢😢
They keep it _just in case_
U have stupid government
In America, all the crazy deranged Democrats hell-bent on erasing our history would insist that something like that is a racist monument glorifying slavery and demand it be destroyed and buried.
Its part of Germany's history.
Its very unfortunate thousands died in its construction, but the building will survive for future generations to realise the follies of war.
@@ObliterateTyranny america has gone crazy a long time ago.. They're creating conditions where every black can blame the society he is a victim
Nice video. The arrows showing the locations helped. Amazing that even at that late date in the war, they still had plans for more U Boats.
The scary thing is, the Nazis were just a few months away from producing a nuke. Also, they had already been building some very fast fighter jets, but they did not have enough of them to really do much and their production capabilities were destroyed just in time.
-NAtionalZI, or NAtional SocialZI, has unlimited resources. It forcibly engulfs and utilizes Every existing resource in it's insatiable forward march, as long as the 'tractor' maintains a supply of energy.. fuel.
Thank you for creating one of the best videos about the u- bunkers. Very informative.
Really enjoy your videos , opening up your splendid knowledge and keeping history alive
Thank you Adrian!
One of my colleagues, his dad was an Irish merchant mariner in WW 2 and they were captured by the Germans and despite being neutral and operating an Irish ship,they were imprisoned in a Marlag (sailor's POW camp) and forced to work on this monstrosity, despite the efforts of the Red Cross to get them freed as neutral non-combatants. Hundreds died from overwork on a meagre diet and they got sod all in the way of compensation from the Germans after the war. Knock this place....
I saw it a distance many times nearly 40 years ago. Thanks for the tour.
Glad you enjoyed it
Excellent presentation!
Thank you very much for this wonderful video. I'VE never seen such a huge structure in world war 2 era. amazing massive building which still stand like a rock. keep posting them.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Very interesting, thank you. Keep the videos coming! You do a great job.
Thank you!
Some cool stuff - thanks
Thanks for sharing!
This gigantic bunker is evidence how intense was WW2
Very interesting and informative, THANK YOU.
Wow!!!! Mind boggling how huge this is. Great video.
tnx for this video!
Impressive, clear, and informative.
Extremely interesting.
Vielen dank!
Thank you very much!
Totally amazing from many perspectives.
Glad you enjoyed it
That was really interesting. Very cool piece of history.
Glad you enjoyed it
Come from a little village a few Km away. Live on the other side of the world now.
My father was a very young German soldier.
At the age of 15 he spent his hours after school in an anti aircraft flak emplacement in a railway siding in this area.
Brought his wife and sons to Australia so "you will never see what I have seen".
Also once said, "only people who have never been in one think war is an adventure".
Never even knew this existed. Very interesting. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing this!
Thank-you always good to see what I have heard people talk about for years. Thanks again
My pleasure!
Had no idea about this. Thanks for a super informative video.
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent video. Insightful content and the right length.
Glad you enjoyed it!
A very interesting tour! Thank you!
Great video 📹 thanks for sharing
Australia 🌏
In the UK we made vast concrete towers in the 60s that are falling apart, these were made in the 40s, bombed and still standing?
A few years AD, the Romans poured concrete that would set like stone and harden under water. It's not the year of the car, it's the brand...
Short bagging is a genuine Plutocratic praxis.
@#theAutumnal cyclist Just another proof of the quality of German engineering. But then you start thinking about the people who actually built it and how many died during construction. While it looks impressive, the backstory makes it hard to understand the whole reason behind it. I find it interesting to watch documentaries on historic German constructions, weapons, vehicles and other things manufactured and used during WW2, but when you get to know the stories behind that really illustrate the level of suffering prisoners had to endure to keep the German war machine going, it just makes you feel numb inside.
@@scifiknut A lot of WW2 German concrete structures have been built by locals and they're still standing as well.
@@scifiknut Yeah, the horror of it. You have to build weapons for your enemy, and you are just... stuck.
Do a bad job, they kill you. Do a good job, they use them to kill your friends. It's enough to make you go crazy.
I was stationed in Garlstedt and spent much time in Bremen but never learned about this. Wish I had. Thanks for sharing the video and information.
Our pleasure!
There is actually another room which you didn't mentioned. It is on the far right of the floor plan. It is used as a storage room for private boats. When I had the chance to look inside, there was also a privately owned German WW2 tank. It's sad that there are no informations about the rooms in the "second" floor and on the rooftop. Even the people who work there were not able to tell me what's up there :(
Blimey, I had no idea!
The people who worked there were not able , OR , were NOT WILLING to tell you what's up there ?!
That was a very interesting video. Thanks for cheering.
So cool, Thank you so much for all of the content!
My pleasure!
Great building 😊
Thanks for the video
Living near the bunker I visited serveral times. During the use for the German Navy and also later on. Just a little detail: the bombings in March didn't cause the whole in the roof. This whole is caused by a test bombing after the war.
Didn't know that, thanks!
Good stuff. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Very interesting. Well presented. Thanks
Very welcome
Wish I had of known about this when I was in There in 2008, although sailed on a boat from brake to Bremerhaven.
The interior of that structure looks eerily similar to one of the levels in my Return to Castle Wolfenstein game.
Who cares, gamer.
I know, right??
It is now apart of WW2 History and needs to be preserved! I visited the the Submarine Pens at Bordeaux and I was amazed. Yes there were New Zealanders apart of these bombing crews. My father fought the Italians, Germans and Tito's forces as part of the New Zealand Army. However I have German ancestry; being a New Zealander I also have Irish, French, Scottish and English ancestry..... History must be respected. This building needs to be preserved. I doubt that even a 22,000lb bomb could have punctured a whole in is roof, the Bordeaux Sub Pen roof was only dented by a similar bomb.
The Flak Towers were also marvels of engineering.
Very ineresting, thank you.
My grandfather was one of the camp inmates working there. He always talked of the chaos that the bombing caused. Many prisoners were killed by the bombs that hit the target. Those that where close to the bunker doors were lucky. Detonation threw them out together whith the doors, they were bumped up, but alive. The ones deeper inside...
Maybe it is interesting for you to hear, that it is nowadays a memorial for the victims of Nazi Government.
In 2009 the German Bundeswehr invited Interested People on the Protestant Church Convention to visit an prayer for the death of war and terror. In 2009 parts of the Bunker was used as a supply storage for German foreign Missions in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
But they gave a away this place to the civil Gouvernements to build up a memorial.
It was a cold, wet and depressing place and it was a real strange and dark feeling to know, that their are still German soldiers in the world using this grave of victims of warcrime to supply German Troops.
To be fair, the Bundeswehr saw that problem and there for it was repurposed to a memorial.
In that ceremony I took part of, there were many survivors of the concentration camp Farge.
So your grandfather and his comrades are honored by prayers and we will never forget.
@@dikon0172 technically, the victims that he speaks of were killed by the allied though
Fitrian Hidayat technically nearly everybody dies by heart failure. But what do you want to explain? That they enjoined a good job, with a lot of fine lads in a healthy atmosphere with good food and an excellent medical healthcare
@@dikon0172 I'm not trying to explain anything, just stating the facts
@Stop the BS if the kid got a motive to threw food to the street, and not just to kill as hobbies, and the driver knew about the kid's hobbies and deliberately drive there routinely to kill some squirrels and birds, I'd say the driver is kinda at fault too.
But why do you ask?
FASCINATING!! 👍👍👍
nice video mate love history especially little gems like this :D
You and me both!
Excellent video. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Très bon reportage, explications claires et précises.
Awesome video !!
Glad you enjoyed it
I was there it is amazing how big and high the bunker is
Beautifully done...congrats
Thank you! Cheers!
Wow! would love to visit this place some day :)
Please do!
Myself and my family went to see this a few years back. Found it by accident. Really interesting.
Thank you for an excellent video, and thank you for not adding music to it. It's actually possible to hear what you are saying :)
You're very welcome!
Good video.....information,immages, narration...all very good!!
Thank you very much!
Great video
Just living a few kilometers from there. Been there 2005 the last time, but it was all closed as said in the video. But it was very impressive even if you could only watch from outside...
Didn't know it is open for visitors. Well, I guess I will have a look soon.
Wonder why it's closed. Are they worried someone is going the hurt it.... lol.
Just need someone at the entrance searching people for spray paint
John doe The video said it was used by the navy till 2010
In 2005 it was still a military depot.
Where can I find this bunker ???
@@appie666 In the north west of Bremen near the sharp curve in the Weser river, It is southwest of the main road between Bremen Farge and Rekum. A small road leads to it. It is mentioned on Google Maps. When you give in Farge, you.ll see it left of the village,
Interesting article...thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
Very good video. Thanks for sharing. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🇧🇪
Thanks for watching!
Very cool!
Thanks
Enjoyed this vid.
Very interesting I formation. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it
I visited another sub base in France. Near the city of L'Orient there is a large base that could harbor 30 subs. They have preserved it as well as the areas where they repaired them. Very interesting place to visit.
Going there as soon as the whole travel situation clears up!
Is that the one they opened a club in ?
@@johnscanlon2598 I was there for Fire Fighting, First aid and HUET training. They used one of the bays as the life raft training area so I got to swim in the bay. There is a museum there that is very interesting. Not sure about a club.
@@jackflash6377 that’s pretty cool looks like an imposing place would make you feel really small
Look at that thick roof !!!!!!
The structure must be crazily strong
perhaps the strongest structure ever built
Great vid, thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you.
You're welcome!
Great video 👍
Thanks 👍
Enjoyed this video 🌹
Thanks for sharing this part of our common European history 👍
It is unbelievable the germans buildings that they built not only buildings but bunkers an tunnel
Just discovered your channel googling u-boat pens lol awesome stuff bro
EL FRAILE in the philippines is a concrete ship, during ww2. One of the most interesting in earth. And story behind that ship.
very interesting!
Glad you think so!
Amazing story! The video shows much more than one would think, notice the size of the rebar.👍👍👍👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Glad you enjoyed it
I live a few 100m away from this Bunker.I think it will be still there in 3020
Indeed, this will long outlive us all
Awesome technology
Wow, what an interesting place, on my place to visit list
You should!
Though the submarine bunker was not complete, the fact that the concrete thicknee 7 m is amazing. the Deutsche civil engineering is excellent. Thanks for your posting. 🍒🍒
nice video. imaging playing games in bunker.
Intressant ! engelse woord voor sluis is trouwens lock.
Very good video - but one small correction: the RAF squadron was 617 and not 615.
You are correct
This was the target of the 390th on December 20, 1943 when my dad was shot down. My son and I visited in 2015 on a Sunday. No one was there and the gates were open so I got a good look around.
wrong target...the correct was east οf germany after poland.....
The amount of concrete is staggering. I look at the thickness of the roof alone and I can’t imagine much getting through there. Sad though to realize that so many died building this structure
Indeed, that is the sad thing we must never forget..
Chris Dooley when your entire infrastructure relies on working people to death that’s what happens.
That’s insane..safe place to work I spose
That's pretty cool, you need a lot of support for a roof that heavy
True, did you see the supports in the bunker, they are HUGE
Cool Video, i lIve near the Bunker .
Very cool!
I have visited here but found it eerie
Intéressant
Very interesting 👍
Glad you think so!
Wonder if it's fore sale, would make a great SHTF bunker...
617 squadron. And after reading various books on this part of the war while they were damaged clearly they were not destroyed.
The Germans loved concrete, though so much of it was severely flawed with poor quality gravel and beach sand. 6m of that concrete was similar in strength to about 2 metres of good quality modern concrete.
>> I agree. I began roofing the 2nd floor of my 4 bedroom colonial house with 6m of German concrete. But then someone advised me to use modern concrete instead, and i was able to finish the rest of the 1st floor roof over the 2 car garage with a mere 2.5m of modern concrete! I realize it wont withstand "tall boy bombs", but as long as they only drop the weaker "Disney bombs", my family should be OK!
Sounds like the biggest bullshit ever 😂
WOW!!! wirklich cooles Video!
Danke!
Nice insight in a fascinating building which bears my family name, originated from Germany a few centuries ago
Glad you enjoyed it!
Nice to know. I live near Bremen I should visit it
You should!