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[BazaJT]

Watched a programme tonight on Yesterday channel[don't know whether it was a repeat or not] about a secret factory complex the Nazis built at the beginning of WWII.It made a third of all munitions used on the Russian front during the war.The complex was built in Poland,covering 25square kilometres of woodland and was still in production until 5 days before the Russians over ran the place at which point it was the first time the allies even knew of its existence! It produced nitro glycerine,smokeless gunpowder and millions of rounds of rifle bullets.It was also used as a secret test facility for various new weapons such as an air bomb for firing from the Nebelwerfer multi launcher and the ill fated V4 weapon which could fly at speeds of 6,200kph A really fascinating programme showing the lengths the Germans went to in construction both to keep it such a secret and also to protect individual parts of the complex from any possible explosion in any part of it.

[78bex]

As it was in Poland they probably used workers from the death camps
 I saw a  documentary, much of it filmed by US army camera men ; leading some of the slave workers out of the V2 production facilities. It was pitiful to watch 
I expect the SS rounded up & shot any remaining workers before they were finally over run
The Nazi war machine inflicted misery & death upon thousands of their workers & yet Albert Speer escaped with his life following the Nazi war crimes trials.

[scimmy_man]

one of the next ones is this
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/the-blockhaus-deperlecques.html

been a few times, its huge,

[aaronjb]

one of the next ones is this
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/the-blockhaus-deperlecques.html

been a few times, its huge,

Ooh, would love to visit that! One for "the list".

[Varche]

Very interesting account. Thanks for the link.

[scimmy_man]

one of the next ones is this
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/the-blockhaus-deperlecques.html

been a few times, its huge,

Ooh, would love to visit that! One for "the list".

walking through a forest, you turn a corner and meet that huge concrete building. impressive size.

[BazaJT]

The factory featured in the programme was called Dag Bomberg or something very similar.While it had of course massively thick concrete walls there was no huge structure such as the one in the above link sticking up out of the floor,it was blended into the surrounding terrain.Even the roads[which were only a widening of the existing forest tracks]had their surfaces painted to match the scenery.

[biggriffin]

There's places like those all over Europe, that the German war machine constructed, all built by slave labour,  They keep uncovering secret sites on a regular basis. There's always someone who remembers something from there childhood, when the "Germans" arrived.