Westwall - The beginnings 1938-1939.
Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2016 8:25 am
Hello to all 
; a little complement.....................
The Westwall - 1938.
When the Government of III. Reich ordered the construction of a defensive position on the border line, the so-called "Western Wall", the Fortresses Inspectorate had rejected outright the execution of this task. Already in the summer of 1938 the Commander of the Defence of the West, Generaloberst Adam, had expressed the futility of such work, on the other hand he had pointed out that it was impossible to defend unfinished fortifications with the few forces available.
The construction of the Western Wall included:
1. Barriers against infantry and tanks.
2. Numerous individual positions for different types of weapons (machine guns, antitank, antiaircraft artillery and mortars).
3. Command posts and communication centers fortified.
Fortress Engineers departments during construction of the Western Wall.
Inspektion der Pi und Festung: General d. Pi Förster.
Inspektion der Westbefestigungen: Generalmajor Speck?
Fest. Insp. V Generalleutnant Schwetzer?
Fest. Insp. VI Generalmajor Schönpf?
Fest. Insp. VII Oberst Eckstein
Fest. Insp. VIII Generalmajor Otto
Fest. Insp. IX Oberst Birkenbihl
Fest. Pi Stab 2 Maj (E) ¿?
Fest. Pi Stab 11 Maj (E) Hellwig
Fest. Pi Stab 12 Oberstleutnant Mirow
Fest. Pi Stab 13 Maj (E) Nebiling
Fest. Pi Stab 14 ¿?
Fest. Pi Stab 15 Maj. Schmitaler
Fest. Pi Stab 17 Hauptmann (E) Dahlke
Fest. Pi Stab 18 Maj. (E) Stein
Fest. Pi Stab 19 Maj. (E) Schäfer
Fest. Pi Stab 20 Oberst Roesinger
Fest. Pi Stab 21 Maj. (E) Dipl. Ing. Fhr v. Rössing
Fest. Pi Stab 22 Oberstleutnant Bessel
Fest. Pi Stab 23 Oberstleutnant Dipl. Ing. Vierow
Fest. Pi Stab 24 Maj. (E) Wohlfahrt
Sources:Hitler's Engineers: Fritz Todt and Albert Speer - Master Builders of the Third Reich. By Blaine Taylor.
Westwall. Aufklärungsdienst für Reichsverteidigung. Heft 2.
Befestigungswesen. O.W. Förster.
Cheers. Raúl M
.
; a little complement.....................The Westwall - 1938.
When the Government of III. Reich ordered the construction of a defensive position on the border line, the so-called "Western Wall", the Fortresses Inspectorate had rejected outright the execution of this task. Already in the summer of 1938 the Commander of the Defence of the West, Generaloberst Adam, had expressed the futility of such work, on the other hand he had pointed out that it was impossible to defend unfinished fortifications with the few forces available.
The construction of the Western Wall included:
1. Barriers against infantry and tanks.
2. Numerous individual positions for different types of weapons (machine guns, antitank, antiaircraft artillery and mortars).
3. Command posts and communication centers fortified.
Fortress Engineers departments during construction of the Western Wall.
Inspektion der Pi und Festung: General d. Pi Förster.
Inspektion der Westbefestigungen: Generalmajor Speck?
Fest. Insp. V Generalleutnant Schwetzer?
Fest. Insp. VI Generalmajor Schönpf?
Fest. Insp. VII Oberst Eckstein
Fest. Insp. VIII Generalmajor Otto
Fest. Insp. IX Oberst Birkenbihl
Fest. Pi Stab 2 Maj (E) ¿?
Fest. Pi Stab 11 Maj (E) Hellwig
Fest. Pi Stab 12 Oberstleutnant Mirow
Fest. Pi Stab 13 Maj (E) Nebiling
Fest. Pi Stab 14 ¿?
Fest. Pi Stab 15 Maj. Schmitaler
Fest. Pi Stab 17 Hauptmann (E) Dahlke
Fest. Pi Stab 18 Maj. (E) Stein
Fest. Pi Stab 19 Maj. (E) Schäfer
Fest. Pi Stab 20 Oberst Roesinger
Fest. Pi Stab 21 Maj. (E) Dipl. Ing. Fhr v. Rössing
Fest. Pi Stab 22 Oberstleutnant Bessel
Fest. Pi Stab 23 Oberstleutnant Dipl. Ing. Vierow
Fest. Pi Stab 24 Maj. (E) Wohlfahrt
Sources:Hitler's Engineers: Fritz Todt and Albert Speer - Master Builders of the Third Reich. By Blaine Taylor.
Westwall. Aufklärungsdienst für Reichsverteidigung. Heft 2.
Befestigungswesen. O.W. Förster.
Cheers. Raúl M
.
