The Mediterranean Wall, also known as the Southern Wall ( in German), was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, between 1943 and 1945.
The project foresaw that the fortifications would extend along all the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea of southern France, from
Cerbère
Cerbère (; ) is a commune and railway town in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.[Menton
Menton (; in classical norm or in Mistralian norm, , ; ; or depending on the orthography) is a Commune in France, commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italia ...]
, so as to prevent Allied landings in the South of France. This defensive line extended as far as Italy via the
Ligurian Wall and complemented the
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall () was an extensive system of coastal defence and fortification, coastal defences and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defense (military), d ...
.
Structure
The
19th Army of the Wehrmacht (Armeeoberkommando 19 (AOK 19)) defended 7 coastal defense sectors (; KVA) covering the 864 km of the French Mediterranean coast from the Spanish border to the Italian border. AOK 19 includes the following KVAs:
* 19 KVA A / 271. ID: Port-Vendres, Collioure, Cap Leucate...
* 19 KVA B / 277. ID: Port-la-Nouvelle, Narbonne-Plage...
* 19 KVA C / 271. ID: Cap d'Agde, Sète...
* 19 KVA D / 338. ID: La Camargue
* 19 KVA E / 244. ID: Marseille
* 19 KVA F / 242. ID: Toulon
* 19 KVA G / 148. ID: Cannes, Nice...
At the time of Allies landing in Provence, the defensive line consisted of about 500 defensive blocks, while about 200 were still under construction.
See also
*
Regelbau
The ''Regelbau'' (German for "standard(ised) construction") were a series of standardised bunker designs built in large numbers by the Germans in the Siegfried Line () and the Atlantic Wall as part of their defensive fortifications prior to and d ...
*
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall () was an extensive system of coastal defence and fortification, coastal defences and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defense (military), d ...
Bibliography
External links
*
Südwall – Bunkersite.com
{{coord missing, Germany
Coastal fortifications
Military installations of the Wehrmacht
World War II defensive lines