Cycling Route Death Valley De Peel - Wehrmachthuisje (#6)

The name already suggests: the Wehrmacht houses are a legacy from the Second World War.
The majority of these houses were built in 1941 as accommodation for a searchlight crew, usually consisting of six to eight men.
These searchlights were placed in a line in blocks of 25 to 30 kilometers. There were approximately 80 searchlights in one block. The line initially ran from Northern France to Hamburg and served to protect the German industrial areas against British air attacks.
A bomber, caught in one or more beams of light, was then attacked by a German night fighter. The searchlight line remained in place until the summer of 1942, when the devices were withdrawn for the direct protection of German cities.
The houses remained and often served as storage for German army equipment.
These Wehrmacht houses were later used as homes.

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Source

• Text: Martin Damen
• Photos: Martin Damen