Stützpunkt 181 Rattenfänger - Vf Unterstand

This Stützpunkt was part of the German Atlantic Wall (Atlantikwall).

During the war the small village of Audinghen played a strategically important role, which would ultimately lead to its complete destruction at the end of 1943.

To accommodate the German invader, the residents were evacuated on 5 August 1940. In their place came the Oberbauleitung Audinghen of the Organisation Todt, the organisation which constructed the heavy bunkers along the Atlantikwall. The headquarters at Audinghen controlled construction of the Atlantikwall between the border with Belgium and the Bay of the Authie and oversaw the work of some 15,000 labourers. All houses were commandeered and functioned either as offices or lodgings for the headquarters staff.

In the period 1940-1941, during which the large naval batteries in the area were constructed, an average of 300+ staff were permanently assigned to the headquarters, this number falling to some 150 in following years.

Despite its strategic importance, only a handful of bunkers were built. However, the former and the associated concentration of personnel, was soon noticed by the allies. On 11 November 1943 the village was totally obliterated by an allied bombardment. However, this did not prevent two brave Frenchmen, Michel Dantan and Michel Blot, from laying their hands unnoticed on thousands of documents and plans which they duly passed on to London, giving the allies an exceptional insight in the construction of the Atlantikwall in this area. Until 25 November the village was bombed on a regular basis, causing the Germans to move their Organisation Todt (OT) headquarters to Hardinghen.

From 1942 onwards until the end of 1943 the village was also home to a battalion headquarters (later moved to Onglevert). In 1943 the strongpoint was coded Stützpunkt 185 "Rattenfänger", which changed in 1944 to Stützpunkt 181 "Rattenfänger".

The village was liberated by Canadian forces on 29 September 1944.

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Source

• Text: The German 15th Army at the Atlantikwall & Bertrand Nollet
• Photos: Bertrand Nollet