FHQ Wolfsschlucht
Updated June 13 2006
On June 6 1940, Brûly-de-Pesche was
the location were Hitler was staying during the invasion of the Low Countries
and France.
This location is unique. Almost nothing
has changed. Two bunkers have been build. A third one was never
completed.
Two reconstructed chalets are standing
in the woods on exactly the same place as they were during the invasion
of Belgium and France.
Brûly-De-Pesche: Left the church, middle
the 'pastorie' and at the right the School.
In 1940, the church served as movie theater
for Hitler. The 'Pastorie' (Pfarrhaus), the adjudants of Hitler,
Engel and Gabriël(yes !) were sleeping here. Right: Wilhelm
Keitel and Jodl were living here. The charts of the German invasion
were studied here by Hitler, Jodl, Engel, Keitel, Deyhle and von Puttkamer.
_
Left: Aerographic picture of Brûly-de-Pesche.
Right: Plan of Von Putkamer. The plan is authentic but the location
of the second bunker is deeper in the woods and more perpendicular to the
house on the left. The second bunker is still there, but on private
ground and cannot be visited.
It is told that the second bunker was made
for Goering but this is wrong. The bunker was made for protection
against air raids. This can be seen on the sign which was placed
on the junction between the left and the right house on the picture above.
The right house is mentioned on Von Putkamer's chart as number 10, which
was used as the 'Kommandatur' for the airfield of the Fieseler Storch airplanes.
Göring and Hitler at the Airfield with
in the background the 'Kommandatur'.
Right: Kommandatur now from another angle.
_
Location of the sign pointing to 'Luftschutsraum'. It is pointing to the position of the second bunker.
The Pastorie'Pfarrhous': Sleeping area of Captain
Engel and Captain Gabriel.
(a coincidence?... Engel...Gabriel or
Angel Gabriel...just read René Mathot's exellent book 'Hitler in
België' !)
_
Hitler and Keitel close to the St-Méenfontain.
A trashcan has been placed on almost exact
the same position were Hitler and Keitel are standing. Coincidence.....
?
_
I believe the white signs on the threes were intended for not loosing their way on return to their chalets by night.
_
Church at Brûly-de-Pesche now and in 1940.
The church was a cinema where Hitler was looking at war time documentaries. The top of the tower was gone and a watertank was placed on it. Inside the church everything which reminded it to be a church was gone.
_
'Wolfspalast', in 1940 restaurant and movie-theater
but also the 'Haus der Presse' of Otto Dietrich.
Now a café with the original habitants
still there !
_
Hitler with Gerhard Engel. Right:
Exact the same place now. Well... the phone box wasn't there in 1940
!
In 1940 the school was confiscated and became
the HQ of the Wehrmacht.
_
The two entrances of Hitler's bunker.
Two of the 3 bunkers were completed.
Work on a third bunker has started but never finished. After the departure
of the FHQ to Tannenberg much material of the third bunker has been recuperated
by the local civilians. After that the group 'Hotton', the resistance
organisation moved into the woods as a ideal hiding place. They were
never discovered by the Germans.
Taking photographs is rather difficult. The threes are obstructing much light and contrast when there is much sunlight is very big. The forrest is very dense and when it is cloudy long exposure times are necessary.
_
Just a small corridor with a tiny little room. Certainly no place for Göring !
The Second Bunker (number 9 on plan from Von Putkamer) isn't freely accessible.
_
Two places where Hitler and his adjudants were
reposing.
Left: An 'Omega' like sign and Right some
kind of pool to give Hitler some entertainment.
_
Nicely reconstructed shelter of the 'Hotton' resistance people.
_
The second chalet is dedicated to the resistance people. The First chalet(Hitler's one) shows a documentary about the invasion of the Benelux and France and Hitler at Brûly-de-Pesche. During WWII it was used as dining place for Hitler. This was also the place were Hitler and his people were listening to the 'Seize Fire' radio broadcasting in the night of June 24-25 1940.
Sources: Some information commes from René Mathot's book 'Hitler in België'. It was published by Lannoo in 2000 ISBN 90-209-4217-4. I think you can buy it in the museum.