The Lorient submarine base, known in French as the "Base de Sous-Marins de Lorient," is a massive structure located in Lorient, Brittany, in northwestern France. Built during World War II by German occupying forces, the base was a key part of the Germans' Atlantic U-Boat campaign.
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Here are some key points about the base:
Strategic Importance: The Lorient submarine base became a focal point for the German Kriegsmarine due to its strategic location on the Atlantic coast. From here, U-boats could more easily access the Atlantic Ocean, thereby threatening Allied shipping lanes.
Construction: Building began in 1941 and continued throughout the war. The base is an impressive structure, consisting of multiple gigantic concrete pens designed to protect submarines from air attacks. The bunkers were built using forced labor, prisoners of war, and local workers. They were engineered to withstand even the largest bombs available at that time.
Components: The base was divided into two main components:
Keroman I, II, and III: These are massive fortified U-boat pens. Each pen could house several U-boats, allowing them to be refitted, repaired, and resupplied in safety.
Additional facilities: Beyond the pens, the base featured repair workshops, supply depots, and crew accommodations. There were also anti-aircraft defenses to ward off Allied bombing raids.
Post-War: After the war ended, the base's strategic significance diminished. However, due to its robust construction, demolition proved to be impractical. Instead, the facility has been repurposed for various uses over the years.
Today: The base is a symbol of Lorient's wartime history and has partly been converted to other uses, including as a maritime museum. The "Cité de la Voile Éric Tabarly," a museum dedicated to sailing and named after a famous French sailor, is located in one of the former submarine pens.
Visitors to Lorient can explore parts of the base, gaining an insight into the city's WWII history and the role that the U-boat campaign played in the larger conflict. You can see the submarine pens upclose, but to see the insides you will need to go to one of the museums.