Hitlers Headquarters ‘FHQu Felsennest’
Felsennest is on the top of a hill around 400 metres from the village of Rodert. It was built into a copse of trees and was guarded by wooden towers placed strategically along a chain link enclosure. Much of the site was not fortified relying on camouflage for protection, with only a small bunker for the Fuhrer on the top. Down the hill (200 from the bunker) was a log cabin the Lagebaracke where the situation conferences were held. Due to the small size of the site much of the immediate headquarters were dispersed into the village of Rodert.
Hitler was based here between 9th May 1940 and 6th June 1940, in that time France was defeated and the Allied forces evacuated via Dunkirk in Northern France. It was here where the strange stop order was given to the German forces, buying the time needed to evacuate the beaches? From this base Hitler set off on his famous tour of his WW1 battlefields, and probably the most famous episode at least for photographs, it was here that he awarded the Ritterkreuz to members of Fallschirmjaeger Assault Force Granite who stormed the so called ‘impregnable’ Fort Eben-Emael.
Following Hitler’s departure from the site he ordered that it was to be retained unaltered which would become a place of pilgrimage for the Thousand Year Reich’s future generations. Unfortunately his reich did not last as long as he had hoped and although it had been preserved as ordered, by the spring of 1945 the Wehrmacht (charged with its protection) blew it up as the V Corps of the US Third Army approached.
I found there was still a lot to see if you’re prepared to crawl around through bushes and off the beaten path. Part of the site is now the back garden of a modern villa which I found out by mistake;),I took a wrong turn ending up in it’s back garden:D.
Whilst there I managed to match several photographs (then and now format) with a couple that as far as I’m aware have never been matchedcool militaria. At the end of this post you’ll also see a few interesting relics I picked up from around and under the ruins.
I apologies for the length and number of pictures but i thought they were all of interest and deserve a viewing
Felsennest.
Pictures 1,2,3 and 4 show the Fuhrer coming into Rodert Village on route to his Felsennest. Notice a few of the bemused locals watching him pass.
Pictures 5,6 and 7 show one of the surviving guard huts, notice the original door sadly access is not possible.
When I first arrived at the site I chose the wrong wood to explore but in doing so I discovered these concrete plinths picture 8 I later discovered these were set up and levelled to support an 88mm anti aircraft gun, that was initially set up to guard the Fuhrer but remained there for the duration of the war. Picture 9 shows an 88mm in position in a wood that’s reputed to have been close to the site. Near the plinths I discovered (picture 10) a short length of zig zag trench some 2 metres deep that I guess was protection for the weapons crew.
Picture 11 shows the camouflaged dining room/wc, this building was not fortified. Picture 12 shows Hitler stood on the track next to the dining room, today the scene has not changed too much picture 13 no trace exists of the dining room today and due to foliage I had to move a little to the left of the original photographers position.
Picture 14 shows the arrival of Reichsminister Joseph Goebbels on 5th June 1940 for a meeting with Hitler. He stands to the right of the dining room. My picture 15 shows the same spot today.
more to come
LUCKYSTRIKE
