German World War II fortresses

German fortresses during World War II (German: Festungen or Fester Platz, lit. 'fixed place'; called pockets by the Allies) were bridgeheads, cities, islands and towns designated by Adolf Hitler as areas that were to be fortified and stocked with food and ammunition in order to hold out against Allied offensives.

An Atlantic Wall bunker

The fortress doctrine evolved towards the end of World War II, when the German leadership had not yet accepted defeat, but had begun to realize that drastic measures were required to forestall inevitable Allied offensives. The first such stronghold was Stalingrad.^[1]

Map of Feste Plätze on the Eastern Front in 1944

On the Eastern Front, Warsaw, Budapest, Vilnius, Kolberg, Königsberg, Küstrin, Danzig and Breslau were some of the large cities selected as strongholds.

On the Western Front, Hitler declared eleven major ports as fortresses on 19 January 1944: IJmuiden, the Hook of Holland, Dunkirk, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Le Havre, Cherbourg, Saint-Malo, Brest, Lorient, Saint-Nazaire and the Gironde estuary. In February and March 1944 three more coastal areas were declared to be fortresses: the Channel Islands, Calais and La Rochelle.^[2]

Fate of the fortresses

The fate of the fortress areas varied. Stalingrad, the first to fall, is seen as a crucial turning point in the war, and one of the key battles which led to German defeat. In several cases, Alderney, for example, the fortresses were bypassed by the attackers and did not fall, surrendering only after the unconditional surrender of Germany.

One fortress, Courland, would see guerrilla war being waged in the area after 1945 to the late 1950s by Latvian and Lithuanian partisans, with a few Germans who fought as Forest Brothers, with individual guerrillas remaining in hiding and evading capture into the 1980s.

Fortresses	Siege	Commander	Besiegers	Date declared	Date siege started	Date surrendered	Length of siege	Notes
Belle Île, Groix and Lorient, French State, Military Administration in France	Lorient pocket	Wilhelm Fahrmbacher	US Armed Forces 66th Infantry Division	19 January 1944	12 August 1944	10 May 1945	0,000,271 8 months and 4 weeks
Berlin, Province of Brandenburg, Free State of Prussia, Gau Berlin, Greater German Reich	Battle in Berlin	Bruno Ritter von Hauenschild → Hellmuth Reymann → Ernst Kaether → Adolf Hitler → Helmuth Weidling	Soviet Armed Forces Workers' and Peasants' Red Army 1st Belorussian Front 1st Ukrainian Front Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland First Polish Army	c. Beginning of February 1945	23 April 1945 (encirclement of Berlin complete on 27 April 1945)	2 May 1945	0,000,009 1 week and 2 days	Called the Berlin Defense Area Operation Clausewitz
Bobruysk, Army Group Rear Area Command	Bobruysk offensive	Adolf Hamann (POW)	Soviet Armed Forces Red Army 1st Belorussian Front 65th Army	22 June 1944	27 June 1944	29 June 1944	0,000,002 2 days	Now called Babruysk
Boulogne-sur-Mer, French State, Military Administration in France	Operation Wellhit	Ferdinand Heim	UK Armed Forces Royal Air Force No. 2 Group Canadian Armed Forces First Canadian Army 3rd Division 8th Infantry Brigade 9th Infantry Brigade	17 September 1944	17 September 1944	22 September 1944	0,000,005 5 days
Breslau, Province of Lower Silesia, Free State of Prussia, Gau Lower Silesia, Greater German Reich	Siege of Breslau	Battle Commander Karl Hanke	Soviet Armed Forces Military Air Forces of the USSR 2nd Air Army 18th Air Army Red Army 1st Ukrainian Front 6th Army	25 July 1944	13 February 1945	6 May 1945	0,000,082 2 months, 3 weeks and 2 days	Now called Wrocław
Brest, French State, Military Administration in France	Battle for Brest	Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke	UK Armed Forces US Armed Forces US Army Air Forces US Third Army VIII Corps 2nd Infantry Division 8th Infantry Division 29th Infantry Division 35th Engineer Combat Battalion 2nd Ranger Battalion 644th Tank Destroyer Battalion 5th Ranger Battalion 23rd Headquarters Special Troops 79th UK Armoured Division (elements) 6th Armored Division (elements)	7 August 1944	7 August 1944	19 September 1944	0,000,043 1 month, 1 week and 5 days
Budapest, Government of National Unity, Kingdom of Hungary	Siege of Budapest	Karl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch (POW)	Romanian Armed Forces First Army 7th Army Corps Soviet Armed Forces Red Army 2nd Ukrainian Front 53rd Army 7th Guards Army 3rd Ukrainian Front (elements) 46th Army	1 December 1944	24 December 1944	13 February 1945	0,000,050 1 month, 2 weeks and 6 days
Calais, French State, Military Administration in France	Operation Undergo	Ludwig Schroeder	UK Armed Forces Royal Air Force Royal Navy Canadian Armed Forces First Army 3rd Division 7th Infantry Brigade 8th Infantry Brigade	February or March 1944	25 September 1944	30 September 1944	0,000,005 5 days
Channel Islands	Resistance in the German-occupied Channel Islands	Rudolf Graf von Schmettow → Friedrich Hüffmeier	Allied Expeditionary Force US Navy US Army Royal Navy	February or March 1944	2 September 1944	9 May 1945 (Guernsey and Jersey) 10 May 1945 (Sark) 16 May 1945 (Alderney) 23 May 1945 (Minquiers)	0,000,263 8 months and 3 weeks	Surrendered after the surrender of Germany
Cherbourg, French State, Military Administration in France	Battle of Cherbourg	Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben	US Armed Forces First Army VII Corps 9th Infantry Division 79th Infantry Division Ninth Army III Corps 4th Infantry Division	6 June 1944	22 June 1944	27 June 1944	0,000,005 5 days
Courland, General District Latvia, Reichskommissariat Ostland, Army Group Rear Area Command	Courland Pocket	Ferdinand Schörner → Lothar Rendulic → Walter Weiß → Rendulic → Heinrich von Vietinghoff → Rendulic → Carl Hilpert		10 October 1944	31 July 1944 (encirclement of the pocket complete on 10 October 1944)	10 May 1945	0,000,283 9 months, 1 week and 3 days	Surrendered after the surrender of Germany. See Army Group North and Army Group Courland.
Crete, Hellenic State, Military Administration in Greece	Cretan resistance, Operation Albumen and Operation Mercury II	Hans-Georg Benthack	UK Armed Forces Royal Navy Hellenic Army	4 October 1944	4 October 1944	12 May 1945	0,000,220 7 months, 1 week and 1 day	Surrendered after the surrender of Germany, see Fortress Crete
Crimea, Army Group Rear Area Command	Crimean offensive, Kerch–Eltigen operation and Battle of the Dnieper	Erwin Jaenecke → Ferdinand Schörner → Erwin Jaenecke → Karl Allmendinger		8 April 1944	28 October 1943 (encirclement of Crimea complete on 2 November 1943)	12 May 1944	0,000,197 6 months and 2 weeks
Danzig, Danzig Region, Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia, Greater German Reich	Siege of Danzig	Dietrich von Saucken	2nd Belorussian Front Polish rebels	7 March 1945	15 March 1945	30 March 1945	0,000,015 2 weeks and 1 day	Now called Gdańsk
Demyansk, Army Group Rear Area Command	Demyansk Pocket			22 February 1942	8 February 1942	20 May 1942	0,000,101 3 months, 1 week and 5 days	Encircled during the Soviet winter counteroffensive, supplied by air until relieved in May 1942, and evacuated in February 1943.
Dieppe, French State, Military Administration in France	N/A		N/A	Prior to 6 June 1944	N/A	1 September 1944	0,000,000 N/A	Evacuated and liberated without opposition. Also see Operation Fusilade and Operation Jubilee.
Dunkirk, French State, Military Administration in France	Siege of Dunkirk	Wolfgang von Kluge → Friedrich Frisius	UK Armed Forces British Army 51st Division 154th Infantry Brigade 21st Army Group 1st Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade Royal Navy 4th Special Service Brigade Canadian Armed Forces Canadian Army 2nd Infantry Division	4 September 1944	15 September 1944	9 May 1945	0,000,236 7 months, 3 weeks and 3 days	Surrendered after the surrender of Germany
Gironde Estuary North, Military Administration in France	Operation Jupiter and Operation Venerable	Hartwig Pohlmann → Hans Michahelles	French Liberation Army 10th Division 2nd Armored Division 23rd Infantry Division 50th Regiment 158th Regiment US Armed Forces 66th Infantry Division	19 January 1944	12 September 1944	30 April 1945	0,000,230 7 months, 2 weeks and 4 days
Gironde Estuary South, Military Administration in France	Royan pocket	Christian Sonntag → Otto Prahl		19 January 1944	12 September 1944	20 April 1945	0,000,220 7 months, 1 week and 1 day
Hel Peninsula, Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia, Free State of Prussia, Gau Danzig-West Prussia, Greater German Reich	Siege of Hel		Soviet Armed Forces Red Army 2nd Belorussian Front 19th Army 2nd Shock Army Soviet Navy Baltic Fleet	13 March 1945	30 March 1945	14 May 1945	0,000,045 1 month and 2 weeks	See Hel Fortified Area
Hook of Holland, Reich Commissariat for the Occupied Dutch Territories	N/A	Oberst Flinzer	N/A	19 January 1944	N/A	5 May 1945	0,000,000 N/A
IJmuiden, Reich Commissariat for the Occupied Dutch Territories	N/A	Colonel Stahmer → Hans Huttner	N/A	19 January 1944	N/A	5 May 1945	0,000,000 N/A
Île de Ré and La Rochelle, French State, Military Administration in France	Siege of La Rochelle	Ernst Schirlitz		February or March 1944	12 September 1944	7 May 1945	0,000,232 7 months, 2 weeks and 6 days
Kholm, Army Group Rear Area Command	Kholm Pocket			23 January 1942	23 January 1942	5 May 1942	0,000,102 3 months, 1 week and 5 days	Encircled during the Soviet winter counteroffensive, relieved in May 1942 after prolonged defense
Kolberg, Region of Köslin, Province of Pomerania, Gau Pomerania, Greater German Reich	Battle of Kolberg	Fritz Fullriede	Soviet Armed Forces Red Army 1st Belorussian Front 272nd Rifle Division 45th Tank Brigade Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland First Polish Army 4th Infantry Division 3rd Infantry Division 6th Infantry Division	5 November 1944	4 March 1945	14 March 1945	0,000,010 1 week and 3 days	Now called Kołobrzeg
Königsberg, Region of Königsberg, East Prussia, Free State of Prussia, Gau East Prussia, Greater German Reich	Battle of Königsberg	Otto Lasch (POW)	Soviet Armed Forces Red Army 1st Baltic Front 3rd Belorussian Front	21 January 1945	26 January 1945 (encirclement of Königsberg complete on 29 January 1945)	9 April 1945	0,000,073 2 months and 2 weeks	Now called Kaliningrad
Küstrin, Königsberg Nm., Province of Brandenburg, Free State of Prussia, Gau March of Brandenburg, Greater German Reich	Siege of Küstrin	Adolf Raegener → Heinrich-Friedrich Reinefarth	Soviet Armed Forces Red Army 1st Belorussian Front 82nd Guards Rifle Division	25 January 1945	31 January 1945	30 March 1945	0,000,058 1 month, 4 weeks and 2 days	Now called Kostrzyn nad Odrą. A small number (<1,000) of the German garrison reached German lines after a breakout during the night of 29/30 March 1945
Le Havre, French State, Military Administration in France	Operation Astonia	Eberhard Wildermuth	UK Armed Forces British Army I Corps 49th Infantry Division 51st Infantry Division 79th Armoured Division Canadian Armed Forces Canadian Army 1st Armoured Carrier Regiment	7 September 1944	10 September 1944	12 September 1944	0,000,002 2 days
Metz, French State, Military Administration in France	Battle of Metz	Walter Krause → Ernst Kemper → Heinrich Kittel (POW) → Werner Matzdorff	US Armed Forces Third Army XX Corps 95th Infantry Division 5th Infantry Division	2 September 1944	27 September 1944	22 November 1944	0,000,056 1 month, 3 weeks and 5 days
Orel, Army Group Rear Area Command	Operation Kutuzov			5 July 1943	12 July 1943	5 August 1943	0,000,024 3 weeks and 3 days
Posen, Posen Region, Reichsgau Wartheland, Greater German Reich	Battle of Posen	Ernst Mattern → Ernst Gonell †	Soviet Armed Forces Red Army 1st Belorussian Front 1st Guards Tank Army 8th Guards Army Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland	20 August 1944	24 January 1945	23 February 1945	0,000,030 4 weeks and 2 days	Now called Poznań
Saint-Malo, French State, Military Administration in France	Battle of Saint-Malo	Andreas von Aulock	US Armed Forces Third Army French Liberation Army British Army	19 January 1944	4 August 1944	17 August 1944	0,000,013 1 week and 6 days
Saint-Nazaire, French State, Military Administration in France	Saint-Nazaire pocket	Maximilian Hünten → Hans Junck → Captain Mathies	US Armed Forces 4th Armored Division 6th Armored Division 94th Infantry Division 66th Infantry Division French Liberation Army French Forces of the Interior Snipers and Partisans 25th Infantry Division	8 August 1944	27 August 1944	11 May 1945	0,000,257 8 months and 2 weeks	Surrendered after the surrender of Germany
Sevastopol, Army Group Rear Area Command	Crimean offensive			20 June 1942	5 May 1944	9 May 1944	0,000,004 4 days
Smolensk, Army Group Rear Area Command	Smolensk operation			10 September 1943	7 August 1943	25 September 1943	0,000,049 1 month, 2 weeks and 4 days
Stalingrad, Army Group Rear Area Command	Battle of Stalingrad	Friedrich Paulus  → Karl Strecker	Soviet Armed Forces Red Army Stalingrad Front 28th Army 51st Army 57th Army 62nd Army 64th Army Don Front 24th Army 65th Army 66th Army Southwestern Front 1st Guards Army 5th Tank Army 21st Army	24 September 1942	23 August 1942 (encirclement of Stalingrad complete on 22 November 1942 during Operation Uranus)	5 March 1943[3]	0,000,194 6 months, 1 week and 3 days	Now called Volgograd. By 1 November 1942, 90% of Stalingrad was occupied by Axis forces. On 26 January 1943, during Operation Koltso, Axis forces in Stalingrad were cut into two pockets, with Karl Strecker in command of the northern pocket and Friedrich Paulus in command of the southern pocket.
French protectorate of Tunisia	Tunisian campaign	Erwin Rommel → Gustav Fehn → Rommel → Hans-Jürgen von Arnim	British Army British Indian Army Newfoundland US Armed Forces Free French Forces New Zealand Defence Force Hellenic Armed Forces	22 February 1943	9 November 1942 (encirclement of Tunisia complete on 12 February 1943)	13 May 1943	0,000,185 6 months and 4 days
Warsaw, Warsaw District, General Government, Greater German Reich	Lublin–Brest offensive, Vistula–Oder offensive and Warsaw Uprising	Hellmuth Eisenstuck → Ernst Mock	N/A	27 July 1944	1 August 1944	17 January 1945	0,000,169 5 months, 2 weeks and 2 days	On 16 January 1945, German troops withdrew from Warsaw and the next day the First Polish Army, 2nd Guards Tank Army and 3rd Shock Army entered the city. Also see Festung Warschau

See also

• Alpine Fortress
• Atlantic pockets
• Atlantic Wall
• Czechoslovak border fortifications
• Festung Norwegen
• Fortress Europe
• Maginot Line
• Molotov Line
• Stalin Line
• Valtellina Redoubt