TITLE:
Two French Oil Terminals in the WWII
AUTHORS:
Giancarlo T. Tomezzoli
KEYWORDS:
WWII, Atlantic Wall, Saint-Malo, Talards, Angers, Bouchemaine, Oil, Kerosene, Terminal, France
JOURNAL NAME:
Archaeological Discovery,
Vol.6 No.3,
June
8,
2018
ABSTRACT: Often, literature suggests that the Atlantic Wall was a set of support points (Stützpunkte) and fortresses (Festungen) extended from Norway up to Spain. This concept is not completely wrong but it masks the logistics involved in its defence activity. In this article the parallel destiny of the Talards and Bouchemaine oil terminals active in France during the German occupation and both having failed a complete destruction is considered. Original air recognition images, archive documents, information from experts and visits on the terrain helped a lot in clarifying their history, organization and preservation states. From previous publications and the present article, it appears now clear that the Atlantic Wall study must be addressed as an interdisciplinary matter with the contributions of experts in different fields.