Historical Abandoned Military Bases Around the World

Saint-Nazaire Submarine Base

Realizing that the winner of World War II would be determined by the opponent with the superior Naval force, one of Germany’s top goals was to acquire and build indestructible bases on the coasts of their newly claimed territories. The Saint-Nazaire Submarine Base is one of these incredibly engineered military bases located on the coast of France. The Germans began constructing it in 1941 with the help of several thousand workmen and by the end of 1942, it was complete. It housed two U-Boat fleets which were mainly used to destroy commerce ships (commerce war) rather than engaging in battle, as well as dozens of torpedo workshops, and comforts a full service military base might have. The base was virtually indestructible, as the German’s had hoped, and was the target of many Allied attacks. It still stands today, too expensive to destroy, and has become a part of the Saint-Nazaire civilian landscape.