A Tour Of WW2's Most Fortified Island | Alderney With Dan Snow

'The Most Fortified Island In The World? | Alderney With Dan Snow'
Join Dan Snow as he explores one of the world's most fortified islands, discovering Roman ramparts, Victorian gun emplacements and giant underground bunkers built by the German occupiers during the Second World War.
Alderney may be a tiny scrap of land in the English Channel - part of the Channel Islands archipelago - but its size belies its importance. It's played an important strategic part in British and French history. Despite only being ten miles west of La Hague on the Cotentin Peninsular, the island has for roughly a thousand years mostly belonged to the English and British. And for this reason, the island has a wealth of historical sites, quite out of proportion to its small size, from Roman walls to impressive concrete bunkers built by the Wehrmacht during the Second World War.
Measuring just three square miles, the island of Alderney remains one of the most heavily fortified places in the world after it was transformed into an impregnable fortress as Hitler looked to strengthen his Atlantic wall. But the island's wartime story didn't end there. The majority of the island's population were evacuated to the mainland prior to the occupation, but a small number chose to return to their homes despite the trials of living alongside the enemy. The two communities weren't alone, they were joined by thousands of foreign labourers - slave labour - who endured meagre rations and rampant disease. To house the influx of POWs, the German occupiers built four camps on Alderney, including Lager Sylt - the only concentration camp on British soil.
In this video, Dan Snow visits a host of Alderney's historic sites starting with the Roman Wall overlooking St Peter's Port to the Odeon - a terrifying concrete tower on the northern tip of the island.
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[@jakobgrimminger]

As a total Atlantikwall nut, Alderney has always been at the top of my list of places to visit. It was nice to see that the bunkers are rightly being treated as historical artifacts with information panels on them and not being tagged by modern grafitti artists as they do across the rest of Europe. They remain as solid testaments to those prisoners who built them

[@BMW7series251]

Wow Dan, brilliant video. Mid 60's my Dad & Mum took me to Alderney for a holiday. Dad took me round many of the bunkers & explained them to me. He had served in UK, France & Africa in the war. Still stays with me to this day.

[@aaronhrynyk]

We thank your dad for playing his part in keeping the world out of the hands of the Nazis and the fascists

[@ivorbisson6801]

I love the TV work Dan does and as always another great report. As a resident now of Alderney, it is great to see the research his team did to produce this video and the scenery shown and blue skies are so typical of this beautiful island renowned for wildlife and walking holidays.

[@CARLIN4737]

i dont i freaking hate nepotism.

[@thoughtful_criticiser]

Sorry Dan this is unacceptable, get your wellies or waders and get through those tunnels.

[@nicholasholloway8743]

I was about to say the same. Bunker diving w/o wellies or atleist a pair of waders.

[@worldtraveler930]

I second that motion!!! 🤠👍

[@requiscatinpace7392]

He shat it!!

[@patricknorton5788]

I dunno, from my experiences visiting coastal artillery bunkers in the US, you never want to put your foot where you can't see what you're stepping on (or in). There are uncovered shafts of all sizes, some just ankle breakers, and some big enough to swallow a person.

[@CaymanIslandsCatWalks]

Yep

[@newtondelmar4416]

In 2012 I sailed from Cherbourg to Alderney on a 48 foot sloop...I think it took us about 10 hours. The island these days is a summer haven for tourists from UK and France...I think someone said that it is the sunniest place in England :) The weather is pleasant and the main town near the harbour is filled with souvenir shops, ice cream parlours, pubs and old timey grocery stores...quite charming and a far far cry from the horrors of war. I remember there was a cliff diving contest that week we were there and there was also an event where nearly a thousand people walked thru the streets with candles for almost 2 hours one evening...a large number of summer residents leave back to the mainland for the winter... Hard to believe that such a tiny place was considered such a strategic piece of the war...

[@KumaBean]

Jersey retains the sunshine crown, lol 😝 ‘ Jersey crowned sunniest place in British Isles (again) JERSEY retained the title of the sunniest place in the British Isles in 2022, with 10% more sunshine than the nearest rival, new figures have confirmed. Data from the UK Met Office showed that Preston in Dorset was the sunniest place in the UK for the second year running, with a total of 2,204 hours of sun across the year - well behind the Jersey total of 2,420, which was the highest figure since records began in 1925.…’ - Jersey Evening Post 🤝 🍻

[@Serkanbah]

great route if world war z begins

[@timvins]

I Remember sailing there in 1978 as a teenager with a school trip, after beaching the boat we all went off exploring, the fort at the end of the beach was a kids paradise, no keep out signs etc. The amount of treasures there was amazing and today would be worth a lot to collectors but then it was just scrap. German signs, bullet and shell casings, solders possessions etc. I also remember a massive pile of rusting metal hoops, piled high on the breakwater, and old local told us they were submarine nets, it was all so cool to a 14 year old.

[@KumaBean]

You can still find plenty of shell casings here in Jersey and you don’t even need to dig for them, they’re just a few of inches deep so you can just pull them up with your bare hands. What’s interesting is you can tell which are the older ones vs. the later ones; The older ones are in much better shape; The later ones are all corroded due to being manufactured with inferior metal due to the shortage of raw materials as the war dragged-on, 🤝🍻

[@mookie2637]

I remember going to Alderney for two weeks with some schoolfriends on our first holiday after finishing our O-Levels in 1986. I say "remember", but all I remember really was arriving. The rest of it was an alcoholic haze.

[@alexforshaw]

Takes me back to holidays on the Channel Islands, including Alderney, as a child. I remember being driven around in an old Land Rover with a canvas-roofed back and a bungee cord holding the passenger door closed (registration number was AY1), and visiting several of these bunkers.

[@bobbaker8263]

Amazing fortress. A piece of history I had never seen.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

15:00 just to add the picture their is a 37mm tank gun from a captured French tank. So not one of the big heavy guns, the largest guns on the island was four, 17cm SK L/40 gun which shell weight was 64kg compared to the 37mm tanks shell which weighed around 0.61kg a 100 times less in weight. Honestly not a huge deal just thought I'd add that in as it's quite interesting.

[@robertolorenshaw9890]

Excellent video. The Channel Islands were the only British territory to be occupied by the Germans. Alderney certainly was the one of the last Nazi-occupied territories to be freed but the very last place in Europe to be liberated from the Germans was the neighbouring island of Sark. I'm glad Dan spoke about the slave labourers. Among them were many Spanish Republicans who had fled to France after Franco's victory.

[@enveenva5584]

I’m afraid you’re slightly off, Alderney was liberated on the 16th of may whereas sark was liberated on may 10th.

[@kenbobek5207]

As an American, I love watching your videos! Back when I was around 10 or 11 years old in the 60s, my dad and I would watch Alastair Cook documentaries. They were great but your enthusiasm is so refreshing and enjoyable - keep it up!

[@LordKingPotato]

I live in Jersey, we have amazing German bunker's here too! I still haven't been too Alderney yet!

[@tacticalultimatum]

As do I! St Mary’s resident

[@GavTatu]

its a bit expensive, thats why, cheaper to go to st malo !

[@corporaljoaquim2460]

You can still see the gun placements and the OG flame throwers at corbier light house wich was also the first one made completely from concrete in the world

[@bazza945]

The irony was, the Germans thought they were building a large fort, but in reality it turned out to have become their prison. The Allies just ignored the Channel Islands and concentrated on other areas.

[@apocalypticweasel9078]

@Beaudile don't be so silly it was a tactical move to leave the islands and attack full frontal assault to Normandy we knew to attack the islands was going to cost to many lives as it did the french when they tried, by attacking the mainland the allied forces were able to push the Germans back and cutting of supplies to the islands thus forcing their surrender so no we were never conquered to conquer you need to remain they didn't

[@roosterbooster6238]

It was a reverse maginot line 😂

[@soultraveller5027]

@@apocalypticweasel9078 Alderney was never a concern for the allies ok it was a mop up operation at most, however the channel islands were attacked in 1944 HMS Rodney along with another big gun war ship bombarded the island enemies gun emplacements with Rodney's 16'' guns which it accomplished, the channel island weren't liberated until a year later may 1945 .

[@billyboreham4948]

As an Alderney resident I'm so happy to see a piece about my home, it's a wonderful little island filled with so much history. I am blessed to have been able to grow up exploring these bunkers and forts which is what got me into history. Hope you can cover more about our island in the future Dan!

[@teiloturner2760]

I spent time there in the 40s but then we had to leave

[@Twistednc]

I feel like I’ve met you before.

[@billyboreham4948]

@@Twistednc nah mate never seen you in my life 😂

[@williamrobinson7435]

Some really well informed comments on this, I see. Although I was aware of the broad outline of the story its nice to have some detail! Also the pictures are stunning. A lovely job Dan and team. Nice one! 🌟👍

[@briandoyle667]

can you imagine the noise in there!!

[@chantaldesiree1393]

Very scary to see such massive structures of war. Even scarier to think what would be reality today if this regime wouldn't have brought down. And a reminder of what a huge effort was put into the liberation of Europe to bring down such an awesome opponent, represented here by these massive forts and military structures. It was a horrible time and we can be blessed to life in our reality today.

[@eyespliced]

That island reminds me a lot of the Marin Headlands in the SF/Bay area California. It's one of my all time favorite places to wander around, because there are so, so many random bunkers and old bits and pieces of military hardware, some of which you can pretty easily explore, and some. . . not so much.

[@teaurn]

Interesting to see the Isle of Wight at 6:23! We're pretty far south, but not _that_ far! Oopsie!

[@robertmuller3145]

Great show, keep up the good work

[@rontanser9369]

Thank you Dan yes another very interesting video

[@kyle360123]

Heartbreaking to think of WHY these marvels were built

[@paulthebeardedonedowning6820]

fantastic video this one would love to visit one day

[@powerlessgod]

They say History repeats itself. They keep it up kept for a reason.

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

Especially with so many deniers on social media now.

[@williamromine5715]

If you had to be in the German army in the war, duty on the island would have been the best. Although there were some air raids, the bunkers would have been, and there were no land battles. I wonder if the troops were rotated to the continent, or once on the island, spent the rest of the war there?

[@RichWoods23]

Units would have been rotated, but a rear echelon place like this may also have been a likely posting for soldiers who had been too badly injured to fight but not so badly injured as to be invalided out of the military. Someone who had lost an eye or had only partial use of one hand, or who could walk well enough but not run readily, wouldn't be any use as a front-line rifleman but would be quite capable of guarding conscripted labourers on an island where there was nowhere to escape to.

[@MF-fg3cg]

The breakwater still being one of the biggest in the world and an extraordinary feat of napolionic engineering. The air defence tower in the centre of bray is now a phone mast. The numbers of dead in the camps probably grossly underestimated. Pushed off the cliffs and rumoured evidence of cannibalism it was so bad

[@psvhangoveral]

My mate Ginge used to be a fisherman in Alderney. He told me he lived in a bunker!

[@hewkiiCZ]

This really reminds me of the fortification system built here in old Czechoslovakia for only one reason - against nazi Germany. And since Germany took over us, they were testing their guns on our bunkers and found out they couldn't hurt them at all. Our bunkers even had anti-grenade "slides" so if you throw a handgrenade in the air shaft, it slides back under your feet. They had one machine gun aiming through the only entrance, which was L shaped, so you couldn't get inside. The largest bunkers even had the exact same pits for heavy artillery like you can see here 5:19, only deeper so the entire cannon could slide underground during bombarding. And since Germans built some forts on this island which look exactly the same, i can't help it but think they just copied our bunkers. Many of the bunkers are still intact today and are opened to public, so if you Come to Czechia, be sure to visit one! In my opinion the best one to visit is Bouda, where you can see the giant cannon pit, you can walk the entire underground system which leads to other bunkers and it's all a giant museum with great staff.

[@Jeff-fc3tw]

Amazing Video, very Educational. I enjoyed it very much. Thanks for Sharing! ✌️😁

[@ramseybarber8312]

Hi Many years ago I was talking to a Islander and he was telling me that when the Germans took the Islands they decreed that all traffic will drive on the right ,so everyone drove on the right including Horses Cars bikes etc,so for a few days there was carnage. then when the war ended they changed back to driving on the Left More carnage. All the guns and armaments they could move were thrown into the sea. Many Islanders thought that the allies would retake the Islands but Churchill correctly said { Leave them there to rot there are 8 thousand germans there ,that is 8 thousand that we don't have to fight }

[@Rat_King_Reviews]

Sounds a bit suspect I highly doubt they'd leave 8 thousand people to rot and die

[@ramseybarber8312]

@@Rat_King_Reviews Churchill was referring to the Germans.

[@Swamp_Lad]

One minor thing: when you mention the huge guns that would be in contact with the observation bunker you show a turret of a tank with a light infantry gun which were commonly used by Germans on top of bunkers for close range direct fire on for example beaches. The long range guns needed that bunker to guide their indirect fire out to sea or to the peninsula. Those canons were a bit bigger 😅 see the restored example in Guernsey

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Not just that it was a capture French FT tank that has a 37mm gun, when the largest gun on the island was 4, 17cm SK L/40 gun which shell weight was 64kg compared to the 37mm tanks shell which weighed around 0.61kg so a staggering 100 times less in weight.

[@seankilburn7200]

I was a bit puzzled when I saw that. I know the Germans used them but they certainly weren’t capable of being powerful naval guns.

[@cmasscmass]

I thought for a second that this movie was a new DLC for my Game Sniper Elite 5 which I just completed a map where these buildings were off the coast. How the game makers were able to almost get these buildings down to the last brick is beyond me. The story and History as well covers so much of the pass war, it is so wonderful that I'm able to be a part of the reinactment in that war within a War game. EA Games was the best War Game makers but have completely last site of whats real and whats not and the History within these types of games are now lost. The new Kids on the block are Ubisoft who are makers of the old History that will change iall future wars!!

[@toastnjam7384]

Somebody in the German high command must have known that fortifying these islands was a waste of resources.

[@user-wf2lm3vi7o]

Having a drug addicted raging lunatic as the final voice was the problem.

[@RichWoods23]

Hitler ordered the building of the Atlantic Wall, so that's what they built. Questions were unlikely to have been welcomed.

[@manatmatalan1]

I'm not a military tactician, but, think it was probably a wise move to bypass this place on the route to Berlin.

[@user936]

Can we start a GoFundMe to get this chap a better torch?!

[@davidmoore1102]

And some whellys

[@Bubajumba]

That observation tower look like something out of starwars

[@JDisCRAZYx]

Yeah it did ! 👌🏻😆

[@powerlessgod]

Always love your content

[@maguslascivious4980]

Imagine how loud it was firing those big guns inside those concrete bells.

[@tacticalultimatum]

Couple amendments from a Crapaud (Jerseymen) There are at least 2 remnants of the wooden machine gun positions in jersey. Secondly, a lot of the artillery pieces were captured French guns, including FT17 turrets

[@JustCvke]

Where in Jersey are the wooden machine gun positions?

[@monstermixmike1]

Awesome series

[@buttheadbevis]

At 6:22 it's very clearly the Isle of Wight being shown, The Needles, Alum Bay etc. Perhaps an edit is needed! :)

[@jeanlongsden1696]

there are lots of mistakes with the still shots. the bombing raid photos are of the German bombing of Guernsey harbour and the large gun is a small caliber French FT turret used as close defense on the bunkers.

[@Meldonator]

I think Kinmen islands in the taiwanese strait is probably the most fortified island in the world nowadays.... anyway great piece of history in Alderney!

[@norcatch]

«..big heavy guns..» Shows a French tank turret.

[@jokermtb]

good mentioning the people who died making all those fortifications. Excellent look at a slice of history

[@johnlustig4322]

Peter Snow was very good

[@katherinecollins4685]

Well presented

[@Robert72z28]

Imagine how loud it was in those bunkers with full guns firing.

[@buzzpatch2294]

thx

[@corporaljoaquim2460]

You should go to jersey and see the war tunnel hospital is awsome

[@superkjell]

It is amazing how many of their limited resources the Germans basically wasted on the Channel Islands, thankfully.

[@johnwhitefield1623]

My wife and her family were born and raised in Guernsey

[@JJ-si4qh]

18:50. From a strategy point of view, it wasn't in vain, because it denied the allies the ability to use it

[@conantdog]

Great place to bring a metal detector . Really interesting place .

[@jim-bob-outdoors]

Well worth looking at the WW2 stuff on Jersey too.

[@davidmccarron4832]

HELLP!!! 10 to 15 years ago i seen a documentary on 1 of the discovery channels.. abbot Rear-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood "basically his life story " it woss a full episode abbot 60 mins long, i have searched the net and i starting to think it never happened ass i cannot find it ..being from tynemouth and seeing his statue i wood love to find the documentary and get a copy off it !!!

[@ldnwholesale8552]

Go to Guernsey, there is a military emplacement about every 500m around most of the coastline. Many used and repurposed during WW2. Evidently Hitler got a little silly on the only British land he conquered, hence the over the top military installations on the channel islands. And ofcourse there is huge military instillations on the Normandy coast as well AFAIK no locals were used as slaves on Guernsey. We happened to get Liberation Day on our short visit and they defenitly remember! m Family came to Oz from Guernsey in 1852. A lovely place to visit.

[@Islandlife101]

No locals were used as slaves in Alderney, was the only channel island with concentration camps, in fact in the British isles. The most heavily fortified place in the British isles per square mile, though guernsey is full of history, and a lovely island to visit

[@Revener666]

"Big heavy guns" shows small french tank turret. :)

[@MuffHam]

It wasn't in vein. The allies show how well fortified the islands where. What's the the point of a attacking a fortified position when you can go around. That's what the Germans did with the Maginot line they went around it.

[@stc3145]

15% of the budget for the atlantic wall went to just these small islands. Just because Hitler wanted to show that this British territory would be well fortified. And the allies never attacked it.

[@Swamp_Lad]

Well not just for show, basically they are in a very strategic place and are unsinkable battle ships.

[@JohnyG29]

@@Swamp_Lad No, they were useless and of no strategic value to the Allies hence why they were given up so easily and never attacked.

[@pilsplease7561]

@@JohnyG29 They were of immense tactical and strategic value to teh allies they just didnt attack cause they would have lost.

[@Swamp_Lad]

@@JohnyG29 I guess it depends on the year and month we would look at, because it is true that for Britain the Channel Islands didn’t hold strategic importance and were considered not defendable. The Germans on the other hand had to occupy them and properly defend them as it would allow the Allies a foothold near the coast otherwise from which they could harass the French coast (think MTB’s or fighter bombers) so they either had to do it proper or not at all. By doing it proper they made them stationary battle ships basically. And yes once the Normandy invasion was over that made those islands useless to some degree.

[@Swamp_Lad]

@@JohnyG29 what I tried to say: I do agree with you, but not fully. The strategic value of an object can change over time. And of course the Germans did milk the fact that they occupied a part of GB

[@robsmith9392]

Also remember Alderney had a concentration camp on where quite a few poor soles were tortured and died whilst under the Germans in the second world war

[@DanTube2010]

It was the only Channel Island to be depopulated and used as a concentration camp. The forced labourers on the other islands lived in open camps received pay and so on.

[@GavTatu]

and that's a contentious issue eh !

[@user-vv6sy2ox4q]

Great history and well presented. Was there a crematory for the concentration camp dead?

[@iskra1234]

The fact the allies never attacked doesn't mean the fortifications were built in vain, it is instead a testament to their strength.

[@squarego4346]

Would make a good COD or Battlefield map

[@billyboreham4948]

As an Alderney resident I would lose my mind if they did that (in a good way)

[@peterm4475]

The Channel Islands were the last remnant of the Dutchy of Normandy retained by England after the mainland part was lost to France by King John in the early 1200's.

[@Rat_King_Reviews]

That thumbnail building isn't that the mighty morphing power rangers command centre??? Zordon is in there

[@mycroft1905]

Very interesting. TFP

[@shady2493]

Yeah everyone would Go deaf after firing inside those little bunkers

[@local9]

Given rough translation... "Plug - reinsert or you will die!" 16:46

[@curlybrownliz]

Very little about the Palmerston era fortifications in this video

[@milehighclassics]

NICE JEEP

[@beachboy0505]

Architecture is history

[@RobespierreThePoof]

Yes ... There's a branch of history called architectural history you know. It's often combined with art history.

[@marklammas2465]

Wellington would have got his wellies on!

[@ToudaHell]

This remind me of the Havana fortress. It's so well defended from naval attack that the British attacked it overland. And it is REALLY well defended seaward. There were even multiple kill zones. None what so ever on the landside.

[@ARSFACE]

I have a hard time not seeing the mighty morphin power rangers base in this place. We sure zordon isn't in there?

[@firefistace2985]

i bet the Romans didnt thought that fort would last more the a thousand years.

[@brianjones1151]

Do you mean 24" (2') search lights , perhaps !?

[@ulloa8521]

14:59 Zordon?

[@anthonyiocca5683]

Looks like a real life fortification. Similar to the fictional movie “The Guns of Navarone”

[@devilpupbear09]

Looks like Zordon base

[@NordicJarl27]

I wonder if this inspired that mission in sniper elite 5?

[@m.louisegrubb5835]

Wow - where did all the concrete building materials come from?

[@jeanlongsden1696]

the Concrete and steel came from France and the granite and sand was quarried on the island.

[@mbr8167]

I'm sorry, in the picture, does it not look like the Power Ranger's old base where Zordon lives? Is no one else curious?

[@taylorsutton9640]

That’s the needles on the Isle of Wight

[@christophermacleod3726]

Do you mean Victorian or Georgian Dan? The Battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo more or less finished hostilities between England and France, Victoria came to the throne in 1838, so most of these pre German fortifications were already in place when she became queen?

[@peterm4475]

The Palmerston forts in Spithead and the red brick forts around Portsmouth were all built in the mid 1800's when France was still perceived to be a threat.

[@deadandburied7626]

The Romans, the British, and the GERMANS.

[@bori13cua]

The video thumbnail looks like the mighty Morphin power rangers base where Zordon and alpha were at

[@therange4033]

This would be a great place to be during the upcoming meteor swarm!

[@basilekidi1580]

Is the island in the sky ?

[@urrywest]

I am sure they will find amazhing fortifications at Bachmut[sp] in Ukraine..

[@Qossuth]

@8:50 "Four big guns of this caliber...." Uh, what caliber? You never fucking say. At least you tell us the searchlights were 60 cm and above.

[@panpiper]

Er... The work to fortify the island by the Germans most emphatically was NOT "in vain" given that the island remained in German hands till the war ended. It would have been in vain if the island had easily fallen.

[@DJLite4011]

The thing is, what was gained by holding the island?

[@panpiper]

@@DJLite4011 The denial of the use of the English channel by enemy warships.

[@DJLite4011]

@Beaudile ​ @Peter Cohen The Germans took an insignificant island in the middle of the channel with no real strategic value, since the allies could pretty easily just go around it. They then put a whole heap of soldiers on the island with no strategic value, and built up an insane amount of defences on the island with no strategic value. For what? It didn't really get in the way, and every soldier there was one that wasn't on the Atlantic wall. Every bunker was one not built on ground that was actually worth holding.

[@stevebarlow3154]

@@panpiper No, the guns only covered the Alderney Race, the area between France and the Channel Islands. Though there were German guns around Calais that fired upon shipping in the Dover straits.

[@stevebarlow3154]

@Beaudile The Channel Islands are not part of Britain, they are what is known as British Crown Dependencies. For 800 years they have been ruled by the Duke of Normandy, aka the English/British monarchy.

[@luminousfractal420]

Look there, you can see the 18th century addition👈👀 ...2 bricks 😂 That had a touch of the purest green about it. Could it be??!.....Percy?!!👀

[@outdoorsy01]

Turn back? The Dan I've been watching would have explored wearing at least wellies

[@greggh.748]

Not enough info. Not a fan. It seems like you briefly read up on the island and made this video.

[@jamesbernie9465]

Hope those Germans had packs of cards and chess sets.

[@Cruzeoverland]

My mum was born here

[@Anglo_Browza]

So we leave the island before they come… then they aspect us to come back 😂

[@YnseSchaap]

The channel islands ....... probably the most unknown piece of Europe 😁