The North of France under the Occupation, 1940-1944
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Waiting for the Normandy landings

At the end of 1942, the most impressive work was begun along the coastline of the Pas-de-Calais to build the "Atlantic Wall", with which Hitler hoped to prevent an Anglo-American landing in Europe:

mined obstacles were placed on the beaches,
bunkers housing large guns and machine guns were built on the coast,
batteries of giant guns were installed.

The ports of Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne were transformed into fortresses.

Everyone, both Germans and inhabitants of the Nord—Pas-de-Calais, was convinced that the Allies would land near Calais.

Defence network installed by the Germans on a beach in the Pas-de-Calais.

German sentry in front of a large-bore gun, installed on the Pas-de-Calais coast.

From 1943, the intensification of the Allied bombing seemed to confirm this hypothesis. There were numerous targets in the region: coastal fortifications, giant bunkers for the new weapons, factories working for Germany, marshalling yards.

From April 1944, the attacks were almost daily; some were extremely lethal for the civilians: 500 people were killed in Lille on Easter Day.

The population’s fears were reinforced by the massacre committed in Ascq, near Lille, on 1st April 1944, by a unit of the SS Hitlerjugend division (86 dead).

American bomber during an attack on an aerodrome in Northern France (1944).

Ruins in the centre of Lens after an Allied bombing raid (spring 1944).