Location of Bielefeld Viaduct

[vhrsfvhojb]

Can anyone post the exact location of the Bielefeld Viaduct in Germany as per Google Earth co-ordinates. Site of the successful use of 'Grand Slam' bomb by 617 squadron, the 'Dam Busters.' ? Thanks.

[Heathrow Harry]

I think the the viaduct is actually at Schildesche NW of the town

Bielefeld (http://bergenbelsen.co.uk/pages/Timeline/TimelinePUBielefeld.html)

52 03 17 N 008 34 12E

[Onceapilot]

Yes, Lat Long is close, orientation is NE of town. Had the delight to pass over it on a train in 1992. :)

OAP

[ImageGear]

A German ex-colleague was a child resident of Bielefeld and remembers how the locals would laugh at the "Britishers" feeble attempts to hit the bridge until one day..ka..whoomp, up it went.

"Apparently" a decoy viaduct had been built some distance away - which gave some respite, is anyone aware of whether this was a reality, disinformation, or just childhood recollections which were skewed by propaganda.

Bielefeld is/was the site of the Kienzle factory making clock movements and later computers.

Imagegear

[ORAC]

IG, not a decoy, a camouflaged double track diversionary route down into and out of the valley. Completed by time the viaduct was brought down and traffic was able to continue unaffected.

Wartime on the Railways (https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1FqPAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT81&lpg=PT81&dq=bielefeld+viaduct+camouflage&source=bl&ots=zvo0oG_XBb&sig=PiVmyx97fhe20jMJEJqWrZKguTA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjU1Nq89szOAhUFKMAKHVKzDe0Q6AEIJzAF#v=onepage&q=bielefeld%20viaduct%20camouflage&f=false)

[Heathrow Harry]

Obviously must have been important lookingatthe number of earlier craters around it but by March '45 it was getting a bit late to have any real affect I expect

the town was occupied within a few weeks

But oddly:- The Bielefeld Conspiracy is a satire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire) of conspiracy theories (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_theory) that originated in 1994 in the German Usenet (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet), which claims that the city of Bielefeld (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bielefeld) does not actually exist, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bielefeld_Conspiracy#cite_note-Scott-1)but is an illusion propagated by various forces. Originally an internet phenomenon, the conspiracy has since been represented in the city's marketing, and referred to by Chancellor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancellor_of_Germany) Angela Merkel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkel)




(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bielefeld_Conspiracy#cite_note-:1-3) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkel)

[Wander00]

Ditto Saumur Tunnel hit if anyone has it please

[topgas]

Ditto Saumur Tunnel hit if anyone has it please

Google is your friend Google Earth Hacks - Saumur Tunnel, 9th June 1944 (http://www.gearthhacks.com/dlfile24043/Saumur-Tunnel,-9th-June-1944.htm)
47°14'36.13"N 0° 4'1.39"W

[PPRuNeUser0139]

I could be seeing things but it looks like there are some circular indications in the centre of the map here (https://www.google.com/maps/search/Tunnel+de+Nantilly,+SAUMUR/@47.2439847,-0.0665361,773m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en) about 3-400ft to the north east of the tunnel entrance.. Any PIs care to comment?
Thanks TG - beat me to it..

[Heathrow Harry]

9th June 1944: ?Tallboy? bombs hit the Saumur Tunnel (http://ww2today.com/9th-june-1944-tallboy-bombs-hit-the-saumur-tunnel)

has some post raid pics - you'd have to rotate them and overlay on the Google Earth Image but the park area just NW of the entrance looks to have some still visible craters

[rolling20]

1980, I went on a teenage football tour to Bielefeld. We stayed in the host teams houses, one of whom contained an old lady who kept jabbering on about being bombed by the RAF and being flooded in the process.Only time on my many visits to Germany and working for a German company, where anyone mentioned the war. In fact my opposite number in Frankfurt, wasn't even aware London had been bombed by the Germans!

[Wander00]

Thanks guys, was past Saumur yesterday but no time to stop and search. Will go up there in the next week or two


W

[ShyTorque]

During my time based in Germany (just to the south at Gutersloh) , they were beginning to build housing on the area around the viaduct. The problem was there were many UXBs still festering quietly away. Many RAF bombs had apparently failed to detonate because of the very boggy ground. I often wonder how many still are!

[Wander00]

Big hospital next door too

[VIProds]

My Father was a CSM / RSM at the Military Prison in Bielefeld from 1954 to 1956. I was shipped off to Windsor School, Hamm (Brats Boarding School) & would return to Bielefeld during the School Holidays.


Many years later, I was on a three year assignment in Amsterdam & was asked if I would help set up a European Technical Operations Centre at Mainz, West Germany. The family flew from Amsterdam to Frankfurt for a four day "look-see". The Company assigned us an English speaking University Student to show us around.


While having lunch in a Restaurant, the Student asked where I worked before working for IBM? I said that I was in the RAF. The Student looked very embarrassed & said that you must not say that in here. I didn't know that there was still raw nerves about the War. He thought that I had meant the RED ARMY FACTION!!

[DesertDiver1]

Hello All,

I am currently living in Bielefeld, (a Brit, non military, but with several connections - my Uncle started off flying a Sunderland in the war and stayed on to do some interesting things later in his career).

This is the location - as Heathrow Harry says:

https://goo.gl/maps/8QNSXMNsZPv

Some good pictures there but I am happy to go up to the viaduct to take some more if you like, I do have a couple I took in April to send to a friend who is ex RAF, but I'm afraid I am unable to upload the best one for some unknown reason, the one attachment to the message will give you an idea of the old and "new" parts of the viaduct.

This site provides a bit more information:
Bielefeld Various (http://baor-locations.org/bielefeldvarious.aspx.html)

My German wife, who grew up here, says the area was flooded after the war because of unexploded ordinance (as ShyTorque mentions), thus creating a nice walking and wildlife area.

As for the Bielefeld conspiracy, I deny it all....but then I suppose I would!