Dragon's teeth and restored bunkers in Milano Marittima
A great restoration work
In January 2020, works started on the restoration of 3 bunkers found during excavations at the building site of the new Milano Marittima promenade. A great work of recovery and research coordinated by the Association CRB 360° with the Municipality of Cervia that will allow us to bring to light a part of history and to preserve a heritage of collective memory.
Of these 3 World War II bunkers the characteristics are:
- a TOBRUK, with very thick tunnels and walls, up to over a metre. A very narrow turret, it could accommodate only one person
- a REGELBAU 668 a bunker with information function, equipped with radio control. Inside there is a mural with a sentence by the German poet Schiller
- another TOBRUK next door
Scattered between Cervia and Milano Marittima are numerous bunkers, some perfectly preserved, others buried or incorporated in private buildings, which will be the subject of research and possible restoration to create a path from the beach to the pine forest, along some streets and in private areas.
Some of the bunkers in Milano Marittima are in the garden of the Circolo Nautico, along the little canal in Viale Vittorio Veneto and on the banks of the Canale Cupa. Many others are in gardens or private areas.
What was their function?
The German bunkers and dragon's teeth were intended to defend the Gothic line of the front, particularly from assaults by sea.
They were scattered along a large stretch of coastline and some remained underground for a long time.
The outposts consisted of barbed wire, minefields and anti-tank barrages called Dragon's Teeth.
Almost all the bunkers in our territory are of the Tobruk type.
They were underground and occupied by one to two people and had a circular opening in the roof from which a machine gun or mortar could be used.
Another type of bunker, the Regelbau, were underground and quite large. They served as shelters, could hold up to six soldiers and were equipped with everything needed for daily life and rest. They were mostly for information purposes, equipped with a radio control to be able to raise the alarm immediately.
Next to each Regelbau there was usually a Tobruk, with defence function, reached through a corridor.
Each bunker had an emergency exit, which could only be used on all fours.
Where they are located
Bunker Hotel Aurelia - German paintingSome of the existing bunkers are still located in or near hotels, many in private homes and along some canals. Not all of them are visible.
Along the canals
Canal embankment in Viale Vittorio Veneto
Tobruk bunker
Inside there are residues of fluorescent paint that were used to identify the exits
Embankment of the Canale della Cupa
Tobruk Bunker
Discovered by chance, bullet marks are visible on the side of the bunker
In private residences
On the east bank of the Madonna del Pino Canal
Tobruk Bunker
In Cervia in a private garden
Viale Vittorio Veneto, corner with Via Paisiello
Bunker MID I
Inserted in the house, it housed a mortar
Viale Vittorio Veneto, corner with Via Paisiello, on the opposite side
Bunker MID I
In the house opposite
In the hotels and near the sea
Some bunkers are found in the area behind the bathing establishments, near or inside hotels, sometimes incorporated in the construction. In some cases the upper hatch, filled with sand, was used as a flowerbed.
Nautical Club
Tobruk Bunker
Located in the garden of the Club
Near Bagno Peppino
Bunker Tobruk
Behind the bath. In the circular slit there was a machine gun or a mortar.
On the Promenade, in the area near the Canal Harbour
Bunker Regelbau 668 with attached Tobruk
Inside there is a mural with a sentence by the German poet Schiller
REGELBAU 668 consists of an entrance landing and some descending steps leading down to the combat corridor which serves as the entrance. It is difficult for an attacker to continue his intrusion without being attacked by the door shutter. This watertight security door opens onto a standard first quarter 1943 locking chamber. Perpendicularly, a new security door leads into a small room containing an emergency shutter (armoured shutter facing an emergency exit), a stove, periscope, radio antenna, three bunk beds with two beds, a central table. It could accommodate six men. The dimensions: 7.65 m wide, 8 m long, 4.40 m wide, walls 1.5 m thick.
Recent excavations around the perimeter have brought to light a structure of which there are no other examples in Europe.
In front of the entrance door, a landing and some steps flanking a splinter wall have surfaced, leading to the semi-subterranean tunnel that served to connect the regelbau to the adjacent Tobruk bunker.
The Bunker Tour, to preserve a collective heritage
Throughout the year, there is a calendar of guided tours with experts from the CRB 360° association to enter history, see the Tobruk and Regelbau, some of the artefacts found and imagine how life was organised in the bunkers.
Find out more
CRB 360° Association
Official Tourist Information Site of Cervia