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SHARKHUNTERS International
 Zossen!  HQ of the OKW

 In this little village of Wunsdorf-Zossen lay the remains of the Headquarters of the OberKommando der Wehrmacht (OKW).  Come with us as Sharkhunters takes you on a trip through the tunnels of time.

What the heck is THIS?  Or perhaps we should ask - What are THESE?

 
But what are these huge monoliths?
 		   U-Bootfahrer and long-time Sharkhunters Member
ERWIN BURDT (1328-1989) looks one over.
     
 
     
 
This was actually the top - or we should say, the tip of one.   So what were they?


Bomb shelters - these were bomb shelters and each could hold about 350 people.  It is obvious that no bomb could land on the roof because there WAS no roof.  This was in the Soviet controlled area of Germany and so, in accordance with an agreement they made with the other three powers that occupied Germany, when the Soviets moved out - they destroyed these air raid shelters.  How these one or two escaped destruction is anyone's guess.

   
         
   

Above left - Sharkhunters Founder and President HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983) from the back.  Above center - HARRY from the front.  No, he isn't drunk, just taking a break.

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Now we move on to the HQ compound of the OKW.


This is how the headquarters of the OKW appeared either to reconnaissance aircraft overhead or to spies on the
ground, just a simple German village.		  
First stage of reconstruction, 1959
     
 

Here is another of those signs stating 'Sharkhunters are welcome here!'  What we see here are the remains of the various buildings of the OKW.  From the air, these buildings looked like simple village houses but they were hardened shelters and had stairwells deep into the underground tunnel and bunker complex.
 

    
 

       
If you are wondering why these structures have been blown up, the Soviets took them over at the end of World War II.  When the Soviet Union evaporated and Soviet troops left Germany, they had an agreement with the western powers that they would destroy any such structures - and they did.  Well, most of them................
     
 
     
 
     
 
     

      HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983) ducked deep into the destroyed		  
bunkers to take these shots - and got yelled at by the guide for it!
     

Some bunkers are really difficult to see.		  
our guide explains to KARL WOLFF (7137-2006)
and CRAIG NANCE (6837-2004)
     
 






We are now deep underground in one of the many passageways that interconnect bunkers, hardened above ground sites and a lot more.
 
     
 
     

COOPER going into a bunker here.......		  
.......and (above right) coming out there.
     

Is COOPER engaged in recon.................or is he just goofing off?		  
Sharkhunters are going in!  HARRY COOPER (1-LIFE-1983),
USMC combat veteran BILL NAPIER (2290-C/LIFE-1992)
and LOREN CHARLES (3818-2003).
     
 

.....onward into the "Forbidden Area"!

 
this is the layout for the 'forbidden area'.
     
 
     

When the Soviets pulled out, they left a great deal of
data and technical gear behind.		  
With a little clean-up, this place could be ready for
some command staff to move right in.
     
 
   

There is even an meeting hall deep underground in case bombs are falling.........and a place to wash up when you need.
The British Cemetery

 
     
 

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