U.S. Nuclear Weapons Depot D.
As early as 1935, a military camp focusing on arms production was built north of the town of Dünsen in Lower Saxony. The production focused mainly on ammunition for air defense and infantry. During the entire Second World War, there was no targeted attack on the "Luftmunitionsanstalt" (air ammunition factory).
After the end of the Second World War, the phase of demilitarization of the institution by the British Army began. However, the Bitish did not completely destroy the ammunition bunkers. Instead, some of the bunkers were rebuilt due to housing shortages after the war and turned into makeshift shelters.
In the late 1950s, the Bundeswehr (German Army) step by step began to use the area of the ammunition factory again for military purposes. From the 70s of the 20th century, the property was again completely under military control. At this time, the US Army stationed a unit in Dünsen as well. From this point on, the Luftmunitionsanstalt was also used as a storage location for nuclear weapons. These were mainly warheads for the missile system Honest John and grenades for 155- and 203 -mm artillery. Furthermore, a widely visible radio tower was built by the Bundeswehr. It was integrated into the radio network of the Air Force. After the end of the Cold War, the nuclear warheads were no longer needed in Dünsen so they were transported away. In the following years until the end of the 1990s, the base lost more and more importance, so that it was finally abandoned.
During the process, the entire complex was only demilitarized, but most of the bunkers and buildings remain intact and today they are withering away in a patch of forest where nature recaptures the area. Some of the bunkers are open and can be entered. Today, the area is publically accessible. Some hiking trails lead to the former ammunition depot and offer the interested and curious hikers a mysterious and at the same time impressive look into the past and certainly also remind of how closely the world has escaped destruction.
