Valentin submarine pens
| Valentin submarine factory | |
|---|---|
| Part of Third Reich | |
| Rekum port (Weser River, Bremen) | |
Aerial view of Valentin (2012), with modern solar panels at right | |
| Site information | |
| Type | blockhouse |
| Open to the public | Free entrance, self guided walking tours, electronic audio guide available |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 53°13′01″N 8°30′23″E / 53.216992°N 8.506275°E |
| Site history | |
| Built | February 1943 to March 1945 (unfinished) |
| Materials | Ferrous concrete |
The Valentin submarine factory is a protective shelter on the Weser River at the Bremen suburb of Rekum, built to produce and launch German U-boats during World War II. The factory was under construction from 1943 to March 1945 using forced labour, but was damaged by air-raids before U-boat production could begin. The Valentin factory was the largest fortified U-boat facility in Germany, and was second only to those built at Brest in France.
As a manufacturing facility, it differed from conventional U-boat pens, which were designed to house and service operational U-boats.