The Germans began construction on the base in 1941 and relied on 6,500 volunteers, contractors, and forced laborers to complete it. The base became operational in 1943, per Al Jazeera, but was in use for less than two years. It is made of more than 21 million cubic feet of reinforced concrete.
Although the base was a frequent target of bombing raids, these did not significantly damage the building. The Germans left Bordeaux and its port in 1944.
