Will the last one out please blow up the building?
 

As many of you know, the Mauser facilities located at Oberndorf am Neckar were put under French control in 1945. Just before the French left, they decided to destroy all Mauser weapons production facilities.

I recently got hold of some reproduction photos documenting part of the destruction process:

1947 aerial photograph of the Mauser facilities. The old cloister building which still exists today and houses the Oberndorf weapons museum can be seen in the top right hand corner.

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload..._1947_info.jpg

One of the Mauser main buildings just opposite from the old cloister.
This building, the chimney and the complex behind it were demolished.

The chimney went first. The main building can be seen to the rear left. Note the bridge across the railroad. This feature helps to find the building on the top map.
http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/chimney.jpg

Then the main building:
http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/before_small.jpg

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/blow1.jpg

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/blown2_small.jpg

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/blown6_small.jpg

Present-day view of the location:

Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH
Branch Mauser Oberndorf
WerkstraÃ??e 2
78727 Oberndorf am Neckar

http://www.rheinmetall-detec.de/inde...lang=3&fid=656

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/mauser_nu.jpg

Gerben,
Very interesting.
Thank you for share!
Mauro

Now that's just neat as can be. Thanks

I found an additional illustration in Datig's 'The Luger Pistol', 1962 edition, page 228. This photo shows the state of the location in 1956. The cloister can clearly be seen and a company building which survived can be seen on the right. The empty space in the foreground is where the largest facilities used to be, before being blown up by the French. Most of the company was rebuilt in later years.

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload...1956_small.jpg