Atlantic pockets


In World War II, the Atlantic pockets were important points along the coasts of the Netherlands, Belgium and France chosen as centres of resistance by the occupying German forces, to be defended as long as possible against land attack by the Allies. As well as concentrating men and matériel to control the surrounding area, their purpose was to deny the use of port facilities to the Allies and to secure their continued use by German submarines in the Battle of the Atlantic. In addition, so long as they remained in German hands, they had propaganda value.
On 19 January 1944 Adolf Hitler declared fourteen places along the Atlantic Wall to be fortresses, to be held until the last man or the last round—the so-called Atlantikfestungen. Other places were added to the list after the Allied invasion on 6 June 1944 in further directives of 17 August and 4 September.
In France, six pockets were captured by the Allies between the initial invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and October 1944, after which the rest were put under siege. Three were liberated by French forces in April 1945, while the remainder surrendered after the capitulation of Germany in May 1945.

List of pockets in or offshore from France

The Atlantic pockets in or offshore from France, with the date any Allied assault began and date the defenders surrendered, are shown below.
PocketPlaceGarrisonAllied assault beganSurrendered
Cherbourg pocketCherbourg15.000 men06 June 194430 June 1944
Saint-Malo pocketSaint-Malo12.000 men03 August 194414 August 1944
Le Havre pocketLe Havre14.000 men10 September 194412 September 1944
Brest37.000 men07 August 194419 September 1944
Boulogne-sur-Mer10.000 men17 September 194422 September 1944
Calais7.500 men25 September 194430 September 1944
Royan5.000 men12 September 194417 April 1945
Pointe de Grave3.500 men12 September 194420 April 1945
Île d'Oléron2.000 men12 September 194430 April 1945
La Rochelle11.500 men12 September 194407 May 1945
Dunkirk10.000 men15 September 194409 May 1945
Channel Islands28.500 menNot attacked09 May 1945
Lorient24.500 men12 August 194410 May 1945
Saint-Nazaire30.000 men27 August 194411 May 1945