The Richtplattform is a German World War II coastal defense structure located near the commune of Bény-sur-Mer in the Calvados department of Normandy, France. Its German name, translating to 'direction platform' or 'aiming platform', identifies its primary function as a fire control bunker (often designated as a 'Type 10' or similar command post) within the Atlantic Wall fortifications. These structures were critical for coordinating the fire of nearby coastal artillery batteries, providing target ranging and direction for guns defending the Normandy coastline.
Situated on the English Channel coast, this bunker was part of the extensive German defensive network built between 1942 and 1944 to repel an Allied invasion. The Richtplattform would have been tightly integrated with one or more artillery positions, using rangefinders and plotting rooms to direct fire against naval and landing craft targets. Today, the reinforced concrete structure stands as a ruined relic of the war, frequently visited by military history enthusiasts and urban explorers (urbex). It serves as a stark, tangible reminder of the Atlantic Wall's scale and the intense preparations for the D-Day landings that occurred nearby on June 6, 1944.
The bunker's current state is one of abandoned decay, with its thick concrete walls and internal rooms often exposed to the elements and graffiti. Its precise historical details, such as specific attached battery units or individual crew assignments, are not widely documented in publicly available sources, but its architectural form is characteristic of standardized German Regelbau (standard construction) designs for command and observation posts in coastal sectors.