# German bunker Alderney, Channel Islands. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 17, 2017, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-bunker-alderney-channel-islands/799142 "2017-10-17T18:42:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-bunker-alderney-channel-islands/799142/1 "2017-10-17T18:42:20Z")
What is this [sphere](http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-inside-a-german-bunker-on-alderney-channel-islands-52439512.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=FCB123EC-53B4-4496-B56B-B72552AEA6F9&p=98625&n=70&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3Dbar%26st%3D0%26sortby%3D2%26qt%3Dworld%2520war%2520bunker%2520on%2520island%26qt_raw%3Dworld%2520war%2520bunker%2520on%2520island%26qn%3D%26lic%3D3%26edrf%3D0%26mr%3D0%26pr%3D0%26aoa%3D1%26creative%3D%26videos%3D%26nu%3D%26ccc%3D%26bespoke%3D%26apalib%3D%26ag%3D0%26hc%3D0%26et%3D0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3D0%26loc%3D0%26ot%3D0%26imgt%3D0%26dtfr%3D%26dtto%3D%26size%3D0xFF%26blackwhite%3D%26cutout%3D%26archive%3D1%26name%3D%26groupid%3D%26pseudoid%3D%26userid%3D%26id%3D%26a%3D%26xstx%3D0%26cbstore%3D1%26resultview%3DsortbyPopular%26lightbox%3D%26gname%3D%26gtype%3D%26apalic%3D%26tbar%3D1%26pc%3D%26simid%3D%26cap%3D1%26customgeoip%3D%26vd%3D0%26cid%3D%26pe%3D%26so%3D%26lb%3D%26fi%3D0%26langcode%3Den%26saveQry%3D%26editorial%3D1%26t%3D0%26edoptin%3D)? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-bunker-alderney-channel-islands/799142/2 "2017-10-17T19:00:54Z")
Could be a blast/bullet barrier so any enemy ammunition and explosions are confined to the part in front of it that is exposed to the air. I know that Britain had them in some of their invasion scare bunkers, but I’ve never seen a picture so I don’t know what they look like. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-bunker-alderney-channel-islands/799142/3 "2017-10-17T19:41:53Z")
It seems odd that it would be spherical. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-bunker-alderney-channel-islands/799142/4 "2017-10-17T20:22:14Z")
The sphere isn’t part of the original bunker. It’s part of an art project, ‘The Alderney Stones’. One of them is in that bunker. [http://www.alderneystones.com/](http://www.alderneystones.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-bunker-alderney-channel-islands/799142/5 "2017-10-17T20:32:34Z")
A sphere is pretty easy to make. They have much the same,[in front of Target stores](https://cdn.newsday.com/polopoly_fs/1.8841866.1405714499!/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/display_600/image.JPG) (just painted up prettier). For similar reasons. Protection against terrorists ramming a vehicle into the store, or (much more common) a confused shopper hitting the gas instead of the brake and driving right into the store. Painting them in the company colors makes them look like just decoration, but they do have another purpose. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-bunker-alderney-channel-islands/799142/6 "2017-10-17T21:37:19Z")
The Target spheres are neither to stop terrorists nor little old ladies stomping the wrong pedal. They’re to stop a modern form of smash and grab burglary where the bad guys drive a van through the flimsy glass front doors, grab a van-load of merchandise, and speed off before the cops arrive. The term of art is anti-vehicle bollard. Many big box stores, especially those with some high /cu ft or high /lb merchandise have them. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-bunker-alderney-channel-islands/799142/7 "2017-10-17T21:42:16Z")
> [@Corry\_El](#): > > The sphere isn’t part of the original bunker. It’s part of an art project, ‘The Alderney Stones’. One of them is in that bunker. > > [http://www.alderneystones.com/](http://www.alderneystones.com/) Thanks, Corry El! I won’t lie awake tonight wondering. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-bunker-alderney-channel-islands/799142/8 "2017-10-18T03:00:14Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The Target spheres are neither to stop terrorists nor little old ladies stomping the wrong pedal. > > They’re to stop a modern form of smash and grab burglary where the bad guys drive a van through the flimsy glass front doors, grab a van-load of merchandise, and speed off before the cops arrive. > > The term of art is anti-vehicle bollard. Many big box stores, especially those with some high /cu ft or high /lb merchandise have them. Is that a thing? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-bunker-alderney-channel-islands/799142/9 "2017-10-18T04:08:41Z")
> [@wevets](#): > > Is that a thing? I’m not familiar with it happening to a big box store, but there’s an epidemic of it in the Cleveland area at small convenience stores with ATMs. They steal a van, ram the building, and then try to get away with the whole ATM. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-bunker-alderney-channel-islands/799142/10 "2017-10-18T09:07:30Z")
> [@wevets](#): > > Is that a thing? Absolutely: [here’s one using a stolen church van](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y36By0_T97k) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-bunker-alderney-channel-islands/799142/11 "2017-10-18T09:09:58Z")
> [@wevets](#): > > Is that a thing? Oh yeah. They’re common in London.