Slītere false lighthouse
During the wars, various methods were used to deceive the enemy. False navigational signs were created to deceive ships at sea, one of which may have been at the Slītere lighthouse
The Irbe Strait is a very dangerous place for navigation, where deviation from the marked shipping route can lead to the ship's sinking. Therefore, during the Second World War, the Germans at night at the Slītere lighthouse deceived potential enemy ships and submarines by raising a false fire in the air near the lighthouse. It was a light aluminum mast or tower, raised with a hand winch. The shift of the lighthouse fire in the dark was sufficient for enemy ships to deviate from the correct shipping route and run aground near the shore. In such cases, the captains of German ships were informed of the magnitude of the fire shift and were able to correct the error by passing this section of the sea route.
During the day, the Slītere lighthouse was protected by a balloon attached to a cable, which made it difficult for enemy aircraft to make precise bomb strikes in the direction of the lighthouse tower.
The story is indirectly supported by concrete foundation blocks found in a meadow about 100m inland from the lighthouse. They may have survived from that time and mark the location of the fake lighthouse tower.
From the stories of local people
