Brécourt: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 49°39′7″N 1°40′12″W / 49.65194°N 1.67000°W / 49.65194; -1.67000
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==History==
==History==
Brécourt's structure is located at the foot of a hillside on which the French Navy had eight underground galleries dug for the storage of fuel oil in the 1930s.
It was started in 1943 inside an existing underground French Naval oil storage facility. On July 7, 1943, the site was ordered to be completed as a [[V-2 rocket]] launch facility.<ref name=jeanmaridor/> Early in 1944, the facility was converted to a [[V-1 flying bomb]] launch facility.<ref name=Collier>{{cite book |last=Collier|first=Basil|title=The Battle of the V-Weapons, 1944-1945 |origyear=1964 |year=1976|publisher=The Emfield Press|location=Yorkshire|isbn=0-7057-0070-4 |pages=35}}</ref> and subsequently completed.<ref name=Henshall>{{cite book |last=Henshall|first=Philip|title=Hitler’s Rocket Sites|url=https://archive.org/details/hitlersrocketsit00hens|url-access=registration|year=1985|publisher=St Martin's Press|location=New York|isbn= |pages=[https://archive.org/details/hitlersrocketsit00hens/page/147 147]|quote=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last= |first= |url=http://www.atlantikwall.org.uk/new_page_61.htm |title=Brecourt |work=The Atlantik Wall In Normandy |date= |accessdate=2008-02-27|publisher=}}</ref>

These installations were reused by the German army to store [[V-2 rocket|V-2 rockets]].<ref name="jeanmaridor" /> Early in 1944, the facility was converted to a [[V-1 flying bomb]] launch facility.<ref name="Collier">{{cite book |last=Collier|first=Basil|title=The Battle of the V-Weapons, 1944-1945 |origyear=1964 |year=1976|publisher=The Emfield Press|location=Yorkshire|isbn=0-7057-0070-4 |pages=35}}</ref><ref name="Henshall">{{cite book |last=Henshall|first=Philip|title=Hitler’s Rocket Sites|url=https://archive.org/details/hitlersrocketsit00hens|url-access=registration|year=1985|publisher=St Martin's Press|location=New York|isbn= |pages=[https://archive.org/details/hitlersrocketsit00hens/page/147 147]|quote=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last= |first= |url=http://www.atlantikwall.org.uk/new_page_61.htm |title=Brecourt |work=The Atlantik Wall In Normandy |date= |accessdate=2008-02-27|publisher=}}</ref>

The ramp consisted of two parallel reinforced concrete walls, 75 metres long, with a notch on the inside faces giving the slope of the ramp, which was oriented towards the port of Bristol.<ref name=":0" />


The Brécourt [[military installation]] was virtually undetectable by aerial observation.<ref name=aetius>{{cite web|last= |first= |url=http://perso.wanadoo.fr/aetius/mur/v1Brecourt.htm|title=Cherbourg-Brécourt |work=Bases launch V1 Cotentin and Seine-Maritime |date= |accessdate=2008-02-27|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last= |first= |url= http://www.sitesv1du-nord-de-la-france.com/A4V2.htm |title= La fusée A4 V2 |work= Les Sites V1 du Nord de la France |date= |accessdate=2008-02-27|publisher=}}</ref> However, the [[387th Air Expeditionary Operations Group#History|387th Bombardment Group]] records indicate [[Operation Crossbow]] bombing in Manche of a "[[Martinvast]] [[V-1 flying bomb (facilities)|V-1 site]]" on 11 November 1943, which may have been Brécourt.<ref name=387bg>{{cite web |title=Combat Missions |url=http://387bg.com/ |work=387th Bombardment Group (Medium) |accessdate=2008-11-12}}</ref>
The Brécourt [[military installation]] was virtually undetectable by aerial observation.<ref name=aetius>{{cite web|last= |first= |url=http://perso.wanadoo.fr/aetius/mur/v1Brecourt.htm|title=Cherbourg-Brécourt |work=Bases launch V1 Cotentin and Seine-Maritime |date= |accessdate=2008-02-27|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last= |first= |url= http://www.sitesv1du-nord-de-la-france.com/A4V2.htm |title= La fusée A4 V2 |work= Les Sites V1 du Nord de la France |date= |accessdate=2008-02-27|publisher=}}</ref> However, the [[387th Air Expeditionary Operations Group#History|387th Bombardment Group]] records indicate [[Operation Crossbow]] bombing in Manche of a "[[Martinvast]] [[V-1 flying bomb (facilities)|V-1 site]]" on 11 November 1943, which may have been Brécourt.<ref name=387bg>{{cite web |title=Combat Missions |url=http://387bg.com/ |work=387th Bombardment Group (Medium) |accessdate=2008-11-12}}</ref>


The Allies captured Brécourt a few days before July 4, 1944, and both [[Dwight Eisenhower]] and [[Winston Churchill]] subsequently visited the facility<!-- the latter reportedly dropping an apple he was eating in astonishment of the massive facility.- (the link says it belongs to legend)-->.<ref name=jeanmaridor>{{cite web|last=Maridor|first=Jean|url=http://www.jean-maridor.org/francais/brecourt.htm |title= Le site V1 de Cherbourg Brécourt |work= Les bombes volantes V1|date=|accessdate=2008-02-27|publisher=}}</ref>
The launch pad was not fully completed when The Allies captured Brécourt a few days before July 4, 1944. both [[Dwight Eisenhower]] and [[Winston Churchill]] subsequently visited the facility<!-- the latter reportedly dropping an apple he was eating in astonishment of the massive facility.- (the link says it belongs to legend)-->.<ref name=jeanmaridor>{{cite web|last=Maridor|first=Jean|url=http://www.jean-maridor.org/francais/brecourt.htm |title= Le site V1 de Cherbourg Brécourt |work= Les bombes volantes V1|date=|accessdate=2008-02-27|publisher=}}</ref>


The bunker was declared a French protected monument on 1_ december 1996. <ref>{{Mérimée|PA00135509|Rampe de lancement de V1 de Brécourt}} </ref>
The bunker was declared a French protected monument on 1 december 1996.<ref name=":0">{{Mérimée|PA00135509|Rampe de lancement de V1 de Brécourt}} </ref>


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 17:35, 30 March 2020

Brécourt
aliases: Équeurdreville,[1] Martinvast[2]
Part of Nazi Germany
Équeurdreville-Hainneville,
Manche,
Normandy,
France
Coordinates49°39′7″N 1°40′12″W / 49.65194°N 1.67000°W / 49.65194; -1.67000
TypeBunker,
V-1 flying bomb launch facility
Site information
Conditionruins
Site history
Built1932 French oil storage cistern,
1943 Nazi Germany bunker & launch facility
In usenever used [3]
Materialsconcrete
Battles/warsOperation Crossbow
EventsV-1 launch facility begun 1943,
bombed 11 November 1943,
captured July 1944

Brécourt was a Nazi Germany bunker in Équeurdreville-Hainneville near Cherbourg, in Manche of Normandy, northern France.

History

Brécourt's structure is located at the foot of a hillside on which the French Navy had eight underground galleries dug for the storage of fuel oil in the 1930s.

These installations were reused by the German army to store V-2 rockets.[4] Early in 1944, the facility was converted to a V-1 flying bomb launch facility.[5][6][7]

The ramp consisted of two parallel reinforced concrete walls, 75 metres long, with a notch on the inside faces giving the slope of the ramp, which was oriented towards the port of Bristol.[8]

The Brécourt military installation was virtually undetectable by aerial observation.[3][9] However, the 387th Bombardment Group records indicate Operation Crossbow bombing in Manche of a "Martinvast V-1 site" on 11 November 1943, which may have been Brécourt.[10]

The launch pad was not fully completed when The Allies captured Brécourt a few days before July 4, 1944. both Dwight Eisenhower and Winston Churchill subsequently visited the facility.[4]

The bunker was declared a French protected monument on 1 december 1996.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Fortifications Built by Prussia or Germany". Fortifications of the World. 2003-05-25. Archived from the original on 2005-02-09. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  2. ^ King, Benjamin. Impact: The History of Germany's V-Weapons in World War II. p. 112.
  3. ^ a b "Cherbourg-Brécourt". Bases launch V1 Cotentin and Seine-Maritime. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  4. ^ a b Maridor, Jean. "Le site V1 de Cherbourg Brécourt". Les bombes volantes V1. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  5. ^ Collier, Basil (1976) [1964]. The Battle of the V-Weapons, 1944-1945. Yorkshire: The Emfield Press. p. 35. ISBN 0-7057-0070-4.
  6. ^ Henshall, Philip (1985). Hitler’s Rocket Sites. New York: St Martin's Press. pp. 147.
  7. ^ "Brecourt". The Atlantik Wall In Normandy. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  8. ^ a b Rampe de lancement de V1 de Brécourt
  9. ^ "La fusée A4 V2". Les Sites V1 du Nord de la France. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  10. ^ "Combat Missions". 387th Bombardment Group (Medium). Retrieved 2008-11-12.

External links