La Coupole
La Coupole is a bunker complex that is also known as the Helfaut-Wizernes dome because of its appearance . (French La Coupole , English: The Dome ). It is located in the town of Wizernes in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France. It was supposed to serve as a launch base for V2 rockets aimed against London and southern England , but could not be completed due to the intensive bombing by the Allies. The facility is the earliest known forerunner of today's modern underground missile silos .
The German planners initially referred to the rocket base as Construction Project 21. The bunker was later given the code name Schotterwerk Nordwest. The plant was built during World War II in 1943 and 1944 in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France, about five kilometers from Saint-Omer .
Aerial view before the bombing
Plan after actual construction
Drawing of the Helfaut-Wizernes site, created by British pioneers (1944)
See also
literature
- Steven J Zaloga: GERMAN V-WEAPON SITES 1943-45 (68 pages online PDF) , p. 60
Web links
- Description and history on the museum website of La Coupole (also in German)
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Terence RB Sanders: Wizernes . In: Investigation of the "Heavy" Crossbow Installations in Northern France. Report by the Sanders Mission to the Chairman of the Crossbow Committee , Volume III. Technical details 1945.
Coordinates: 50 ° 42 ′ 19.1 " N , 2 ° 14 ′ 36.7" E