La Coupole: A Hidden Gem of World War II
‘Imagine a time when the skies were filled with the roar of bombers and the earth shook beneath the impact of bombs.’ That’s exactly what happened in northern France during the Second World War, where a massive underground complex known as La Coupole was built to launch V-2 rockets against London. But how much do you really know about this fascinating piece of history?
The Birth of La Coupole
Between 1943 and 1944, the Germans constructed an immense concrete dome at La Coupole to serve as a launch base for V-2 rockets. This was no small feat; imagine building a structure that could house storage areas, launch facilities, and crew quarters all in one place! The complex was designed to store and launch dozens of missiles daily, making it a formidable weapon against the Allies.
Construction Challenges
But construction wasn’t easy. Allied bombing raids disrupted the project, and the dome was never completed. By 1944, when the Allies captured La Coupole, only part of the complex had been built. The Germans had to expand their workforce from 1,100 to nearly 1,400 by June 1944 just to keep up with the demands of the project.
Surviving the Bombs
The dome itself was a marvel of engineering, built first and protected by a steel-reinforced concrete ‘skirt’ and separate structures for ventilation and control towers. Despite multiple bombing raids, including Tallboy bombs that caused significant destruction to external construction works, the dome remained unscathed.
Post-War Transformation
After the war, La Coupole was left derelict until it opened as a museum in 1997. The surviving portion of the Watten bunker was reused by the Germans as a LOX production facility. A separate facility in Roquetoire was used to house equipment necessary for launching intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The Wizernes Complex
While La Coupole was being built, another complex was planned near the village of Wizernes, south-west of Saint-Omer. This massive underground facility would have included a central dome, workshops, storerooms, fuel supplies, and a LOX manufacturing plant. However, like its sister site in Watten, it had no on-site power plant, relying instead on a connection to the main electric grid.
Surviving Raids
The Allies became aware of the site’s existence through reconnaissance flights and reports from German opponents. In 1943-44, USAAF and RAF carried out air raids involving 811 bombers that dropped over 4,260 tons of bombs. Conventional bombing raids only achieved one bomb hit on the dome itself, causing negligible damage.
Final Days
In June-July 1944, the RAF used Tallboy bombs to attack the site, causing significant destruction to external construction works and burying entrances to tunnels. The Allies liberated the area in September 1944, with British engineers inspecting the site on 5th September.
Preservation and Tourism
Post-war investigations were conducted by a Technical Inter-Services Mission under Colonel T.R.B. Sanders, who aimed to understand the V-weapons programme. The Wizernes site was determined to be an assembly site for long projectiles most conveniently handled and prepared in a vertical position.
The Museum Experience
Today, visitors can explore La Coupole through the Ida railway tunnel, with rails removed and floor leveled. Branch tunnels display wartime objects, and headphones present multi-lingual accounts of construction and purpose. The tour continues to the Mathilde tunnel, where a lift brings visitors up to the space beneath the dome for the main exhibition area.
The museum focuses on V-weapons, life in occupied France, and space conquest after the war, with audio-visual displays in English, French, Dutch, and German. It houses original artifacts, including a V-1 and V-2, and a memorial to those shot or deported during the war. Computer terminals track deportees’ paths.
La Coupole has welcomed 120,000 visitors since its opening in May 1997 and opened a planetarium in 2012. It also manages the V-3 site of the Fortress of Mimoyecques since 2010.
La Coupole stands as a testament to the ingenuity and determination of both sides during World War II. It’s not just a museum; it’s a journey through time, where every artifact tells a story of conflict, innovation, and human resilience.
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This page is based on the article La Coupole published in Wikipedia (retrieved on November 29, 2024) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
