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Encyclopedia > La Coupole
La Coupole

Domed roof of La Coupole
Type bunker
Coordinates 50°42′21″N, 2°14′38″E
Built started April 1943[1]
Built by Organisation Todt
Construction
materials		 concrete
Height 21 metres (69 ft)
doors:55 feet (17 m)[2]
In use never completed
Open to
the public		 History and Remembrance Centre[3]
Garrison Abteilungen (English: firing detachment) comprising one technical and two operational batteries[4]
Battles/wars Operation Crossbow,Operation Aphrodite

La Coupole ("The Cupola") is the name of a World War II bunker constructed by Nazi Germany in a former limestone quarry close to the villages of Helfaut and Wizernes in Northern France. The complex was intended to be a bomb-proof underground assembly and launch facility for the V-2 rocket. Download high resolution version (1248x720, 159 KB)taken by me July 2004 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Bunkers in Albania A bunker is a defensive military fortification. ... Organisation Todt Flag Organisation Todt (OT) was a Nazi construction and engineering group during the years of the Third Reich, which enslaved over 1. ... This article is about the construction material. ... Similar to Operation Pointblank against the WWII German aircraft industry, Operation Crossbow specialized in offensive and defensive countermeasures against the Bodyline[1] and Peenemünde 20,[2] the British code names for the 40 ft x 7 ft object with blunt nose and three fins and the small winged aircraft... Operation Aphrodite was the code name of a secret program initiated by the United States Army Air Forces during the latter part of World War II. The United States Eighth Air Force used Aphrodite both as an experimental method of destroying V weapon production and launch facilities and as a... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Bunkers in Albania A bunker is a defensive military fortification. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... For other uses, see Limestone (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Quarry (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see V2. ...

Contents

Construction

Work on the La Coupole was begun after the nearby Éperlecques site had been damaged by Operation Crossbow bombing. Prior to 1942, the consulting firm of Bauer and Nebel obtained the contract to design the intricate erector to transport checked-out Wizerne V-2 rockets from underground to the surface launcher.[5] For launches, the rockets would be hauled from the service chamber through concrete tunnels Gretchen and Gustav past the planned 5 feet (1.5 m) thick solid steel bomb-proof doors.[4] The Allies recovered the uninstalled doors from storage at Éperlecques when it was captured.[2] Éperlecques is a small village and commune of the Pas-de-Calais département, in northern France, north of Saint-Omer. ... Similar to Operation Pointblank against the WWII German aircraft industry, Operation Crossbow specialized in offensive and defensive countermeasures against the Bodyline[1] and Peenemünde 20,[2] the British code names for the 40 ft x 7 ft object with blunt nose and three fins and the small winged aircraft... Rudolf Nebel (March 21, 1894 - September 18, 1978) was a spaceflight advocate active in Germanys amateur rocket group, the Verein für Raumschiffahrt (VfR - Spaceflight Society) in the 1930s and in rebuilding German rocketry following World War II. Nebel was born in Weißenburg and trained as an engineer. ... For other uses, see V2. ...


In January 1944 an enormous concrete dome, or cupola, was built over the top of the facility, giving the site its name. The dome was 71 m in diameter, 5 m thick and weighing an estimated 55 000 tonnes. Similar to the Verbunkerung method used at the Sottevast bunker, the Wizernes plan was to build a bomb-proof dome on the ground on the edge of the 30 m / 100-foot-deep quarry, then excavate a facility beneath.[4][6] Directly beneath the dome, a 35 m / 117 ft diameter[2]-by-21 m high hexagonal room was planned to house the rocket production facility. Once assembled and fuelled the rockets were to be moved outside and fired, at a rate of 40-50 per day.[7] In May 1944, the 953 (Semi-Mobile) Artillery Detachment, started Abteilungen (English: firing detachment) training at Blizna for operations at Wizerne.[4] Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Concrete domes have been used in building construction for millennia. ... For other uses, see Hexagon (disambiguation). ... Blizna is a village with 250 inhabitants in southeast Poland. ...


Railway tunnels were bored underground to allow the rocket parts to be brought in safely. In total more than 6 km of galleries were dug by the Soviet prisoners[citation needed] in order to store the rockets 42 m[citation needed] underground. Liquid oxygen generators were planned[citation needed] to supplement the supply from the Éperlecques site and underground barracks and administrative areas were dug out and lined with concrete. Soviet redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Éperlecques is a small village and commune of the Pas-de-Calais département, in northern France, north of Saint-Omer. ...


Following Allied bombing in June 1944 that severely damaged the site, it was closed down in July 1944 before it was completed and before it had fired a rocket.[citation needed]


Bombing of Wizernes during World War II

On November 5, 1943, the Allied Central Interpretation Unit (CIU) reported photographs of Wizernes.[4] The first attempts to destroy it took place in March 1944 after the dome had been finished, and the Tallboy bombings in June 1944 damaged the area. In late August 1944 the site was captured by the Allies.[4] In November 1944, the Sanders mission, led by Colonel T. R. B. Sanders, inspected the site.[2] RAF Medmenham is a Royal Air Force base near Medmenham, in Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Tallboy was an Earth quake bomb developed by Barnes Wallis and brought into operation by the British in 1944. ...

Bombing of Wizernes during World War II
11 March 1944 (Mission 255): 34 of 51 B-24 Liberators hit Wizernes using blind-bombing techniques due to thick overcast[8]
19 March 1944 (Mission 266): On a raid to Wizernes and Watten, 1 B-17 is lost[8] -- Boeing B-17G-35-BO Fortress 42-31926 (384th BG, 545th BS, *Lovell's Hovel*)[9]
17 April 1944 (Mission 304): 14 of 15 B-24s bomb the V-weapon site at Wizernes, France without loss; escort is provided by 33 P-47s.[8]
25 April 1944 (Mission 317): 27 of 28 B-24s bomb V-weapons sites at Wizerenes, France without loss. Escort is provided by 40 P-47s.[8]
3 May 1944 (Mission 336): 47 of 51 B-24s bomb the V-weapon site at Wizernes, France; 33 are damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. Escort is provided by 48 P-47s and 53 P-51s without loss.[8]
20 June 1944: 17 Lancasters and 3 Mosquitos of No 617 Squadron attempted to attack a large, concrete covered V-weapon site in a quarry at Wizernes, but the target was cloud-covered and no bombs were dropped.[10]
22 June 1944: 234 aircraft - 119 Lancasters, 102 Halifaxes, 13 Mosquitos - of Nos 1, 4, 5 and 8 Groups to special V-weapon sites and stores. The sites at Mimoyecques and Siracourt were accurately bombed by 1 and No 4 Group forces with Pathfinder marking but the No 617 Squadron force attacking Wizernes failed to find its target because of cloud and returned without dropping its bombs.[10]
24 June 1944: 16 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitos of No. 617 Squadron RAF bombed the Wizernes site and scored several hits with their Tallboy bombs. 1 Lancaster was shot down by flak, the first loss by the squadron for exactly 2 months.[10] Three Tallboy bomb exploded in the tunnels, one burst under the edge of the dome, and one hit in the mouth of V2 launch rail tunnel. The entire hillside collapsed, effectively destroying the facility although the dome remained intact.[citation needed] The whole area around the site was churned up so that it was unapproachable, and the bunker was jeopardised from underneath,[4] with landslides making further work impossible.[6]
27 June 1944: No.433 Squadron, including F/O Edward Richard Knox-Leet on his third mission, bombs Wizernes[1]
28 June 1944: 103 Halifaxes of No 4 Group with 5 Mosquitos and 2 Lancasters of the Pathfinders attacked the V-weapon site at Wizernes without loss. No report of the bombing results was filed.[10][2]
17 July 1944: 16 Lancasters, 1 Mosquito and a brand new never before flown P-51 Mustang took off for the fourth[citation needed] bombing raid on Wizernes, after markers had been placed three Lancasters managed to drop Tallboy bombs within an area to cause some damage. One tallboy caused the dome to shift out of alignment, the two others had the affect of causing a roof collapse and blocking the entrance.[3]
July 18, 1944:
This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2008)
At RAF Fersfield, Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. monitored the radio conversation of a failed Operation Aphrodite mission to Wizernes in which two men died.[11]
20 July 1944: 369 aircraft - 174 Lancasters, 165 Halifaxes, 30 Mosquitos - attacked 6 flying-bomb launching sites and the V-weapon site at Wizemes. All raids were successful except the small raid by 20 aircraft on the Forêt de Croc site.[10]
20/21 July 1944: 87 aircraft - 54 Halifaxes, 23 Lancasters, 10 Mosquitos - of 4, 5 and 8 Groups attacked flying bomb sites at Ardouval and Wizernes without loss but only 23 aircraft bombed at Ardouval and none at Wizernes.[10] The planned Wizernes attack on the base was called off due to bad weather.[4]
4 August 1944 (Mission 515): On approach to the target, the Operation Aphrodite mothership loses B-17 42-3461 from view in low cloud[9] and the drone overshoots Wizernes by 2,000 feet.[11]

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber that was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft during World War II and still holds the record as the most produced allied aircraft. ... For the video game see The Dam Busters (video game) No. ... The Tallboy was an Earth quake bomb developed by Barnes Wallis and brought into operation by the British in 1944. ... The Tallboy was an Earth quake bomb developed by Barnes Wallis and brought into operation by the British in 1944. ... The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of World War II. The P-51 became one of the conflicts most successful and recognizable aircraft. ... The Tallboy was an Earth quake bomb developed by Barnes Wallis and brought into operation by the British in 1944. ... Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Jr. ... Operation Aphrodite was the code name of a secret program initiated by the United States Army Air Forces during the latter part of World War II. The United States Eighth Air Force used Aphrodite both as an experimental method of destroying V weapon production and launch facilities and as a... Operation Aphrodite was the code name of a secret program initiated by the United States Army Air Forces during the latter part of World War II. The United States Eighth Air Force used Aphrodite both as an experimental method of destroying V weapon production and launch facilities and as a...

Notes and references

  1. ^ Henshall, Philip (1985). Hitler’s Rocket Sites. New York: St Martin's Press, p75. 
  2. ^ a b c d “The V-Weapons”, After The Battle: p14,24, <http://www.afterthebattle.com/ab-con1.html#index> 
  3. ^ History and Remembrance Centre, LA COUPOLE. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Irving, David (1964). The Mare's Nest. London: William Kimber and Co, p142,169,223,247,309. 
  5. ^ Ordway, Frederick I, III; Sharpe, Mitchell R. The Rocket Team, Apogee Books Space Series 36. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, p31. 
  6. ^ a b Dornberger, Walter (1952 -- US translation V-2 Viking Press:New York, 1954). V2--Der Schuss ins Weltall. Esslingan: Bechtle Verlag, p176,179. 
  7. ^ Wizernes V-2 Bunker - France. A4/V2 Resource Site. Brothers Designs. Retrieved on 2008-01-06.
  8. ^ a b c d e 8th Air Force 1944 Chronicles. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. 1944:March, April, May, August
  9. ^ a b USAAF Serial Numbers. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft. Joseph F. Baugher. Retrieved on 2008-02-06. 41-24340 to 41-30847, 42-001 to 42-30031, 42-30032 to 42-39757, 42-39758 to 42-50026, 42-57213 to 42-70685
  10. ^ a b c d e f Campaign Diary. Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary. UK Crown. Retrieved on 2007-05-24. 1944: June, July
  11. ^ a b Dwiggins, Don (1965). The Kennedy Courage (html), Pyramid Publications, Inc, p112. 

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see David Irving (disambiguation). ... Major-General Dr Walter Robert Dornberger (September 6, 1895 - June 27, 1980) was a German army officer whose career spanned World Wars I and II. During the 1930s and 40s, he directed Germanys rocket and missile programmes, which culminated in the V-2. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
v • d • e
Operation Crossbow during World War II
Overviews and documents
Prominent People
Bombing Targets
"Heavy Crossbow" Installations: Brécourt • Mimoyecques • Siracourt • Söttevast • Watten • Wizernes
No Ball sites:V-1 launch sites • V-1 storage depots • V-2 launch sites
R & D, Production, etc.: Blizna • Ebensee • Friedrichshafen • Kassel • Lehesten • Nordhausen • Peenemünde • Wiener Neustadt
Aircraft
Technology and Tactics
Barrage balloon • Pathfinders • Bombs: Aphrodite, Grand Slam , Tallboy• Electronics: Azon, H1S, H2X, Oboe
Opposition
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  Results from FactBites:
 
La Coupole - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (517 words)
La Coupole ("The Cupola") is the name of a Second World War V-2 rocket base constructed by Nazi Germany at Wizernes, south west of the French town of St Omer, between Lille and Calais.
La Coupole's predecessor as launch site was the nearby blockhouse at Eperleques which had been found to be too vulnerable to aerial bombardment.
The site is open to the public as a museum dedicated to the human cost of La Coupole as well as the legacy of the V2 to modern rocketry.
  More results at FactBites »

 

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