La Coupole V2 complex

La Coupole is located in Wizernes France. It is built into an old quarry 5km from St Omer, South East if Calais.

I visited this amazing structure which was started in September 1943 being built by the infamous Todt organisation. It was built as a V2 rocket launch site within range of London. Its dome is 77meters in diameter and its walls are just over 5meters thick. It looks like something out of the X-Flies. (The truth is out there)

The structure had three railway lines entering the complex and launch bays for the V2 rockets.

Following the destruction of the bunker at Eperlecques (I am posting a page on this separately), plans were set to construct La Coupole in late 1943. Using a mix of paid and slave labour Todt was to complete the structure by the end of 1944.

Allied reconnaissance already knew on the site in 1943, picking up RAF photos in November 1943. Belgian resistance on the ground also reported the construction work. In March 1944, Operation Crossbow was launched with sixteen bombing missions flown against the structure.

On the 17^th March ground penetrating Tall Boy bombs caused sever damage. Creating landslides, blocking the railway tunnels and making the concrete supports to slip from the dome. This meant further construction was not possible.

In July 1944, plans were stopped to make the site into a V2 facility, and it was converted into a Liquid Oxygen production facility.

Thus, it was never used to launch V2 rockets. In September 1944 the allied forces took over the region and La Coupole was assigned to the history books.

The museum is a fantastic place to visit and even includes a planetarium. The tunnels can be explored and there is a tremendous level of detail, information and audio-visual displays. It is certainly worth a visit.