The bunker of Eperlecques is the biggest bunker of the north of France, witness of the 1939-45 dark age, from 1939 to 1945. Open to the public since 1973 and listed "Ancient Memorials" in 1985.

 

In order to know more about the Bunker, its dimensions, its construction, the plans ...

 

Click the following link :

By visiting the Eperlecques bunker, you will discover an authentic launch

pad with its V1 ready for takeoff.

 

From June 1944 to March 1945, 22,384 V1 were mainly sent on England; 10,492 just on   London.But 11,892 also on Liege, Antwerp and some on Paris after the liberation by the allies. Many simply got lost and fell at random "we estimate around 59% only reached their targets".

 

For the descriptive card of the V1:

The site of Eperlecques was chosen to build the 1st completely autonomous V2 rockets launch site.

 

The V2 was designed at the experimental station of the German army at Peenemünde thanks to the German engineer Wernher Von Braun. Then the V2 was mass-produced in factories.

 

The letter "V", used usually in the sense of "Versuch" (prototype) means here Vergeltung, that is to say "reprisals".

Indeed, V2 was launched in answer to allies bombings.

 

In order to know more and obtain the descriptive card of the V2, click here :

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Tallboy bomb fell during bombings on Eperlecques:

On june the 19th 1944, 17 Tallboy bombs fell. It provoked an enormous crater of 30 m of diameter and engendered such shakings and vibrations in the compressors groups foundations that the decision was made that 3 groups compressors already installed had to be defused  and evacuated .

On july the 25th 1944, 15 Tallboy were launched by the RAF. One of this them fell on the roof of the Bunker. The impact is visible on the North side. 

 

To know more about the Tallboy, click here: