La Coupole at Wizernes was one of two permanent sites which were built as launch facilities for German V2 Rockets during World War Two. Hitler had ordered the building of the facilities in the Pas de Calais, the closest occupied territory to Britain and therefore providing the greatest operational range.
La Coupole Wizernes
The V Vergeltungswaffenweapons were long range artillery with the principle aim of targeting cities as a means of inflicting terror. The Germany Army developed the V2, a rocket with a range of 320km (200 miles) which delivered a 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds) warhead.
German V2 Rocket
The first site to be built in the Pas De Calais for the V2 was a Blockhaus at Watten. Construction commenced in March 1943. The Blockhaus soon came to the attention of the Allies and a bombing campaign targeting the facility started in August 1943.
The V2 bunker complex would be built into the side of a hillside and protected by a 71 metre diameter reinforced concrete dome. The complex would house V2assembly / servicing areas, a liquid oxygen (LOX) production plant, and storage in 7 kilometres of tunnels. External launch sites were located in an adjacent quarry, the rockets would be moved from under the dome on rails to the launch pad.
Wizernes site showing V2 assembly areas under the dome and path to the external launch site.
Wizernes site V2 assembly areas under the dome
Wizernes site V2 external launch site.
The tunnel complex would be used for the storage and assembly of the V2 components.
Wizernes site showing entrance tunnels from the quarry.
Wizernes site plan tunnel complex
Wizernes La Coupole WW2
Wizernes La Coupole
Entrance Tunnel to La Coupole 2019
Wizernes Entrance Tunnel WW2
Wizernes Entrance Tunnel 2019
Wizernes Entrance Tunnel 2019
Wizernes Storage Bay 2019
The Allies were aware of an abnormal building site near St Omer, but it was not until March 1944 that the location began to be targeted. Over a period of 3 months, 10 air raids were mounted by the US Airforce dropping 2,000 lb bombs. La Coupole remained intact, however the logistics for the site were destroyed.
RAF dropping Tall Boy Bomb
On the 24th June 1944, 617 Squadron RAF bombed the dome with 12,000 pound Tall Boy bombs, but failed to damage the Cupola. Another raid with Tall Boys was launched on the 17th July. Although the dome was not hit, the earthquake effect of the bombs caused a land slide which collapsed the hillside. The dome support was undermined and the two vertical entryways to the launching site were blocked. The site deemed unusable and was abandoned at the end of July 1944.
Wizernes 1944 showing landslide blocking entryways to launch sites
Wizernes 1944 showing landslide blocking entryways to launch sites
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The Germans had attempted the construction of two permanent V2 sites, the Blockhaus at Watten and the La Cupola and Wizerenes. The efforts of the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Airforce resulted in no V2 Rockets being launched from the Pas De Calais. The Allied advance form the Normandy bridgehead into the Pas De Calais forced the Germans to look at using mobile launch sites in the Netherlands. The first site was erected in the Hague on the 6th September 1944. On the 8th the first V2 rocket landed on London.
In the later stages of World War Two Germany launched it’s Vengeance Weapons campaign. The V weapons were long range artillery with the principle aim of targeting cities as a means of inflicting terror. The V2 Rocket was the first long range guided ballistic missile.
German V2 Rocket
The German Army sponsored the development of German long range artillery with the initiation of the A4 missile program in 1936. The first launch of the A4 at the Peenemunde test centre in March 1942 failed.
The first successful launch occurred in October the same year. The production program was initiated a month later, the A4 being predesignated as the V2.
V2 Rocket firing Peenemunde
V2 Rocket firing Peenemunde
The V2 consisted of five main components. Powering the rocket was a rocket engine which was fed liquid oxygen for launching, and rocket fuel whilst in flight.
V2 Rocket Engine
Above the engine were two fuel tanks, firstly the liquid oxygen tank, then the rocket fuel tank. Above the fuel tanks was the equipment room. This housed gyroscopes to control direction and shut off fuel once the rocket had reached the target range. The weapon was a 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds) warhead.
The components when assembled were 14m (46 feet) in length, 1.65m (5 1/2 feet) in diameter.
The V2 rocket had a range of 320km (200 miles). Launched form a vertical position it would reach an altitude of 206 km (128 miles) at the apex of it's trajectory. Gyroscopes controlled the direction to the target along it's flightpath. A gyroscope accelerometer controlled the range, shutting off fuel when the rocket reached the target. The rocket would then plummet silently to earth, it's warhead exploding on impact.
V2 Rocket in flight
V2 Impact
The V2 Rocket could be launched from a mobile site. The rocket and launch vehicles would be taken to an appropriate location, the rocket erected into the vertical position and fired.
A limiting factor was the requirement for liquid oxygen (LOX) which evaporated rapidly during transportation, consequently proximity to LOX production facilities would increase the LOX available and therefore increase the rate at which rockets could be fired. Hitler favoured static locations and ordered the building of permanent launch sites with integral LOX production and assembly facilities for the components. The chosen location was the Pas de Calais, the closest occupied territory to Britain and therefore providing the greatest operational range.
The construction of the Blockhaus at Wattens commenced in March 1943, the aim was to have the facility fully operation by November 1943. The facility included V2 Rocket assembly and serving areas, liquid oxygen production plant, and two external launching platforms.
Blockhaus - Wattens
Blockhaus - Wattens
Blockhaus - Wattens
The Blockhaus came to the attention of the Allies in May 1943 when its presence was discovered during photo reconnaissance missions over the Pas-de-Calais.
Blockhaus WattensAriel Photograph
Watten Site Target Map
On 27th August 187 Flying Fortresses dropped 336, 2,000 pound bombs on the Blockhaus. As a result of the raid Hitler ordered the construction of another site 22km (13 miles) away at Wizernes.
The Watten Blockhause site was attacked four more times over the next month. The raids were effective in stopping the full construction of the facility.
The Germans then concentrated on using the Blockhaus for the production of liquid oxygen. The construction of LOX plant was completed in January 1944. The Allies did not have a bomb able to penetrate the 5ft thick reinforced concrete until June 1944. The RAF mounted two raids in June and July 1944 dropping 32 12,000 pound Tall Boy bombs. Only one bomb hit the bunker, but the earth quake effect was enough to disrupt LOX production.
RAF dropping Tall Boy Bomb
Blockhaus Watten bomb damage
The plant was abandoned on 18th July 1944.
The Germanns had attempted the construction of two permanent V2 sites, the Blockhaus at Watten and the Cupola and Wizernes. The efforts of the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Airforce resulted in no V2 Rockets being launched form the Pas De Calais.
The Allied advance form the Normandy bridgehead into the Pas De Calais forced the Germans to look at using mobile launch sites in the Netherlands. The first site was erected in the Hague on the 6th September 1944. On the 8th the first V2 rocket landed on London.
