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On the drive to the Somme lay this impressive relic of the Second World War. La Coupole as it became known was a V2 base built in the hillside near d'Helfaut-Wizernes using slave labour provided by the infamous Todt Organization between 1943 and 1944. The huge dome (233ft across and 16 feet thick) was made by shaping the chalk hill into a mould, pouring the concrete over it, and then chiselling away the chalk below. This immense structure was bombed on numerous occasions, but was never breached. The site was attacked by Lancaster bombers carrying Tall Boy bombs on June the 24th 1944. Again the dome wasn’t breached, but the huge bombs severely damaged the foundations of the compound and it was shut down before a rocket was ever launched. Today the building hosts a museum to rocketry in general, and more specifically the V1s and V2s of the war. The museums website can be seen here: La Coupole History & Remebrance Centre. |
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