The V weapons' museum sites N. France

Sincere thanks to all who have contributed.

I’m inclined to print off Nick’s comprehensive tourism guide and let Mrs Moggy choose – that’s the safest option anyway 😀

Moggy

The V3 site at Mimoyecques…very atmospheric / spooky place, the upper galleries and tunnels remain intact. However below are many collapsed levels, still with many hundreds entombed when the site was bombed in 1944.

The attached shots taken during the recovery of Spit N3200 a few years back. Wet, dark and muddy in the gallery where the Spit was stored, luckily the tunnels are large so we could drive the van in and get loaded.. was glad to get out!

Despite all this worth a visit if you are passing by.

Chumpy.

Good to see a shot of N3200. Thanks for sharing

Do All Three!

Hi Moggy

I Have been to all three. including “La Coupole” before it became a museum (whoops my age slipping out there 😀 ). I would say all have their merits, depends on what type of experience you are looking for?

“La Coupole” is definitely the best presented and professional museum – if lots of AV presentations and slick displays are your thing then it is great – we gave the cinema part a miss as two young kids interest was wearing a bit thin by the time we got there – the rockets worked for them and I think the V1 was either real or pretty convincing! The only thing that spoilt it was the fact that so much of it was excavated purely to create the museum as construction had barely reached the stage of hollowing out the dome when the site was abandoned – I also visited when they were doing this and the amount of material they removed was staggering. One of the best bits for me was that they had recovered the original “U-boat engine” generating plant from a local factory, that had been using it since the war, and reinstalled it in its original location – now if the could get it running as well….. :rolleyes:

Watten would probably be my favourite & I have to confess to having dragged the family around it several times – not quite true as they were quite happy to go – though the weather each time was good. The audio presentations are perhaps a bit dated now, but echoing as they do through the massive concrete structure they do create quite an atmosphere. There are also plenty of relics lying about the place, which I like – several dug aircraft engines, some from bombers lost on raids on the site. A cattle truck used to transport the slave labourers who built it. There was a rusting collection of V1 remains, which was a bit unusual and in the foyer a V2 engine from the Dora site. On one visit we also noted a Biber midget submarine being prepared, though it may not have been for this site as I think any link would be a bit tenuous to say the least? Inside is truly awe inspiring, not least the huge bomb proof doors, one of which they have got partially working. If any criticism could be levelled, it is that they have not done more inside as the space seems wasted – There was one point where they had flood-lit a lower flooded level revealing all sorts of submerged equipment still lying where it was abandoned.

Finally – Mimoyecques – The London gun – perhaps the least professional museum – though we don’t mind that! We also visited the nearby Batterie Todt – Atlantic Wall Museum at Wissant at the same time (Yes married & two kids!;) ). Mimoyecques was still a worthwhile visit and very atmospheric, but the Americans did a very good job of demolition at the end of the war and aprt from the tunnel system, not a lot is left. Again the scale is truly impressive – & it is pretty cold in the tunnels – However there were few actual exhibits to see inside, other than some underground railway paraphernalia and the very badly corroded remains of the Spitfire, recovered from a local beach – I asked what could be done to preserve it & was met by a shrug and told when it falls apart, they would go and dig up another one! I do have to say it is some years since my visit here and it had only recently been opened, so perhaps things have improved?

La Coupole is fantastic, I went there a few years ago and I highly reccommend it

Another vote here for La Coupole…..the better of the two to visit if you can only do one …… IMHO.

You’re not married then? 😀 😉

She Who Would Like To Be Obeyed will sometimes give me time off for good behaviour:D

Further South on the coast is thesite where the V3 was to be lauched. Spitfire N3200 was also reported to be in store at the museum there although I never got to dsee evidence of that.

The V3 was never completed fortunately as it was a gun not dissimilar to the Iraqi supergun. Its target was to be London.

The V3 site at Mimoyecques…very atmospheric / spooky place, the upper galleries and tunnels remain intact. However below are many collapsed levels, still with many hundreds entombed when the site was bombed in 1944.

The attached shots taken during the recovery of Spit N3200 a few years back. Wet, dark and muddy in the gallery where the Spit was stored, luckily the tunnels are large so we could drive the van in and get loaded.. was glad to get out!

Despite all this worth a visit if you are passing by.

Chumpy.

La Couple is excellent and don’t forget the RFC Memorial site at St Omer.

…we don’t want you walking round with a permanent grin on your face do we.

Well, despite my asides on this thread – the present Mrs Moggy never fails to bring a smile to my face – often because she’s happy to troop around even dark and dank museums and bunkers relating to aviation and WW2 without a moment’s complaint

Always provided, of course, that the rest of the day includes some nice food, wine, and possibly a chance to stare through the windows of a shop selling shiny things.

Rob P

Further comment on La Coupale, not very well signposted and it was chucking it down with rain when we went and it seemed to be running down the inside of the dome, and when you stare up at that great curved expanse of concrete, you cross your fingers and hope that all of 617’s Tallboys actually exploded at the time, do we know for sure?
There was also a V1 hanging from the roof, not sure whether it was real or a mock up.
We were hoping to investigate the nearby former Luftwaffe airfield, but the weather put paid to that, anyone been there?
Incidentally, one for Mrs Moggy, the local supermarket, which is typically French, unlike the pseudo British affairs at Calais/ Bolougne, was doing a roaring trade on porno DVD’s and Viagra, it distracted my then young son from buying his chocolate goodies, we don’t want you walking round with a permanent grin on your face do we.

Further South on the coast is thesite where the V3 was to be lauched. Spitfire N3200 was also reported to be in store at the museum there although I never got to dsee evidence of that.

The V3 was never completed fortunately as it was a gun not dissimilar to the Iraqi supergun. Its target was to be London.

Its been a while since I visited but you should be able to manage both…

Even with toruble and strife…

La Couple is a full-on museum and is the one to ensure she comes to visit inside…it really is an amazing space etc ..well worth it.

The Blockhaus is very different, it takes far less time as there is (was) far less museum aspect to it, its more a walk thro the bunker and woods to see the expanse of the thing…should take far less time and if the weather’s good a nice walk.. or she can grab a sunny spot…;)

We took these in after a week of general D-Day visits and even so she was only baulked at the last minute..

Worth a try…

“climbed over the fence” reading the Bruntingthorpe post ,guilty as charged m’laud . I am not an urban explorer and i did try to find someone to ask permission. My wife describes me as just a “grumpy old man” these days.

You’re not married then? 😀 😉

Aaah – the naivety of the bachelor 😀

Roger Smith.

Years ago went on a booze run to St .Omer. On the way back stopped at the blockhouse at Watten. It was closed and empty, but i climbed over the fence and walked around the exterior only(elf and safety !) respecting the property. It is eerie and i noticed no birds singing. To see the concrete re-inforcing rods sticking out of the sides was strange after the allied bombing. It is well worth seeing and scary to think this was to be used to fire rockets at England,too close for comfort.

You’re not married then? 😀 😉

😀 😀 😀 ROFL!

Brian.

Can’t you manage both…they’re pretty close together.

You’re not married then? 😀 😉

Can’t you manage both…they’re pretty close together.
Simply going from the websites, if I had to choose just one it would be la Coupoule, but to be honest it’s almost the flip of a coin.

La Coupole is fantastic, I went there a few years ago and I highly reccommend it, a bit wierd when you go in and see those tunnels stretching off into the darkness, but a very informative display, even my ‘anti’ sister in law thought it was pretty impressive. St Omer is really worth going to as well, good, typical French hypamarket, just up the road too.

I have always wondered what the V3 site is like, not far away either, I would research and go for that rather than ‘Das Blokhause’.