Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
| Saint-Leu-d'Esserent | |
|---|---|
  Saint-Leu-d'Esserent | |
|
Location within Picardy region  Saint-Leu-d'Esserent | |
| Coordinates: 49°13′05″N 2°25′22″E / 49.2181°N 2.4228°ECoordinates: 49°13′05″N 2°25′22″E / 49.2181°N 2.4228°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Picardy |
| Department | Oise |
| Arrondissement | Senlis |
| Canton | Montataire |
| Intercommunality | Pierre-Sud-Oise |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2001–2008) | Alain Blanchard |
| Area1 | 13.08 km2 (5.05 sq mi) |
| Population (2006)2 | 4,869 |
| • Density | 370/km2 (960/sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 60584 / 60340 |
| Elevation |
25–137 m (82–449 ft) (avg. 29 m or 95 ft) |
|
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.
Saint Leu is notable for 3,000 square metres (32,000 sq ft) of mushroom caves under the Thiverny plateau.[1]
History
During World War II, the caves were one of three major underground V-1 flying bomb storage depots. In addition to the caves, the facility included blockhouses, bunkers, flak emplacements and railway links. Allied intelligence firmly identified late in June 1944 that Saint-Leu-d'Esserent and Nucourt were V-1 storage depots.[2] On 27 June 1944, Saint-Leu-d'Esserent was initially bombed by the US Army Air Force,[3][4] then on July 4/5 1944 by two RAF forces (the first unsuccessfully used Tallboy bombs in an attempt to collapse the limestone roof of the caves).[2][5] Finally on 7 July 1944, an evening RAF raid successfully blocked the tunnels.[6]
The storage dump at Thiverny[7] was bombed in 1944 on May 5,[8] July 11,[9] July 12,[10][11] and July 19.[12][13][14][15]
See also
- Communes of the Oise department
- V-1 flying bomb (facilities)
References
- ↑ Couderchon, Philippe. "The quarries of Saint Leu Esserent".
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Collier, Basil (1976) [1964]. The Battle of the V-Weapons, 1944-1945. Yorkshire: The Emfield Press. pp. 68,82,84. ISBN 0-7057-0070-4.
- ↑ "8th Air Force 1944 Chronicles". Retrieved 2007-05-25.
- ↑ Taylor, Graham. "Leopold". Leopold. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
- ↑ Irving, David (1964). The Mare's Nest. London: William Kimber and Co. pp. 168,220,245,246.
- ↑ Richards, Denis (1994) [1964]. The Hardest Victory - RAF Bomber Command in the Second World War. p. 241.
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|accessdate=(help) - ↑ "July 1944". Bomber Command 60th Anniversary. RAF.
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