The V-Weapon Sites of Northern France – Photographic Guide

Intent on their strategy of bombarding the population of London into submission with their new weapons, the Nazis embarked on the construction of a number of protected sites for the storage and launching of them in northern France. This short tour in the Pas-de-Calais region, visits three of the best preserved examples – the V-2 launch sites at Eperlecques and La Coupole near St-Omer, and the V-3 complex at Mimoyecques between Boulogne and Calais.

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All of these sites are fairly close together and do have a small entrance fee. For those living in the south-east of England, you could almost consider a day-trip, although it would have to be a whistle-stop tour as each location really deserves a couple of hours. A far more realistic option is to split the three locations over two days and spend a night either in St-Omer or in Boulogne-sur-Mer. The author has stayed in the latter on a number of occasions and can particularly recommend the Hotel Ibis Boulogne-sur-Mer Vieille Ville, which as its name suggests, is opposite the entrance to the Old Town where there is no shortage of picturesque bars and restaurants.

For more information on the Hotel Ibis Boulogne-sur-Mer Vieille Ville, visit their website.

Most visitors will probably arrive by ferry or Eurotunnel at Calais and, therefore, a sensible order for the sites is Eperlecques, La Coupole and Mimoyecques and I have presented the locations accordingly.