Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent | |
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show Location of Saint-Leu-d'Esserent | |
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 | Hauts-de-France |
Department | Oise |
Arrondissement | Senlis |
Canton | Montataire |
Intercommunality | CA Creil Sud Oise |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–2026) | Frédéric Besset[1] |
Area 1 | 13.08 km2 (5.05 sq mi) |
Population (Jan. 2018)[2] | 4,692 |
• Density | 360/km2 (930/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
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. |
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.[3]
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.[4] On 27 June 1944, Saint-Leu-d'Esserent was initially bombed by the US Army Air Force,[5][6] 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).[4][7] Finally on 7 July 1944, an evening RAF raid successfully blocked the tunnels.[8]
The storage dump at Thiverny[9] was bombed in 1944 on May 5,[10] July 11,[11] July 12,[12][13] and July 19.[14][15][16][17]
See also[]
- Communes of the Oise department
- V-1 flying bomb (facilities)
References[]
- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "Populations légales 2018". INSEE. 28 December 2020.
- ^ Couderchon, Philippe. "The quarries of Saint Leu Esserent".
- ^ Jump up to: a b 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". 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.
- ^ "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 2007-06-11.
- ^ "tbd". tbd.
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- ^ "July 1944". Bomber Command 60th Anniversary. RAF. Archived from the original on 2007-06-11.
- ^ "tbd". tbd.
- ^ "tbd". tbd.
- ^ "tbd". tbd.
- ^ "tbd". tbd.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint-Leu-d'Esserent. |
- Communes of Oise
- Caves of France
- V-weapon subterranea
- World War II strategic bombing
- World War II sites in France
- Landforms of Hauts-de-France
- Oise geography stubs