Batterie d’artillerie côtière d’Auderville-Laye
FortressHidden Treasure
Batterie d’artillerie côtière d’Auderville-Laye, located in La Hague (Manche), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Fort
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- La Hague, Manche, Normandie
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- Mérimée Reference
- PA50000113
An exceptional vestige of the Atlantic Wall, this coastal battery in La Hague concealed two 203mm naval guns capable of striking at 36km, camouflaged under a coating of Asbest, the only one of its kind in France.
History
Perched at the north-western tip of the Cotentin peninsula, the coastal artillery battery at Auderville-Laye is one of the most intact and little-known testimonies to the German occupation of France. Far from the major sites in Normandy that are saturated with visitors, this fortified complex offers a striking insight into the military and industrial reality of the Atlantic Wall, as it was designed to block access to the waters of the English Channel and the Celtic Sea. What makes Auderville-Laye absolutely unique is the remarkable state of preservation of its concrete structures and, above all, the presence of a surface camouflage known as Asbest - a mixture of straw, asbestos, rubber powder and cement - applied to the eastern notch. This coating, designed to deceive Allied aerial reconnaissance by imitating a natural surface, is extremely rare in France and gives the site exceptional heritage and documentary value. The visitor experience is both physical and memorial. The two vast open-air trenches, with their circular tracks designed to rotate the artillery pieces through 360 degrees, are striking in their imposing dimensions. The Vf2a personnel shelters, the Vf7b ammunition bunkers and the Regelbau 502 billeting buildings - one of which would have been used as an infirmary - provide a mental reconstruction of the daily life of an isolated garrison on this cape battered by the Atlantic winds. The natural setting amplifies the atmosphere of the place. The Hague moor, its jagged cliffs and infinite marine horizons form a setting that is both austere and grandiose, contrasting with the functional brutality of reinforced concrete. Photographers and military history enthusiasts will find exceptional angles here, particularly during the golden hour, when the low-angled light reveals the textures of the rough concrete and Asbest coating. The recent listing as a Historic Monument (2024) guarantees the long-term preservation of this complex of 24 architectural elements.
Architecture
The architecture of the Auderville-Laye battery is representative of German military engineering during the Second World War, combining the standardisation of Regelbau works with ingenious local adaptations. The site is organised around two vast open-air trenches, in the shape of a low ring, the walls and base of which are made of solid reinforced concrete. In the centre of each trench, a circular platform equipped with a rolling track allowed the 203mm guns to rotate completely on their mounts, providing a 360-degree firing angle without the gun having to be repositioned. Each notch contained two additional bunkers for immediate ammunition storage, as well as a Vf2a shelter to protect the gunners from enemy counter-battery fire. On the periphery of the firing positions were a series of logistical support structures: four buried Vf7b ammunition bunkers, three Regelbau 502 billeting buildings - one of which was converted into an infirmary - and a special shelter for signals (Sonderkonstruktion), reflecting the organisational complexity of a battery of this scale. The complex was completed by Tobruk emplacements and positions for light artillery protection. The most remarkable architectural feature is undoubtedly the Asbest cladding applied to the eastern embrasure. This composite material - straw, asbestos, rubber powder and cement - perfectly simulated the texture and colour of the surrounding moorland, making the structure virtually undetectable from the air. Its survival to the present day makes it a unique piece of evidence in the study of Second World War military camouflage.
Related Figures
Organisation Todt — maître d'œuvre de la construction du Mur de l'Atlantique et des fortifications de la HagueFritz Todt — fondateur de l'organisation éponyme, concepteur du programme de fortification côtière européenGénéraloberst Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel — commandant militaire en France, superviseur du dispositif défensif normandGeneralleutnant Karl Wilhelm von Schlieben — commandant de la forteresse de Cherbourg, dont dépendait la défense de la Hague en juin 1944Général Joseph Lawton Collins — commandant du VIIe Corps américain, dont les unités réduisirent les dernières résistances de la Hague début juillet 1944
Map
Coordinates not available for this monument.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Batterie d’artillerie côtière d’Auderville-Laye located?
Batterie d’artillerie côtière d’Auderville-Laye is located in La Hague, Manche department, Normandie region, France.
When was Batterie d’artillerie côtière d’Auderville-Laye built?
Batterie d’artillerie côtière d’Auderville-Laye dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Batterie d’artillerie côtière d’Auderville-Laye open to visitors?
Batterie d’artillerie côtière d’Auderville-Laye is currently closed to visitors.