Battery construction fin 1942 - début 1943 (≈ 1943)
Installation of 203 mm guns and fittings.
décembre 1943
Integration with H.K.A.R.1262
Integration with H.K.A.R.1262 décembre 1943 (≈ 1943)
Becoming *Stützpunkt 356*, third battery.
28 juin 1944
US bombardment
US bombardment 28 juin 1944 (≈ 1944)
Canons neutralized by Allied aviation.
1er juillet 1944
Garrison clearance
Garrison clearance 1er juillet 1944 (≈ 1944)
24 german soldiers surrender.
23 décembre 2024
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 23 décembre 2024 (≈ 2024)
Protection of remains and land bases.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The works of the coastal artillery battery of Auderville-Laye, remains of the Second World War, in full, and the land plates where they are preserved, including archaeological remains buried or in known elevations or to be discovered, namely Parcels No. 122, No. 123, No. 141, No. 143, No. 144, No. 145, No. 146, appearing in the cadastre section B01, as represented on the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by order of 23 December 2024
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character named in the sources
The archives do not cite any specific officials.
Origin and history
The Alderville-Laye coastal artillery battery was built by German forces between late 1942 and early 1943 as part of the Atlantic Wall. Two 203-mm marine guns, capable of firing at 36 km, were installed on 360-degree rotary platforms. These platforms were protected by concrete encumbrances, one of which, in the east, was covered with a rare coating composed of asbestos (a mixture of straw, asbestos, rubber and cement).
Around the firing positions, four ammunition bunkers (type Vf7b), three troop shelters (Regelbau 502, including one used as an infirmary), and one transmission shelter were complete. The battery was also defended by 155-mm shells, Flak guns and Tobruks. Incorporated in December 1943 with the H.K.A.R.1262 under the name of Stützpunkt 356, it was neutralized on 28 June 1944 by American bombardments, before the surrender of its garrison on 1 July.
The remains, including encumbrances, bunkers and shelters, were classified as Historic Monuments in December 2024 for their heritage value related to World War II. The cadastral parcels concerned (n°122 to 146, section B01) preserve all the works, including the archaeological remains buried. The exact location remains approximate (precision: 5/10), but the official administrative address is 50440 La Hague, in the English Channel.
The battery illustrates German defensive strategies on the Normandy coast, with a military architecture combining innovation (rotary platforms, camouflage materials) and vulnerabilities (exposure to air strikes). Its history is part of the last months of the occupation, marked by the intensification of allied preparations for the Disembarkation.
Today, the site is not explicitly open to the public, but its heritage protection makes it a major testimony to the coastal fortifications of the Atlantic Wall in Normandy. The available sources (Monumentum, Mérimée base) underline its role in defending the La Hague sector, as well as its rapid fall against the American advance in June 1944.
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