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Origin and history

The Eperlecques Blockhouse, also called Watten Bunker, was built by Nazi Germany between March 1943 and 1944 in the forest of Eperlecques, near Saint-Omer. Intended to serve as a launch base for V2 missiles targeting London, it was intended to house a liquid oxygen plant and a protected station. Designed to launch up to 36 missiles a day, it was sabotaged by allied bombardments before its completion, notably during Operation Crossbow in August 1943.

The construction involved 6,000 workers, including forced workers from concentration camps and requisitioned French civilians. Working conditions were extreme, with 12-hour uninterrupted days. The site, partially destroyed, was transformed into a liquid oxygen plant to supply other bases. Captured by the Allies in September 1944, his exact role was not understood until after the war. It was listed as a historic monument in 1986.

The blockhouse, with a massive reinforced concrete structure (200 000 t of concrete and 20,000 t of steel), had to withstand aerial attacks. Divided into three parts (fortified station, missile storage area, and oxygen plant), it was designed by engineers from Peenemünde and the Todt Organisation. Despite the bombings, part of the site was preserved and is now open to the public as a museum, illustrating the history of the German ballistic programme.

After the war, the blockhouse was studied by allied experts, including Frédéric Joliot-Curie, to understand its role in Nazi strategy. Although partially flooded and damaged, it was considered reusable for military purposes in the 1950s. Today, the museum attracts visitors with exhibitions on V1 and V2, as well as remnants of the bombings.

The site of Éperlecques is a poignant testimony of the military technological advances of the time and the suffering of forced workers. Its colossal architecture and complex history make it an essential place of memory to understand the challenges of the Second World War in occupied Europe.

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