Timeline

Origin and history

The German logistics site of Saussemesnil, built in the 2nd quarter of the 20th century, was entirely dedicated to the maintenance of motorized land vehicles. Its strategic location is explained by the high concentration, in this region, of construction sites of the launch bases of V1 between 1943 and 1944. These infrastructures, consisting of single and double garages equipped with visiting pits, testify to the Nazi logistical effort during the occupation.

At the Liberation in 1944, the US Army reused these facilities to maintain its own vehicles, illustrating the allied re-appropriation of German infrastructure. The conservation status of the site, considered remarkable, includes archaeological remains still buried or visible. The works, protected entirely by an order of 2024, cover the Parcel La Longue Vente (cadastre section A) and their land plates.

Ranked a Historic Monument, this site is a rare material testimony of military operations in Normandy. Its approximate location (diagnostic accuracy estimated at 5/10) and its lack of openness to the public make it a heritage with mainly memorial and historical vocation. Available sources (Monumentum, base Mérimée) confirm its connection to the municipality of Saussemesnil (50700), in the department of Manche, in the Normandy region.

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