Battery Lothringen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Batterie Lothringen |
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| Part of Atlantic Wall | |
| Noirmont Point, Saint Brélade, Jersey | |
Batterie Lothringen seen from the sea in 2009
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Kriegsmarine Ensign
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| Coordinates | 49°10′03″N 2°10′11″W / 49.1675°N 2.1696°W |
| Site information | |
| Owner | People of Jersey |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Some structures restored, others ruined |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1941 |
| Built by | Organisation Todt |
| In use | 1941–45 |
| Materials | Concrete, steel and timber |
| Events | German occupation of the Channel Islands |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | Kriegsmarine |
Battery Lothringen was a large World War II coastal artillery battery located in Saint Brélade, Jersey. It was named after a German battleship, the SMS Lothringen. This battery was built by a German group called Organisation Todt for the Wehrmacht (the German armed forces) during the Occupation of the Channel Islands.
The first parts of the battery were finished in 1941. This was around the same time as another nearby battery, Battery Moltke, was completed in St. Ouen.
Battery Lothringen is found at the very end of Noirmont Point. This is a rocky area that looks out over St. Aubin's Bay, Elizabeth Castle, and the harbours of Saint Helier. It was an important part of the Atlantic Wall, which was a huge system of coastal forts built by Germany. Many of its concrete buildings are still there today. The 3rd Battery of Naval Artillery Battalion 604 was based here during the war.
The site also overlooks a 19th-century Martello tower called La Tour de Vinde.
Contents
In 1941, Battery Lothringen had three large 15 cm SK L/45 naval guns. A fourth gun of the same type was added later. These guns were originally made by a company called Krupp in 1917.
The guns were placed on high concrete platforms. Ammunition was kept in bunkers nearby. Workers had to move the ammunition by hand along concrete paths to smaller storage areas right next to the guns.
After the Channel Islands were freed, the British Army removed these big guns. They were later left at the bottom of the cliffs at Les Landes in St Ouen.
Gun No. 1's Return
One of the guns, known as "Gun no. 1," was placed on a concrete platform with walls. It had a ramp for access and a small room next to it. Ammunition for this gun was stored in a bunker called Ammunition Bunker VII. It was moved up a sloped path to small storage spots behind the gun.
Behind this gun platform, there used to be a barrack hut, an office building, and a bunker for soldiers. Only the bunker remains today.
In 1992, Gun no. 1 was found and brought back to Noirmont Point. It was placed back on its platform in March 1998 using a Chinook helicopter.
MP1 Observation Tower
The Marine Peilstand 1 tower, or MP1 tower, was used to spot targets at sea. This round tower is about 16 metres (52 feet) tall. It has four observation floors, each with a wide and a narrow opening for looking out. Each floor was used to observe for one of the four big naval guns.
The tower has five floors, plus an open rooftop. You enter through a steel door on the top floor. An Oerlikon 20 mm cannon was once on top of the tower to shoot down enemy aircraft. The gun is gone now, but its steel support is still there.
This tower was built between April and October 1943. It is located on a steep cliff, but it doesn't stick up higher than the rest of the headland. This made it harder to see from far away. The Germans also used camouflage to hide it even more.
This is one of three similar towers built in Jersey. Nine towers were planned, but only three were finished. These towers were meant to be placed all around Jersey's coast. Two nearby towers could work together to find the exact location of a target using a method called triangulation. This information would then be sent to the artillery so the guns could aim correctly.
Westwall Type 101v Bunker
Next to the MP1 tower is a personnel bunker. This bunker was sealed up and filled in after the island was freed. Starting in 2009, the Channel Islands Occupation Society began digging it out.
Type M.132 Command Bunker
The command bunker is right next to the MP1 tower. It had a special armored naval rangefinder and two steel observation domes. A periscope was used with the rangefinder to figure out the direction of a target.
This bunker was built between March 1943 and May 1944. It has two floors, one entrance, and an escape tunnel. It is made of strong reinforced concrete.
The lower floor was a living area with nine rooms. These included sleeping quarters for soldiers, rooms for officers, an office, a standby room, a heating room, and a coal storage area. There is an escape shaft from the non-commissioned officers' room. The upper floor has the operations room, bathrooms, a first aid room, and a telephone room. The main entrance is on this floor and is protected by two openings for defense.
Today, only the arms of the rangefinder are original. They were found at the bottom of the cliffs, fixed up, and put onto a new turret. This bunker has been restored and is now a museum that you can visit during the tourist season.
Searchlights
Two large searchlights were placed on concrete platforms on both sides of the headland. Today, only these platforms remain.
Visiting Today
Today, the Noirmont Point site is open to the public all the time. There is a public car park at the end of the headland. Some of the buildings and their insides have been restored. You can visit them at certain times, usually on Sundays.
The gun positions can be visited anytime. Two partly restored guns are on display at two of the gun platforms.
Memorials
In 1950, the States of Jersey bought the Noirmont headland. It was bought as a memorial to all the people from Jersey who died during the occupation. A special memorial stone was revealed at Noirmont on May 9, 1970. This marked 25 years since the island was freed.
One of the bunkers has a plaque honoring two pilots from 263 Squadron of the Royal Air Force. They died on December 7, 1942, when their Whirlwind fighter-bomber was shot down while attacking a German convoy near the Point.
There is also a memorial for 16 men from the US Navy's PT Boat Squadron 34. They died on August 9, 1944, when they attacked a German convoy moving guns from Guernsey to Jersey. Fourteen of these men were from PT 509, which crashed into a German minesweeper. Two others were from PT503.
See also
- German occupation of the Channel Islands
- Coastal fortifications of Jersey
