BATTERIE LOTHRINGEN COMMAND BUNKER – NOIRMONT POINT, ST. BRELADE’S
Originally intended as ‘Marine Battery 2’ armed with 4 modern quick firing 15cm turreted guns which never arrived thanks to the success of Allied bombing raids in Europe, Coastal Artillery Batterie Lothringen at Noirmont Point was the only Kriegsmarine (Naval) battery found in Jersey and armed with ex-battleship 15cm guns.
The ‘eyes’ of the battery is the CIOS maintained large multi-floored Command Bunker equipped with both a 6 meter range finder and Azimuth direction finding periscopes protected by armoured turrets. Originally equipped with state of the art equipment to calculate the ‘target’ location and how humidity wind etc. would affect the shell’s flight, today parts of the bunker are restored to how it looked when operational.
There is also information on Allied attacks that took place off the headland and items found in the area of relevance to the Battery and those who manned it, and you can even look through one of the periscopes! Knowledgeable members will be on hand to help you with your visit and the CIOS has also progressively opened up a large proportion of the Battery’s sealed bunkers behind the command bunker which allows the interested visitor to explore them and have a better understanding of how the battery worked thanks to numerous interpretation panels found on multiple structures.
£5 admission, children under 16 & CIOS members free of charge.
BATTERIE LOTHRINGEN TOUR
SUNDAY AUGUST 28TH 1PM AND 3PM
(Starting at the Command Bunker)
A chance to explore both the Naval observation and range finding tower (MP1) and several of the support bunkers of Batterie Lothringen not normally open to the public with an expert guide.
Also as a bonus! Well-known local author Paul Burnal will be on hand from 1:30 in the Command Bunker to sign copies of several of his books including the newly published “The Atlantic Wall in Jersey”
This is the biggest, most detailed book on the German Atlantic Wall fortifications ever published in the Island and is an absolute must for anyone interested in this particular subject. ‘The book is packed with details of the coastal defences – including then and now photos of the fortifications, bunker plans, maps, RAF reconnaissance photos and much more’!
