Tour of rocket sites in Europe

[SG500]

For many years I’ve wanted to visit some of the V1 and V2 sites in Europe so earlier this month we did just that. Through the channel tunnel for an overnight stay in Arnhem, then up to Peenemunde, down to Nordhausen and the Dora Mittelbau, with a slight diversion to Buchenwald and then across to the Blockhaus and La Cupole in Pas –de- Calais. A total of 2300 miles driven over 6 days but highly recommended.

The tour was quite logical as the rockets were developed in Peenemunde but following the destruction of the site following British bombing the production was moved to Dora Mittelbau, some of the launch sites being in the Pas-de Calais region.

Rather than attaching hundreds of photos I’ve included some useful links. This really is a trip worth doing if you don’t mind driving.

I wouldn’t say it was enjoyable, but it was 100% worth doing even if you only have a vague interest in such things. I certainly got a lot out of it after all, it is so important for us not to forget about this time in history. Would I do it again?……….Oh yes!

Arnhem
Hotel https://www.bastionhotels.com/en-gb/hotels/hotel-arnhem
Airborne museum recommended https://www.museum.nl/en/airborne-museum-at-hartenstein
War cemetery https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-...tails/2063800/arnhem-oosterbeek-war-cemetery/
Photos



Peenemunde
Hotel https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel...Usedom_Island_Mecklenburg_West_Pomerania.html
Museum https://museum-peenemuende.de/?lang=en
U461 http://www.warmuseums.nl/gal/129gal.htm
Missile boat http://lpsphoto.top/en/marine/hans-beimler-missile-boat
Photos


Dora Mittelbau
Hotel https://www.nordhaeuser-fuerstenhof.de/de/hotel-in-nordhausen.html
The site https://www.dora.de/en/
Photos



Buchenwald concentration camp
The site https://www.buchenwald.de/en/
Photos


Blockhaus
Nearby hotel. https://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/le-clos-boutenelle.en-gb.html
Also on bocn http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/84317-The-Blockhaus-at-Eperlecques?highlight=blockhaus
The site https://www.leblockhaus.com/en
Photos


La Cupole
Also on bocn http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/84380-La-Coupole-V2-bunker?highlight=Coupole
The site https://www.lacoupole-france.co.uk
Photos

 

[justin]

What a trip!

 

[HAZORD]

What a great trip! I was able to see a few similar items in the Delft museum back in 2000. They have a V1 with a cockpit also.

I really love the V2 Combustion chambers! Brings back memories of my visits to NASA!

 

[SG500]

What a great trip! I was able to see a few similar items in the Delft museum back in 2000. They have a V1 with a cockpit also.

I really love the V2 Combustion chambers! Brings back memories of my visits to NASA!

Thanks. I'm with you on that, I nearly bought a V2 combustion chamber a few years back, wish I had, prices for anything V2 related seem to have........rocketed over the last few years.

 

[AMMOTECHXT]

A little over 10 years ago my wife and I stayed in a small village near the site of the famous Battle of Crecy and I noticed the ruins of a V1 site on the outskirts. Please see https://www.bocn.co.uk/threads/museum-at-crecy-en-ponthieu.87641/ for more info (currently on the 20th page of this topic).

 

[SG500]

April 2025 tour of the sites.

So………anyway just an update on this. Having done the tour a couple of years ago we decided to do it again revisiting some of the old places, and some new ones too.

Over 4 hours early for the channel tunnel but they wouldn’t let us on so explored the white cliffs of Dover and came across some fortifications. It’s a short walk from Dover Castle.

 

[SG500]

Stayed at the Landgoed Altenbroek hotel

https://www.altenbroek.com/?gad_sou...MIla-ot8ebjQMVkZVQBh3G8S4aEAAYASAAEgJ1YPD_BwE

Then onto the Overloon War Museum to see Bens impressive collection again – THANK YOU BEN FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY.

War Museum Information - Oorlogsmuseum Overloon

...

www.oorlogsmuseum.nl

 

[SG500]

Onto Breman to stay on a boat! Kustenmororschiff Aventura and then an early start to travel to Peenemunde

https://www.aventura-online.de/



Peenemunde.

As before we stayed in Hotel Nordkap

https://www.hotel-nordkap.com/

We visited Peenemunde previously but this time decided to employ the services of a guide to access all those areas that members of the public aren’t allowed to roam on their own. The reason access is restricted is because of unexploded munitions and the area is largely now a nature reserve. I really can’t stress enough how worth it is employing a guide. Christian is his name, he speaks excellent English and the cost each was 40 euros for a 3 hour tour. Details below are given below.

 

[SG500]

The tour included all the main areas of Peenemunde West but keep in mind much of what you see is piles of rubble in the forest, however, 2 very thought provoking areas are test stand VII where many of the V2 missile tests were carried out, and the V1 launch ramps to the North.

V1 launch site. PLEASE NOTE, THIS WAS A GUIDED TOUR WHERE PHOTOGRAPHS OF VARIOUS MUNITIONS WERE PERMITTED, I CERTAINLY DIDN’T GO POKING AROUND THOUGH!

 

[SG500]

V2 Test stand 7.

It’s quite hard to put into words the experience of going there. There’s still plenty of concrete there, the elliptical sand wall, the flame pit, the fire hydrant next the launch site but the scale of it is super impressive. Now getting more and more overgrown it’s still easy to imagine what was happening all those years ago.

There’s plenty of information on google regarding test stand 7

https://dirkdeklein.net/2016/10/03/test-stand-vii-v2-launch-october-3rd-1942/

 

[SG500]

Christian the guide has his very own collection.

 

[SG500]

With Peenemunde complete we moved south and visited the site of the Ravensbrück former concentration camp. I’ve visited a few of these now, across Europe. Not places to enjoy, but to pay respects and wonder what went wrong. Important we don’t forget….

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravensbrück_concentration_camp

 

[SG500]

Onto Fort Eban Emael

https://fort-eben-emael.be/en/

This is another of those absolutely massive underground bunker complexes. It’s in good condition and amazingly much of the area open to the public is heated so the various artefacts on display are in good condition and not getting damp. Built at massive cost and put out of action in a very short space of time by German paratroopers who landed on the roof in gliders and used shaped charges to disable the guns and observation posts.

 

[SG500]

Anyone know what this is (exhibits at Fort Eben)? Looks like a slightly larger 6pr7cwt. Presumably some sort of 6cm fortress gun round??

 

[SG500]

We drove south to stay at Hotel L’entre-mers.

https://www.lentre-mers.fr/

It is a very short walk (like about 200 metres) from the museum at Batterie Todt.

https://www.normandybunkers.com/museums-1/batterie-todt-museum

There is loads of information on Google about Batterie Todt. Suffice to say there were a series of bunkers in the region all housing massive guns. The scale of these is mind blowing and I’d recommend a visit. This part of France is easily accessible through the Channel Tunnel so not a big journey from the UK. We managed to explore one of the relic bunkers which are a short walk from the museum.

 

[SG500]

A few more pics, of the shells from Battie Todt.
That's all until the next trip

 

[apfsds]

These photos and trip explanations are just AWESOME! Thank you so much for sharing them. Off to scroll threw all of the great pictures again. Love seeing the V1/V2 stuff.

Ben,has the only facility that I have ever seen examples of, German Torpedo pistols (Pi3?) with their original transport cases. Beautiful!

Jason