Country France Department Oise Intercommunality Pierre-Sud-Oise Area 13.08 km² Arrondissement Senlis | Region Hauts-de-France Canton Montataire Population (2012) 4,667 Local time Tuesday 10:39 PM | |
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Weather 13°C, Wind SW at 8 km/h, 71% Humidity | ||
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.
Contents
Map of 60340 Saint-Leu-d'Esserent, France
Saint Leu is notable for 3,000 square metres (32,000 sq ft) of mushroom caves under the Thiverny plateau.
History
During World War II, the caves were one of three major underground V-1 flying bomb storage depots. In addition to the caves, the facility included blockhouses, bunkers, flak emplacements and railway links. Allied intelligence firmly identified late in June 1944 that Saint-Leu-d'Esserent and Nucourt were V-1 storage depots. On 27 June 1944, Saint-Leu-d'Esserent was initially bombed by the US Army Air Force, then on July 4/5 1944 by two RAF forces (the first unsuccessfully used Tallboy bombs in an attempt to collapse the limestone roof of the caves). Finally on 7 July 1944, an evening RAF raid successfully blocked the tunnels.
The storage dump at Thiverny was bombed in 1944 on May 5, July 11, July 12, and July 19.