V 1 and V 2 Rockets: Images from the Blockhaus

Many thanks to the people who have e-mailed in and idetified different items featured in these images. Any further guidance as to the identity and uses of some of these artefacts would be appreciated.

Do you have a wartime story that you'd like to share? Schoolshistory.org.uk is gathering personal accounts of peoples expeiences of war which will be used to support the European Union Virtual School's Oral History Project on the Second World War. The project is gathering accounts from all theatres of war, from civilians and servicement. Please e-mail me if you can contribute.

Reconstruction of a V Bomb. These were fired by Nazi Troops during the final year of the war in Europe.	Aircraft 'Drop Tank' Thanks to Lucas Black for identifying these.		A reconstructed bomb shown as it would have been leaving the launch ramp.
Another angle of the V bomb leaving the launch pad.	Launch site. Bombs were propelled along this ramp, which points directly at London.	The launch pad from the rear. The ramp is 40 metres long.	Engine parts. (From a Radial engine?)
The Blockhaus was a massive construction. Here we can see the western face of the V1 bomb factory.	The control tower and northern face of the blockhaus.	Another view of the Blockhaus.	The holes in the concrete were used to ventilate the factory inside and to provide oxygen for the scientists making the bombs.
The impact of the 'Tallboy' bombs dropped in a devastating air raid can be seen clearly in this image.	The Blockhaus. This part of the construction was completed after the RAF's destruction of early parts of the launch site.	German engineers managed to overcome the threat of air raids by raising these massive concrete roofs from the ground. Workers were safe from air attacks as a result.	The site was constructed by pumping concrete into casts and then raising them using huge pumps and jacks. Most of this, highly dangerous, work was completed by people imported from labour camps.
The control tower. This part of the V1 launch site was hit by a Tallboy bomb which rendered the site un-useable.	More evidence of the destructive power of the Tallboy bomb.	Part of the southern section of the site. This section was destroyed in early air raids on the site and was never used.	Carriages used to transport workers from concentration camps to the construction site. More people died building the Blockhaus than were killed by the V1 and V2 bombs fired from this and similar sites.
La Coupole. This massive dome of concrete protected workers at Hitler's V2 rocket production site. Unfortunately it is forbidden to take photographs inside this site.	The gun in the picture is a German 8.8cm 43/41 PAK (Panzer Abwehr Kanone) mounted on a conventional artillery carriage. Thanks to Hans Egon Hansen for identifying the weapon.	Another picture of the World War 2 gun.	German (?) field artillery left at the Blockhaus.
A German defensive position at the Blockhaus.	Thanks to a variety of people for suggesting what this image is of. All agree that it is a small manned submarine operated by the Germans out of Northern France, most suggesting that is a Biber submarine. I've received conflicting reports about the function of this vessel: answers on a e-card please!		The images found on this page were taken whilst on an educational visit to Northern France. Full details and other images from this visit can be found at http://www.adie.co.uk/catalan/

Holocaust

1. Autschwitz
2. Birkenau
3. Sachsenhausen
4. Wansee