Thursday, April 11, 2019

Jersey's Coastal Defences

MUCH evidence of the German occupation of Jersey in WW2 is still visible, especially along the coast.
A 1917 15cm naval gun the Germans converted to provide land-based defence of Jersey's capital St Helier

The gun pictured above was part of the Lothringen (the German word for Lorraine) battery on Noirmont Point.
Naturally the German defences have a clear view of St Helier, but look in the opposite direction over tiny Portelet bay and you can see earlier defences, a Martello Tower built in 1808 when the islanders feared a French invasion by Napoleon's troops.
The tower was surrounded by water when I took the photo this morning but is actually on a tidal island
Further along the coast, overlooking a beautiful sandy beach, is Ouaisne Tower, believed to have been built in the 1780s.
It can hardly be seen in this photo, but at the far end of the beach is a German bunker enfilading what could easily have been a landing area for invading troops

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