Pointe du Grand Gouin
Encyclopedia
The pointe du Grand Gouin is a rocky promontory with vertical cliffs to the west of the inlet of Camaret-sur-Mer
. It protects a port which, in Vauban
's era, was vulnerable to possible landings. It is divided into the Grand Gouin (the top of the cliff) and the Petit Gouin (mid-cliff).
lines (Louis XIV of France
had been warned of an Anglo-Dutch attack in the area, but did not know its precise landing point). In 1695 a mortar
battery was set up on the Grand Gouin, though its location is now unknown. These mortar batteries could be directed towards the Cameret inlet and crossed their field of fire with those at Tremet
, as well as covering the goulet de Brest
to harry an approaching enemy.
The Germans built a platform for four 220mm Schneider guns on a new site here between 1942 and 1943, known as Camaret battery and manned by the 1/1274 HKAA (Heeres-Küsten-Artillerie-Abteilung). This had a range of 22 km and formed the most important coastal defence for the Crozon
peninsula. It was made up of four batteries (one gun each), each accompanied by four bunkers, as well as a fire-direction point and many anti-aircraft guns.
Inventaire général des monuments et des richesses artistiques de la France
Camaret-sur-Mer
Camaret-sur-Mer is a commune in the Finistère department in northwestern France, located at the end of Crozon peninsula.-Sights:Camaret-sur-Mer is home to the Tour Vauban or Tour dorée , a historic fortification guarding the harbor and built in 1669-94...
. It protects a port which, in Vauban
Vauban
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
's era, was vulnerable to possible landings. It is divided into the Grand Gouin (the top of the cliff) and the Petit Gouin (mid-cliff).
Grand Gouin
In 1693, Vauban began to organise the defences of Brest with batteries and fortifications all along the Camaret bay, from the pointe du Gouin to the QuélernQuélern
Quélern is a hamlet in Roscanvel, in the department of Finistère , in western France.-Fortified lines:The Quélern lines defended the entrance to the goulet de Brest against capture from behind the defences of the Roscanvel peninsula. They are 1.22 km long and form the only surviving non-urban...
lines (Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
had been warned of an Anglo-Dutch attack in the area, but did not know its precise landing point). In 1695 a mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
battery was set up on the Grand Gouin, though its location is now unknown. These mortar batteries could be directed towards the Cameret inlet and crossed their field of fire with those at Tremet
Tremet
Tremet is a hamlet on the Roscanvel peninsula in France. The gun batteries located here are part of the defences of the goulet de Brest, forbidding ships from entering the bay of Camaret-sur-Mer. The site had been occupied by the military since 1694 and was updated several times in the 18th and...
, as well as covering the goulet de Brest
Goulet de Brest
The Goulet de Brest is a 3 km long strait linking the roadstead of Brest to the Atlantic Ocean. Only 1.8 km wide, it is situated between the Pointe du Petit Minou and the Pointe du Portzic to the north and the îlot des Capucins and the Pointe des Espagnols to the south.At each turn of...
to harry an approaching enemy.
The Germans built a platform for four 220mm Schneider guns on a new site here between 1942 and 1943, known as Camaret battery and manned by the 1/1274 HKAA (Heeres-Küsten-Artillerie-Abteilung). This had a range of 22 km and formed the most important coastal defence for the Crozon
Crozon
Crozon is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.Crozon is located on the Crozon peninsula on the west coast of Finistère. It is bordered by the communes of Camaret-sur-Mer to the west, Roscanvel to the northwest, Lanvéoc to the north, Landévennec to the...
peninsula. It was made up of four batteries (one gun each), each accompanied by four bunkers, as well as a fire-direction point and many anti-aircraft guns.
Petit Gouin
A battery was built here in 1813, and reorganised in 1859 (during the reinforcement of coastal defence begun in 1841) as a model-redoubt (1846 type, number two). In 1941 the Germans added 2 barrack-casemates on a platform, both armed with nearby 105mm guns. There is also an underground magazine on the site.External links
- batteries du Petit Gouin (photos)
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