Île Ronde, Brest
Encyclopedia
The Île Ronde is a French islet 400m to the south west of Pointe de l’Armorique, in the roadstead of Brest
, within the territory of the commune of Plougastel-Daoulas
. Its highest point is 24m. Facing Île Ronde, on the pointe de l’Armorique, is the fort de la pointe de l’Armorique.
In the sea, 600m to the east of Île Ronde, are two dolphin
s, concrete cubes built by the German occupiers during the Second World War at a place where the water is 16m deep. They were intended to host the German battleship Bismarck
, but she was sunk in May 1941 before she could reach Brest and never used them. It seems these caissons were not intensively used. The proximity of the channel separating Île Ronde from the pointe de l’Armorique gives rise to severe sea currents, making docking manoeuvres at this point difficult. Today unused, these concrete cubes have become inaccessible for humans and thus have become a haven for flora and fauna, including nests for common tern
s
Roadstead of Brest
The roadstead of Brest is a roadstead or bay located in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. The surface area is about 180 km² . The port of Brest is located on its northern edge and one of the two French naval bases...
, within the territory of the commune of Plougastel-Daoulas
Plougastel-Daoulas
Plougastel-Daoulas is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.-Population:Inhabitants of Plougastel-Daoulas are called in French Plougastels.-Breton language:...
. Its highest point is 24m. Facing Île Ronde, on the pointe de l’Armorique, is the fort de la pointe de l’Armorique.
In the sea, 600m to the east of Île Ronde, are two dolphin
Dolphin (structure)
A dolphin is a man-made marine structure that extends above the water level and is not connected to shore.Dolphins are usually installed to provide a fixed structure when it would be impractical to extend the shore to provide a dry access facility, for example, when ships are greater than the...
s, concrete cubes built by the German occupiers during the Second World War at a place where the water is 16m deep. They were intended to host the German battleship Bismarck
German battleship Bismarck
Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...
, but she was sunk in May 1941 before she could reach Brest and never used them. It seems these caissons were not intensively used. The proximity of the channel separating Île Ronde from the pointe de l’Armorique gives rise to severe sea currents, making docking manoeuvres at this point difficult. Today unused, these concrete cubes have become inaccessible for humans and thus have become a haven for flora and fauna, including nests for common tern
Common Tern
The Common Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, breeding in temperate and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and east and central North America. It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. It is sometimes...
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