Castel Vendon Tunnel Map 1110E
In 1924 the French Authorities ordered twin turreted naval guns which would be land based to protect many of their ports.
The guns were made by the French company Schneider and the first came from the Battle Cruiser Jean Bart which had one of its guns removed to make way for a spotting plane. The guns fired a shell of 340 mm and would have had a range on nearly thirty kilometres.
The guns arrived in Cherbourg, and the work started at Castle Vendon, but due to financial restraints due to the depression they were put in storage in Cherbourg.
The fate of these guns remains a mystery, one was used at a site to the east of L'havre
The tunnel leading to is an old mine working. The Germans installed four Skoda 150mm cannons above on the cliffs and these were housed in M272 casemates, and called the site “Gruchy after the nearby village) . The Germans also intended to house ships cannon here and according to German records two were started. The most easterly being built first. This is assumed to be across the main road where locals tell of earthworks during the occupation
It is thought that they intended to use doubled barrelled guns from their pocket battleships Gneisenau or Scharnhorst which had be scheduled to receive bigger guns of 380mm and their old guns of 280mm being installed here.
