Mount Etolan N49 38.980 W001 23.179 Map 1310O
W162
This site is quite rare in Normandy one here and another at Fécamp, although I have
received information that there are two similar sites in Denmark.
They were built after 1941 and situated near airfields and used for bombing and
firing practice.
In Denmark they were used for twin engined aircraft Me Bf 110 and Ju 88, and the
same types of planes could have used the range here. They were always situated
near airfields and Maupertus sur Mer, the main Cherbourg airfield is only a few
kilometres away. There was also a fighter airfield behind the radar station
called Osteck and this is a similar distance.
Kurt Stigaad from Denmark who supplied the information on the operation of the
Danish sites, states that targets would be placed in the surrounding fields and
the bombers would be controlled from the main bunker. There would also be a FuMo
radar mounted on top of one of the buildings. Here at Mount Etolan it is
possible that the building next to the command type building would be an obvious
choice.
The other four two storey buildings would have mirrors on top so that they
could monitor the bombing runs, and firing accuracy then radio back to the
aircraft their reports.
The site could also have been a fully manned radar station as well as being used
for practising precision bombing.
Photo's of Fecamp
