St Gabriel
N49 375.22 W001 330.50 Map 1210E
On the hills overlooking the eastern side of Cherbourg is this quite special Fire Control Post. It must have been built very early in the occupation as it is built to a very high standards. The lower level includes showers and toilets all of which are tiled.
The upper level is also tiled, but in the observatory there is no mounting for a range finder, which is quite unusual.
The person on lookout must have relied on binoculars. It is also difficult to know what if any, batteries this Fire Control Post was spotting for.
It may well just have been a general observatory The site was a French Fort utilised by the Germans.
There quite a few of the French buildings left, including a large ammunition bunker that seems to have been blown up.
