Longues-sur-Mer Battery, German artillery battery on coastal cliffs in Normandy, France
Longues-sur-Mer Battery is a German artillery installation on Normandy's coastal cliffs with four gun casemates set in concrete on a 60-meter bluff overlooking the Baie de Seine. The complex includes ammunition bunkers and a fire control post, with educational panels explaining its wartime function.
German forces built the battery between September 1943 and April 1944 as part of the Atlantic Wall defense against Allied invasion. The installation saw action during the D-Day landings and was subsequently captured by Allied forces.
The site reveals how military engineering reshaped the coastal landscape, with its heavy concrete structures showing the strategic thinking behind the fortifications. Visitors can see firsthand how the gun placements and bunker design were meant to control the waters and approaches below.
Visitors can walk through the casemates and bunkers easily, with information panels guiding the way and providing background details. Be aware that terrain is uneven in places and bringing a flashlight helps explore the darker interior chambers.
The battery preserves four original 150mm naval guns in their casemates, making it the only such fully intact installation across Normandy. These guns came from warships and represent an unusual choice of naval weapons for coastal defense.
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