Crisbecq Battery, World War II military museum in Saint-Marcouf, France
Crisbecq Battery is a World War II military museum housed within a fortified coastal position featuring multiple concrete bunkers, gun emplacements, and underground tunnels spread across an expansive fortified area. The site displays the layout and construction methods typical of defensive positions built along the French coast.
German forces built this defensive position between 1943 and 1944 as part of the Atlantic Wall to defend against Allied attacks. The battery saw action during the D-Day landings in 1944 and remained under German control for a significant time after the invasion began.
The exhibits feature personal belongings of soldiers and photographs showing everyday life during the German occupation. These objects help visitors understand what daily routines were like for the people stationed at this location.
The site can be explored on foot through the outdoor grounds and into the bunker interiors, with guided tours available in multiple languages. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes because of uneven terrain and narrow passages in the underground sections.
The site preserves three enormous gun casemates equipped with 210mm artillery pieces that could launch projectiles across the English Channel. These concrete structures remain remarkably intact and demonstrate the scale of engineering effort devoted to coastal defense.
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