Saint-Leu-d'Esserent

Saint-Leu-d'Esserent (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ lø dɛsʁɑ̃]) is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.[3]

Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Commune
The town hall and abbey in Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
The town hall and abbey in Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Coat of arms of Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Coat of arms
Location of Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent is located in France
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent is located in Hauts-de-France
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Coordinates: 49°13′05″N 2°25′22″E
CountryFrance
RegionHauts-de-France
DepartmentOise
ArrondissementSenlis
CantonMontataire
IntercommunalityCA Creil Sud Oise
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Frédéric Besset[1]
Area
1
13.08 km2 (5.05 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2020)[2]
4,637
 • Density350/km2 (920/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
60584 /60340
Elevation25–137 m (82–449 ft)
(avg. 29 m or 95 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Saint Leu is notable for 3,000 square metres (32,000 sq ft) of mushroom caves under the Thiverny plateau.[4]

History

During World War II, the caves were one of three major underground V-1 flying bomb storage depots. In addition to the caves, the facility included blockhouses, bunkers, flak emplacements and railway links. Allied intelligence firmly identified late in June 1944 that Saint-Leu-d'Esserent and Nucourt were V-1 storage depots.[5] On 27 June 1944, Saint-Leu-d'Esserent was initially bombed by the US Army Air Force,[6][7] then on 4/5 July 1944 by two RAF forces (the first unsuccessfully used Tallboy bombs in an attempt to collapse the limestone roof of the caves).[5][8] Finally on 7 July 1944, an evening RAF raid successfully blocked the tunnels.[9]

The storage dump at Thiverny was bombed in 1944 on 5 May,[10] 11 July,[11] 12 July[12][13] and 19 July.[14][15][16][17]

See also

References
  1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. "Populations légales 2020". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 29 December 2022.
  3. INSEE commune file
  4. Couderchon, Philippe. "The quarries of Saint Leu Esserent".
  5. Collier, Basil (1976) [1964]. The Battle of the V-Weapons, 1944-1945. Yorkshire: The Emfield Press. pp. 68, 82, 84. ISBN 0-7057-0070-4.
  6. "8th Air Force 1944 Chronicles". Retrieved 25 May 2007.
  7. Taylor, Graham. "Leopold". Retrieved 16 May 2007.
  8. Irving, David (1964). The Mare's Nest. London: William Kimber and Co. pp. 168, 220, 245, 246.
  9. Richards, Denis (1994) [1964]. The Hardest Victory - RAF Bomber Command in the Second World War. p. 241.
  10. "tbd". tbd.
  11. "tbd". tbd.
  12. "July 1944". Bomber Command 60th Anniversary. RAF. Archived from the original on 11 June 2007.
  13. "tbd". tbd.
  14. "tbd". tbd.
  15. "tbd". tbd.
  16. "tbd". tbd.
  17. "tbd". tbd.
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