La Coupole (English: The Dome) was a Nazi Germany bunker constructed in a former limestone quarry and planned for V-2 rocket assembly and launches. The site was bombed as a "Heavy Crossbow" target and the rockets were launched from mobile firing batteries, instead.
In January 1944 a concrete dome 71 m in diameter, 5 m thick and weighing an estimated 55 000 tonnes was built over the top of the facility. Similar to the Verbunkerung method, the Wizernes plan was to build a bomb-proof dome on the ground on the edge of the 30 m / 100-foot-deep quarry, then excavate a facility beneath. Directly beneath the dome, a 35 m / 117 ft diameter-by-21 m high hexagonal room was planned to house the rocket production facility. After final assembly and fueling, the rockets were to be moved outside and fired.
Secret German WWII Rocket Complex
By kjfitz @ 2010-12-05 08:43:53