Interpretation report, Boulogne
Title
Interpretation report, Boulogne
Description
Gives overall assessment and then detailed list of damage to E-boat pens, oil tanks, fuel storage, warehouses, huts, vessels, cranes, port facilities, public buildings, arsenal, other buildings in the town including the casino.
Language
Format
Three page typewritten document
Publisher
Rights
This content is property of the Leonard Cheshire Archive which has kindly granted the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive a royalty-free permission to publish it. Please note that it was digitised by a third-party which used technical specifications that may differ from those used by International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive. It has been published here ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre.
Identifier
MCheshireGL72021-181210-030011, MCheshireGL72021-181210-030012, MCheshireGL72021-181210-030013
Transcription
[underlined] INTERPRETATION REPORT. [/underlined]
[underlined] BOULOGNE. [/underlined]
[underlined] GENERAL STATEMENT. [/underlined]
A re-examination of the photographs taken after the daylight attack on the Dock Area of Boulogne on 15th June, 1944 by aircraft of Bomber Command confirms the damage and destruction of shipping and port facilities and devastation of parts of the town reported in Immediate Interpretation Report.
A more detailed study, however, has shown that some 25 vessels are damaged or sunk in water shallow enough to permit interpretation, and that of the nine E/R boats visible on 15th June before the attack, only one, and that probably damaged, is seen on these photographs taken two days later. Sheds in the boat building yards and warehouses in the immediate neighbourhood of the docks have all been damaged and the dock walls and quays breached in many places.
A large Brick and Tile Works, two ice factories as well as other small industrial concerns are seen to have suffered damage. The Town Gas Works and an Electricity Sub-Station have also been affected.
1. E/R Boat Pens Section of Quay destroyed; 1 crater in roof, possibly penetrating and 2 or 3 blast areas on roof.
2. Building of similar construction S.W. of E/R Boat Pens. Non-penetrating blast area on roof due to direct hit.
3. Three Oil Tanks W. Of Pens - all 3 destroyed.
4. Defended Area - numerous craters.
5. Fuel Storage for Submarines. Two or 3 craters in camouflaged area, one being a very near miss to one of the two tanks.
6. Defended Area - numerous craters.
7./
[page break]
7. Probable Warehouse Areas - Many previously damaged and now further damaged or destroyed.
8. Probable Personnel Huts or Stores - almost entirely destroyed.
9. Vessels sunk but still visible, or severely damaged.
10. Cranes damaged or destroyed.
11. Breaches in dock walls or jetties.
12. Warehouse almost entirely destroyed.
13. Large Multi-bay building and Stores adjoining slips, very severely damaged.
14. Large multi-bay building adjoining slips, very severely damaged.
15. Complex of buildings almost entirely destroyed.
16. Slipway cratered, and landward half of jetty destroyed.
17. Offices of Customs and Captain of the Port - almost entirely destroyed.
18. GARE MARITIME - previously damaged, now about 1/3 structurally damaged by direct hits. Several hits on platforms and tracks.
19. FISH MARKET, QUAI THUROT - a remaining undamaged section destroyed.
20. FLOATING DOCK - Dock submerged and damaged, approach ramp and building destroyed, probable control building severely damaged and several craters on dockside.
21. Customs House, Boulevard de Chatillon - damaged by blast.
22. Unidentified Public Building - further damaged.
23./
[page break]
23. Probable Boat-building Yard - all roof lights of four buildings destroyed.
24. ADMIRAL LOUBET’S HOUSE - corner damaged by blast.
25. Unidentified Industrial Building - gutted.
26. ARSENAL, RUE DUPARC - already severely damaged, the main building is now 2/3 destroyed by a large secondary explosion. Four other buildings destroyed or very severely damaged.
27. HOTEL CASTIGLIONE, PLACE DU LOUVRE - entirely destroyed.
28. Boom in BASSIN LOUBET - disrupted.
29. Coal Transporter - damaged and associated building destroyed.
30. CASINO - almost entirely destroyed.
31. CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE - gutted.
32. CUSTOMS HOUSE - 2/3 destroyed.
33. BATTERY - corner of perimeter wall destroyed.
Direct hits or near misses to railway tracks are indicated by crosses on the distributed print.
[underlined] BOULOGNE. [/underlined]
[underlined] GENERAL STATEMENT. [/underlined]
A re-examination of the photographs taken after the daylight attack on the Dock Area of Boulogne on 15th June, 1944 by aircraft of Bomber Command confirms the damage and destruction of shipping and port facilities and devastation of parts of the town reported in Immediate Interpretation Report.
A more detailed study, however, has shown that some 25 vessels are damaged or sunk in water shallow enough to permit interpretation, and that of the nine E/R boats visible on 15th June before the attack, only one, and that probably damaged, is seen on these photographs taken two days later. Sheds in the boat building yards and warehouses in the immediate neighbourhood of the docks have all been damaged and the dock walls and quays breached in many places.
A large Brick and Tile Works, two ice factories as well as other small industrial concerns are seen to have suffered damage. The Town Gas Works and an Electricity Sub-Station have also been affected.
1. E/R Boat Pens Section of Quay destroyed; 1 crater in roof, possibly penetrating and 2 or 3 blast areas on roof.
2. Building of similar construction S.W. of E/R Boat Pens. Non-penetrating blast area on roof due to direct hit.
3. Three Oil Tanks W. Of Pens - all 3 destroyed.
4. Defended Area - numerous craters.
5. Fuel Storage for Submarines. Two or 3 craters in camouflaged area, one being a very near miss to one of the two tanks.
6. Defended Area - numerous craters.
7./
[page break]
7. Probable Warehouse Areas - Many previously damaged and now further damaged or destroyed.
8. Probable Personnel Huts or Stores - almost entirely destroyed.
9. Vessels sunk but still visible, or severely damaged.
10. Cranes damaged or destroyed.
11. Breaches in dock walls or jetties.
12. Warehouse almost entirely destroyed.
13. Large Multi-bay building and Stores adjoining slips, very severely damaged.
14. Large multi-bay building adjoining slips, very severely damaged.
15. Complex of buildings almost entirely destroyed.
16. Slipway cratered, and landward half of jetty destroyed.
17. Offices of Customs and Captain of the Port - almost entirely destroyed.
18. GARE MARITIME - previously damaged, now about 1/3 structurally damaged by direct hits. Several hits on platforms and tracks.
19. FISH MARKET, QUAI THUROT - a remaining undamaged section destroyed.
20. FLOATING DOCK - Dock submerged and damaged, approach ramp and building destroyed, probable control building severely damaged and several craters on dockside.
21. Customs House, Boulevard de Chatillon - damaged by blast.
22. Unidentified Public Building - further damaged.
23./
[page break]
23. Probable Boat-building Yard - all roof lights of four buildings destroyed.
24. ADMIRAL LOUBET’S HOUSE - corner damaged by blast.
25. Unidentified Industrial Building - gutted.
26. ARSENAL, RUE DUPARC - already severely damaged, the main building is now 2/3 destroyed by a large secondary explosion. Four other buildings destroyed or very severely damaged.
27. HOTEL CASTIGLIONE, PLACE DU LOUVRE - entirely destroyed.
28. Boom in BASSIN LOUBET - disrupted.
29. Coal Transporter - damaged and associated building destroyed.
30. CASINO - almost entirely destroyed.
31. CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE - gutted.
32. CUSTOMS HOUSE - 2/3 destroyed.
33. BATTERY - corner of perimeter wall destroyed.
Direct hits or near misses to railway tracks are indicated by crosses on the distributed print.
Collection
Citation
“Interpretation report, Boulogne,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 19, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/16565.
Item Relations
| This Item | dcterms:relation | Item: Royal Air Force file cover - Boulogne, dusk 15/16 June 1944 |