This large air-raid shelter stands alongside the main railway line from Calais to Boulogne and was once used by crews who operated two K12 (E) type railway guns along the lines in this area.
Railway guns were located here from 1940 to 1943 originally to provide fire support for Operation Sealion (the German invasion of Britain) and later to fire shells across the English Channel to Dover.
Only two K12 (E) – Kanone 12 Eisenbahnlafette – guns were built by German arms and steel makers Krupp between 1938 and 1940 with the first one - a ‘V’ variant - replaced by an updated ‘N’ version. The main difference being the latter model didn’t need to be jacked up and down between firings. The first version required the gun to be supported by jacks, but this made it impossible to load the barrel.
Operated by Artillerie Batterie 701 along the coast of northern France, both 21cm calibre guns featured extremely long barrels of 33.3m (109ft!) and could fire 107kg high explosive shell to an effective range of 28 miles, although there are reports of the shells reaching parts of Kent, England over 50 miles away.
The Luftschutz stands on private land behind the Stadium de la Legion d’Honneur and memorial to the north of Boulogne near to the Fort de la Creche batterie complex.
It has been sealed up to prevent access, but you can see through the grille over the doorway that it had been subjected to some considerable damage inside, although not enough to show on the building’s outer structure.