An extensive bunker site on the northern outskirts of the port city of Boulogne-sur Mer, Stp240 Buschwindroschen features a diverse mix of casemates, personnel bunkers, and open emplacements for a variety of defensive weapons.
The site stands inland of the huge Creche batterie at Terlincthun and coastal defences which line the cliffs between Boulogne and Wimereux and provided a rear protection for them.
Most of the original buildings are now either buried beyond view or can only be seen when the agricultural fields they stand in are left fallow through the winter months. Even then, only small slivers of concrete from the roofs are visible, with the exception of the R105 machine gun casemate which stands across the Route de Chemin Vert that frames the site along with the D96 main road. This building is in a relatively complete state, although access is difficult as the field is used for grazing cattle.
At the centre of the site are four R621 single group shelters, a relatively rare R626 casemate for a 7.5cm PAK gun, a R634 six-embrasure turret bunker, and a rare R624 machine gun casemate with roof armour plating. A R658 water supply bunker – for drinking water – was also located nearby.
The perimeter consisted of R630 machine gun casemates and Vf58c Tobruks, while a second R634 six embrasure turret bunker stands across the road at the north west area of the main site.
An annex site to the south west – in the shadow of Napoleon’s column and memorial to his grand army – you can find a small personnel shelter and water storage reservoir which were used by the two anti-aircraft gun crews who operated two, 2cm guns in open emplacements here.