Part of a ‘ring of fire’ established to protect ‘Fortress Boulogne’, Stp257 Pelargonie was an anti-aircraft gun batterie located on the cliffs in the suburb of Le Portal to the south of the city and port.
It featured two L409 type emplacements where 3.7cm Flak guns were positioned and were supported to the rear by L413 ammunition storage bunkers and an L411A garage bunker for a 60cm searchlight which would help the guns to hit their targets.
Behind these, and now on the edge of the encroaching housing, was a L412A batterie command bunker, a multi room structure which would have been a communications hub and fire control post. A Wellblech personnel shelter can also be seen as the termination point of the road into the site, although only the top of the roof is visible.
Most of the structures here are overgrown but the roofs can still be seen on the ammo stores and one of the AA emplacements. The AA position on the right-hand side as you reach the end of the Rue Paul Justin can be visited, and you can stand where the gun would have been located.
The command post is also heavily overgrown but can be accessed with care as it has been a dumping ground for broken glass for many years.