The German Radar Stations at the Pointe Du Raz (FR)

Because of its extension in the Atlantic Ocean, the Pointe du Raz, at the ex-tremity of Brittany, was always an ideal place for signalisation and surveillance. For this reason, lighthouses and semaphores were activated. In the thirties of the last century, the Pointe experienced a period of prosperity that led to the construction of several hotels. It was because of the rapid German occupation of France in 1940 that the situation at the Pointe changed radical-ly. A 2 km 2 surface from the Pointe to Lescoff was requisitioned for the construction of the Stps QU 300, QU 500 and QU 13 hosting sophisticated radar stations. Various German units took turns ensuring the defence and the op-erations at the Pointe. On 8 th August 1944, the garrison evacuated after having set on fire and destroyed military and civilian installations. The visits on 3 rd January 2005 and 14 th August 2020 permitted to identify many Stp components and to determine their preservation state at about 75 years after the conclusion of WWII.


Introduction
Because of its extension in the Atlantic Ocean, the Pointe du Raz, at the extremity of Brittany, was always an ideal place for signalisation and surveillance. For this reason, on 1838-1839 a lighthouse was erected and from 15 th May 1839, it delivered a first order white light. In 1881 the lighthouse was completed with guardian lodgements and on 15 September 1887, it was deactivated to let place on the sea to La Vieille lighthouse. In October 1892, it was adapted to semaphore for optical signalisation operated by the French Marine Nationale (C'Est en How to cite this paper: Tomezzoli, G. T. (2021). The German Radar Stations at the In the thirties of the last century, the Pointe experienced a period of prosperity that led to the construction of several hotels to lodge multitudes of visitors fascinated by its wild nature and superb panoramic visions.
It was because of the rapid German occupation of France in 1940 that the peaceful situation at the Pointe changed radically.

History
From 15 August 1940 up to January 1941, the semaphore was occupied by a detachment of a battery of the 12 th Artillery Observation Group, followed up to February 1941 by a detachment of the 6./Bataillon 151 of the Infanterie-Division 61.
A 2 km 2 surface from the Pointe to Lescoff was requisitioned for the construction of radar stations (Blanchard, 2014(Blanchard, , 2021(Blanchard, , 2021a. The works were directed by the Organization Todt (O.T.) and the Luftwaffefeldbauamt 7. A Decauville line and trucks through the Route Nationale transported materials, sand and Ero Vili pebbles (Tomezzoli & Marzin, 2015) for its construction. 250 -300 French workers were daily in service at the Pointe.
On 17 th mars 1941 a Focke Wulf 200 Condor of the 2./Kampfgeswader 40, in the fog, crashed on a hamlet of Lescoff causing no civilian victims but killing three of its five crew members (Floch, 2012).
On 1 st May 1941, the semaphore was reactivated by the 01 512G unit of the Brest Admiralty Transmission Service.
In 1942 the semaphore was occupied by the 01 512W unit of the Marine-Wetterwarte Brest.
The security of the Stps was assured by 2. Artillerie-Batterie of the Flak-Gruppe 752, unit L31 782, the Landesschützen-Zug der Luftwaffe 66/IV, unit L08 889, as well as by mine fields.
An electrical factory, a water reservoir, shacks, canteens, an infirmary and a cinema projecting a new film each week were in exercise at the Pointe.
A section of the 6./Regiment 894, unit 58,135C, assumed the Pointe defence from July to October 1943. In June 1944 the defence of the coast comprising the Pointe was assumed by the 343. Infanterie Division. The 4./Regiment 898, unit 59,130E, assumed the Pointe defence from 5 th July 1944. A section of the 3./II. Ostbataillon (Mitte), unit 36,989, was at the Pointe. The 9./Festung-Stammtruppen XXV was at the Pointe coastal sector.

The Visits
The visits on 3 rd January 2005 and 14 th August 2020 permitted to identify many components of Qu 300, Qu 500 and Qu 13 ( Figure 1).

Qu 300
The Qu 300 identified components ( (Danzé et al., 2017). Formed by two converging stone walls and a circular emplacement filled with stones. Its reconstructed structure was in good preservation state.

Qu 500
The Qu 500 identified components (  Frosch at Cap Fréhel (Tomezzoli & Moser, 2021), of Re 510 Pinguin at Saint-Pabu-Le Bous (Tomezzoli & Colliou, 2017, 2018 and of Saint-Jacques de la Lande (Dupont et al., 2007). The terrain and vegetation coverage precluded access to the entrances and the interior. The emerging portion appeared in good preservation state.
A 9 × 9 m square bunker (48˚2' 16.55"N, 4˚43' 54.24"W, h. 66.7 m) (6) buried in the terrain, for energy production (Danzé et al., 2017). The concrete coverage, emerging from the terrain, was in good preservation state.    Figure   A3) (Tomezzoli & Colliou, 2017) buried in the terrain, only the external octagonal Flak emplacement emerged. At the access, in the concrete, the vertical grooves for the wood closure, on the sidewalls, ammunition niches, at the centre a 3.5 m in diam. circular support for a 2.0/3.7 cm Flak gun. On the support the Ero Vili pebbles, around its centre a circular alignment of eight square intrusions and near the circumference four other rectangular disposed intrusions. On one external side the rests of a 30 cm in diam. chimney. The entrances buried in the terrain prevented the inspection of the interior. The Flak emplacement was in good preservation state.
A 6.20 in diam., 2.40 m high (Blanchard, 2021) (Tomezzoli & Moser, 2021). It comprised a double external wall provided with personnel, labyrinth entrance and a material entrance.
The Freya cabin and its antenna were inside and because no lodgement was foreseen, the personnel lodged in the nearby shacks. Recently restored, its structure was in good preservation state, although some portions of the external wall collapsed perhaps because of the explosion of an English bomb on 9 th July 1944 (Danzé et al., 2017).
An L 409 A (48˚2'9.27"N, 4˚43'5.14"W, h. 67.06 m) (22) (Appendix Figure  A4) buried in the terrain, only the octagonal emplacement for a 2.0/3.7 cm Flak gun emerged. The dense vegetation prevented access to the personnel entrances for the interior inspection and to the gun emplacement. The visible portions were in good preservation state, notwithstanding a minor damage at the entrance of the emplacement letting visible Ero Vili pebbles mixed with the concrete.

Qu 13
The Qu 13 identified components (Figures 10-16) were the following.   Figure A8) for a 5 cm KwK (Kampfwagenkanone) gun. The entrance, in the inclined rear side, introduced in the combat room which preserved walls disfigured by contemporary graffiti, an ammunition niche on the floor and a rusted ceiling. All the internal furniture disappeared and on the floor, the gun emplacement was covered by stones. The front side hosted the combat room front aperture and a protective wing. The concrete structure was in good preservation state, letting visible Ero-Vili pebbles mixed with concrete and formwork element traces.
A Vf 2a (48˚2'27.67"N, 4˚42'41.85"W, h. 71.96 m) (3) for a projector (Danzé et al., 2017). The coverage, emerging from the terrain, was limited by a protection wall formed by stones and concrete. On the west side, two pits were covered by vegetation. Terrain and vegetation covering the access trench and the entrance prevented the inspection of the interior. The coverage and the protective wall were in good preservation state.
Dense vegetation invaded the coverage, the access trench and obstructed the entrances; therefore its preservation state was not ascertained.
A second 3 × 3 m construction (48˚2'26.71"N, 4˚42'36.5"W, h. 77.82 m) partially covered by vegetation. It was one of the two stone emerging structures of a kitchen and canteen ditch (5). The visible stone portion was in good preservation state.
A third 3 × 3 m construction (48˚2'27.32"N, 4˚42'35.38"W, h. 78.01 m) covered by vegetation. It was one of the two emerging structures of a kitchen and canteen ditch (5). Completely covered by vegetation, its preservation state was not ascertained.
A 40 × 10 m kitchen and canteen ditch (48˚2'26.86"N, 4˚42'35.78"W, h. 78.12 m) (5) completely filled by terrain and vegetation. It was provided with an access ladder on each short side. Only its rectangular outline was discernible on the terrain.
A Vf 1b (48˚2'24.25"N, 4˚42'35.3"W, h. 78.48 m) (6) for servants of two disappeared nearby Flak emplacements, buried in the terrain, only its rectangular coverage emerged. The entrance buried in the terrain prevented the inspection of the interior. The coverage was in good preservation state, notwithstanding a 3 cm wide fissure crossing its width, caused by an architectural failure. Archaeological Discovery A RS 58c (48˚2'25.18"N, 4˚42'35.23"W, h. 78.62 m) 5 m south to the Vf 1b (6) for the Q 13 south defence. Covered by terrain and vegetation, only the well preserved circular opening of the combat room was visible.
A RS 58c (48˚2'27.46"N, 4˚42'39.41"W, h. 75.69 m) 10 m west from said bunker, for the Q 13 north and west defence. The vegetation obstructed its access trench so that its preservation state was not ascertained.
A Vf 1b (48˚2'27.86"N, 4˚42'30.78"W, h. 79.13 m) (8) for personnel lodgement, partially covered by vegetation. Rests of a bitumen layer on the coverage, indicated that it was provided with an insulation system. An access trench led to one of the entrances and the internal room was provided with a window, preserving the original white wall painting and a curved rusted ceiling hence the name underground sheet shelter ("abri tôle de metro"). All the internal furniture disappeared. Its structure was in good preservation state.

Discussion
The Pointe radar stations repeat the same dual organisation of the radar station LA 318 (Tomezzoli & Moser, 2021) and RE 510 (Tomezzoli & Colliou, 2017) consisting in separated radar stations operated respectively by the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe. They repeat also the same architecture of La 318, Re 510, the radar station Mandrill at Monterfil (Dupont et al., 2007) and the radar station Made at Les Mées (Tomezzoli & Pottier, 2015) consisting of two Freya and two Würzburg-Riese. These radars were necessary for assuring continue surveillance also in case of maintenance or malfunctioning of one of them. Freya was an early warning phased array radar detecting aircrafts up to 200 km but unable to determine their altitude. Würzburg-Riese, often coupled to an IFF (Identification Friend Foe) device, was a near field warning radar detecting aircrafts up to 70 km, their azimuth and their altitude. Mammut was a phased array, early warning radar able to detect aircrafts up to 300 km in two directions perpendicular to its rectangular antenna, but blind in a range of 60˚ on the antenna sides, designed to strengthen the surveillance capabilities of the radar stations. The reasons for  (Danzé et al., 2017), the Mammut was of limited or no surveillance effectiveness.
The eight shack ditches at the Pointe, also of considerable dimensions, offered more personnel safety, with respect to the six at the Stp at Menez Hom (Tomezzoli, 2017), the only one at LA 318 and no one at RE 500. All the shacks disappeared before 1948. Probably they were disassembled and rebuilt elsewhere as lodgements for the homeless French population (Tomezzoli, 2019).
The garrison was rather numerous. In 1944, at Qu 300 and Q 500 there were 130 soldiers and 3 officers from Austria and Germany and at Qu 13 70 Luftwaffe and 20 Heer soldiers, between which 7 were from Poland (Danzé et al., 2017).

Conclusion
Different after-war interventions on the Pointe have been conducted in order to eliminate hotels, parking, and civilian constructions, and to restore its wild nature so as to elevate it at the rank of Grand Site de France. This is certainly a commendable effort, but up to now no effort at all has been made for documenting and preserving its involved military patrimony.