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1 Gun position M60 (37/40mm)

2 Gun position M61 (37/40mm)

3 Poste de Secours 'Santé Maritime'

4 Power/Pumping station complex

5 The original Old Town of Saint-Nazaire

6 Gun position 62 (the old Pilotage 37/40mm)

7 Gun position 63 (20mm)

8 Searchlight LS21

9 Hôtel des Ponts et Chaussées (Newman's HQ)

10 The Old Entrance landing site

11 North and South Winding Houses

12 Dock Pumping Station (2 x 20mm)

13 Normandie Dock (Forme -Joubert)

14 Gun position 66 (20mm)

15 Gun position M70 (37/40mm)

16 Underground fuel storage

17 Flak towers (unoccupied)

18 Forges de l'Ouest

19 Caserne des Douanes (3 x 20mm)

20 The original railway station

21 Partially completed U-Boat Pens

22 Entrepôt Frigorifique (2 x rooftop guns)

23 Capitainerie

24 Shelter Sud 1

25 Standortkommandantur

26 Commissariat de Police

27 Poste de Commandement Mairie

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Copyright James Dorrian March 2015

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StNazairepostraid3
Aerialdraineddock

Given that Saint-Nazaire, with its growing U-Boat presence, had been a target of interest to the RAF for some time, the raid planners were able to take advantage of excellent models of the port already prepared by the RAF Photographic Interpretation Unit at RAF Medmenham.

Following the success of the raid the exquisitely-detailed model, left, was produced to show the aftermath, based on aerial images taken ten days after Campbeltown's explosion. The shattered outer caisson, thrown back against the dock wall by the force of water rushing into the dock, is clearly shown; as is the sand reinforcement to the damaged inner caisson, using material pumped from the Loire.

The same technique would later be applied to the outer entrance, following which the dock could be pumped dry, allowing Campbeltown's wreck, submerged at this point, to become visible, as in the enlargement, right.

With the 'Normandie' dock sealed at both ends, the integrity of the inner basins was no longer at risk, this allowing for the continued smooth operation of the port's deadly U-Flotillas.

FOR AN EXPANDED VIEW OF THE MODEL, CLICK HERE

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