Saint-Leu-d'Esserent (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ lø dɛsʁɑ̃]) is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.[3]
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent | |
|---|---|
Commune | |
The town hall and abbey in Saint-Leu-d'Esserent | |
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Coat of arms | |
Location of Saint-Leu-d'Esserent ![]() | |
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent Saint-Leu-d'Esserent | |
| Coordinates: 49°13′05″N 2°25′22″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Hauts-de-France |
| Department | Oise |
| Arrondissement | Senlis |
| Canton | Montataire |
| Intercommunality | CA Creil Sud Oise |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Frédéric Besset[1] |
| Area 1 | 13.08 km2 (5.05 sq mi) |
| Population | 4,678 |
| • Density | 360/km2 (930/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 60584 /60340 |
| Elevation | 25–137 m (82–449 ft) (avg. 29 m or 95 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Saint Leu is notable for 3,000 square metres (32,000 sq ft) of mushroom caves under the Thiverny plateau.[4]
During World War II, the caves were one of three major underground V-1 flying bomb storage depots. In addition to the caves, the facility included blockhouses, bunkers, flak emplacements and railway links. Allied intelligence firmly identified late in June 1944 that Saint-Leu-d'Esserent and Nucourt were V-1 storage depots.[5] On 27 June 1944, Saint-Leu-d'Esserent was initially bombed by the US Army Air Force,[6][7] then on 4/5 July 1944 by two RAF forces (the first unsuccessfully used Tallboy bombs in an attempt to collapse the limestone roof of the caves).[5][8] Finally on 7 July 1944, an evening RAF raid successfully blocked the tunnels.[9]
The storage dump at Thiverny was bombed in 1944 on 5 May,[10] 11 July,[11] 12 July[12][13] and 19 July.[14][15][16][17]
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