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Saint-Leu-d'Esserent

Coordinates: 49°13′05″N 2°25′22″E / 49.2181°N 2.4228°E / 49.2181; 2.4228
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Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
The town hall and abbey in Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
The town hall and abbey in Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Coat of arms of Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Location of Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Map
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent is located in France
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent is located in Hauts-de-France
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Coordinates: 49°13′05″N 2°25′22″E / 49.2181°N 2.4228°E / 49.2181; 2.4228
CountryFrance
RegionHauts-de-France
DepartmentOise
ArrondissementSenlis
CantonMontataire
IntercommunalityCA Creil Sud Oise
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Frédéric Besset[1]
Area
1
13.08 km2 (5.05 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
4,606
 • Density350/km2 (910/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
60584 /60340
Elevation25–137 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-d'Esserent (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ dɛsʁɑ̃]) is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.[3]

Saint Leu is notable for 3,000 square metres (32,000 sq ft) of mushroom caves under the Thiverny plateau.[4]

History

[edit]

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]

Population

[edit]
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 3,587—    
1975 4,462+3.17%
1982 4,459−0.01%
1990 4,288−0.49%
1999 4,867+1.42%
2007 4,724−0.37%
2012 4,667−0.24%
2017 4,688+0.09%
Source: INSEE[18]

See also

[edit]

References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ "INSEE commune file". Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  4. ^ Couderchon, Philippe. "The quarries of Saint Leu Esserent". Archived from the original on 3 February 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  5. ^ a b Collier, Basil (1976) [1964]. The Battle of the V-Weapons, 1944-1945. Yorkshire: The Emfield Press. pp. 68, 82, 84. ISBN 0-7057-0070-4.
  6. ^ "8th Air Force 1944 Chronicles". Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2007.
  7. ^ Taylor, Graham. "Leopold". Archived from the original on 19 January 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2007.
  8. ^ Irving, David (1964). The Mare's Nest. London: William Kimber and Co. pp. 168, 220, 245, 246.
  9. ^ Richards, Denis (1994) [1964]. The Hardest Victory - RAF Bomber Command in the Second World War. p. 241. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 10 May 2007.
  10. ^ "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  11. ^ "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 10 October 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  12. ^ "July 1944". Bomber Command 60th Anniversary. RAF. Archived from the original on 11 June 2007.
  13. ^ "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 10 October 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  14. ^ "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 14 April 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  15. ^ "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  16. ^ "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  17. ^ "tbd". tbd. Archived from the original on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  18. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE