The deminers detonated the machines on the beach of Wissant -
Romuald Le Hénaff / French Navy
The inhabitants were ordered to stay at home, shutters closed and windows open, to protect themselves from possible splinters.
Because this Tuesday morning, on the beach of Wissant, two defense blocks dating from the Second World War were cleared by the group of clearance divers (GPD) of the Channel.
The blocks contained two German anti-tank mines and a French 274 mm marine artillery shell representing a total of 60 kg of TNT equivalent neutralized.
Very frequent demining operations on the northern coast
Something to shake the sand of the Pas-de-Calais seaside resort.
While dangerous, these operations are far from exceptional in the region.
In the Channel and the North Sea in 2020, the joint action of the group of demining divers and tripartite mine hunters of the French Navy made it possible to destroy 489 historic devices (at sea and on the foreshore), which represented 33,947 kg TNT equivalent.
The past is still very much present on the northern coast.
Lille
Pas-de-Calais: A confined municipality to allow a demining operation
Miscellaneous
Pas-de-Calais: The demining operation uncovered French ammunition used by the Germans
Demining
Shell
Second World War
Lille