The German military base
To the northwest of theIle de Ré, the Combe à l'Eau forest is home to one of the most remarkable fortifications of the Atlantic Wall built by the Germans during the Second World War: a military base with powerful coastal artillery batteries, known as Kora Karola.
A remnant of the Atlantic Wall hidden in the forest
Not far from the beach, 2 km as the crow flies from Le Cormoran 5-star campsite, in a wooded area of some 30 hectares, a former German military base lies hidden in theArs-en-Ré forest. Abandoned 80 years ago, the area now belongs to the French Ministry of Defense. The site is officially off-limits to the public, but some walkers dare to venture out and discover this little piece of World War II history...
A historic site without equal on the Atlantic coast
To defend the Pertuis d'Antioche and protect the port of La Rochelle and the submarine base at La Pallice, the German army built a vast network of blockhouses and bunkers on the beaches, cliffs and back dunes of the Île de Ré, including two powerful artillery batteries at Ars-en-Ré. Built between 1942 and 1944, the Kora battery belonged to the army (Heer) and the Karola battery to the navy (Kriegsmarine). Known for its imposing observation tower, the site is one of the most important defensive works on the Atlantic coast south of the Loire, from Vendée to Bordeaux.
Considerable firepower
Originally equipped with a gigantic telemeter and protected by an armoured steel cap, the impressive concrete tower known as the "Karola Tower" rises to six levels and 23 m in height, including 7 m underground. The tower commanded the Karola battery, armed with two turrets of 203 mm guns from the former Seydlitz heavy cruiser, and the Kora battery, equipped with four 200 mm guns with a range of 37 kilometers, capable of firing in all directions. Another coastal battery, named Kathe, occupied by the navy, provided anti-aircraft defense. In addition, a Fumo radar could pinpoint naval targets 60 km away with extreme accuracy. Abandoned by the Germans on May 8, 1945, the date of the Reich's surrender, the Ars-en-Ré guns fired only once, in August 1944, but were never attacked or bombed. The site has been listed as a historic monument since 2004.
A city lost in the forest
Hidden away in the Ars-en-Ré forest, the Kora-Karola military base lives and works like a village, with numerous wooden and concrete buildings to house up to four hundred soldiers, as well as kitchens, an infirmary, a chaplaincy, a stable, a postal service, garages, and even a theater for evening shows. The condition of these facilities has deteriorated over the years, but many traces are still visible on the ground.