2022.09.26 13:48World eye

楽園に生まれ変わった不発弾の島 仏セザンブレ島

【セザンブレAFP=時事】フランス北西部ブルターニュ地方のセザンブレ島には、第2次世界大戦中の不発弾が島全体に残っている。専門家によると、1平方メートル当たりの被弾数では大戦中、最も多かった地域だという。(写真は第2次世界大戦中の不発弾が島全体に残るフランス北西部ブルターニュ地方のセザンブレ島で、立ち入りを警告する標識)
 戦後70年以上たった2018年にようやく訪問が可能になったが、観光客が歩いても安全なエリアは島のわずか3%。危険区域に立ち入らないよう、ルートには標識が立ち、鉄条網が張られている。
 それでも砂浜の先にはターコイズブルーの海が広がり、その向こうには港町サンマロの城壁が見える。

■地盤沈下するほどの爆撃
 1942年、フランスを占領していたナチス・ドイツ軍は、戦略上の要衝だったこの島に掩蔽壕(えんぺいごう)や大砲を設置した。
 1944年8月17日、サンマロは米軍によって解放された。だが、セザンブレ島で約400人の部隊を率いていたナチスの司令官は降伏を拒否。そこで連合軍は激しい空爆を行った。
 書籍「Les Secrets De L'Ile De Cezembre(セザンブレ島の秘密の意)」の著者フィリップ・ドゥラコット氏は、「1平方メートル当たりで換算すると、第2次世界大戦の全作戦地域の中で最も多くの爆撃を受けたと言われています」と語る。「4000~5000発の爆弾が投下され」、中にはナパーム弾も含まれていたという。島は破壊しつくされ、爆撃によって地盤が沈下するほどだった。

■よみがえる自然
 戦後、島はフランス国防省の管轄下に置かれ、完全に立ち入り禁止となった。不発弾除去の最初の作業は1950年代に行われた。そして2017年、沿岸域保全整備機構に引き渡された。
 約800メートルの遊歩道では、さびた大砲や掩蔽壕を見学しながら、フレエル岬やバルド岬方面の絶景を眺めることができる。
 時がたつとともに、カモメやウ、ウミガラス、ウミバトなど海鳥のコロニーも復活している。
 島全体を1周できるように遊歩道を延長してほしいという声も上がっている。だが、保全整備機構によるとその可能性はほとんどない。不発弾のさらなる除去には、天文学的な費用がかかるためだ。今や鳥と自然が、島の主となっている。【翻訳編集AFPBBNews】
〔AFP=時事〕(2022/09/26-13:48)
2022.09.26 13:48World eye

Mine-riddled French island becomes unlikely walkers' paradise


Every year, thousands of day-trippers make the short boat journey from France's northern coast to the island of Cezembre, marvelling at the spectacular maritime views and flourishing wildlife.
But they better tread carefully and stick to the path, as almost all the island remains perilous due to unexploded munitions from World War II.
Cezembre opened to visits only in 2018, over seven decades after the end of World War II, after extensive demining efforts allowed the opening of a marked path for visitors.
However, the area safe for visitors makes up just three percent of the island, which experts say was the most bombed area of all of World War II in terms of the number of hits per square metre.
It's magnificent! enthused Maryse Wilmart, a 60-year-old visitor from the southwestern town of La Rochelle, contemplating the sandy beach with turquoise waters and looking out to the ramparts of the port city of Saint-Malo beyond.
But when you see all that behind us... Can you even imagine what happened here? she asked, pointing to the barbed wire and signs warning Danger! Ground not cleared beyond the fences!
- 'Like Stalingrad' -
A visitor needs to go back 80 years to understand what happened on this usually uninhabited rocky outcrop.
In 1942, the occupying Nazi German army seized the strategically important island and installed bunkers and artillery pieces.
On August 17, 1944, Saint-Malo was liberated by the Americans but the Nazi commander of Cezembre, leading some 400 men, refused to surrender.
There then followed a devastating bombardment from the air by the Allies.
It is said that per square metre it sustained the greatest number of bombardments of all the theatres of operation of World War II, said Philippe Delacotte, author of the book The Secrets of the Island of Cezembre.
There were between 4,000 and 5,000 bombs dropped, some of which contained napalm, he said.
On September 2, 1944, the white flag was finally raised and some 350 exhausted men surrendered.
Some survivors claimed it was like Stalingrad, Delacotte said. The island was completely devastated, to the extent that its altitude even dropped because of the bombs.
After the war, the island became the property of the French ministry of defence and access was totally closed, with the first demining efforts starting in the 1950s.
It was handed over to a public coastal conservation body, the Conservatoire du Littoral, in 2017.
- 'Recolonised and revegetated' -
The path of about 800 metres (875 yards) lets visitors wander between rusty cannons and bunkers, with breathtaking views towards Cap Frehel and the Pointe de la Varde.
Since the opening of the path, there has been no accident even if there are always people who want to go beyond the authorised section, said Jean-Christophe Renais, a coast guard.
Over time, colonies of seabirds have reappeared, including seagulls, cormorants, razorbills and guillemots.
Biodiversity is doing wonderfully, everything has been recolonised and revegetated, birds have taken back possession of the site, said Gwenal Hervouet, who manages the site for Conservatoire du Littoral.
It's just a joy.
Because of the focus on restoring wildlife, the trail was partially closed in April to maximise the chances of success and the flight of peregrine falcon chicks, said local conservation activist Manon Simonneau.
Some walkers say they hope the trail will be lengthened to allow a complete tour of the island, but according to the Conservatoire there is little chance of this -- the cost of further demining would be astronomical, so it is now birds and nature that are the masters of Cezembre.

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