Calais

Calais is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department of France. The population of the city proper is 72,929; that of the urban area is 149,673 (2018). Calais overlooks the Strait of Dover, the narrowest point in the English Channel, which is only 34 km (21 mi) wide here, and is the closest French town to England. The White Cliffs of Dover can easily be seen on a clear day from Calais. Calais is a major port for ferries between France and the United Kingdom, and since 1994, the Channel Tunnel has linked nearby Coquelles to Folkestone by rail.

English troops occupied Calais in 1347, and Calais was recognized as an English colony from 1360 until 1558.

During World War II, the town was virtually razed to the ground: in May 1940, it was a strategic bombing target of the invading German forces who took it during the siege of Calais. The Germans built massive bunkers along the coast in preparation for launching missiles at England.

Calais in Or Even Eagle Flew

Given its proximity to Dover, the RAF targeted German bases around Calais during World War II. For example, in January 1942, Flight Officer Amelia Earhart led a Rhubarb raid against a German base near Calais that destroyed several Focke-Wulf 190s while they were still on the ground.