DEMINETEC in Paris

DEMINETEC operates in Paris

DEMINETEC, a French company headquartered in La Seyne-sur-Mer (Var), delivers civilian demining (pyrotechnic clearance) and unexploded ordnance (UXO) risk management services to public and private clients in Paris, France. We cover the full chain from historical pyrotechnic desk study (EHT) to ordnance neutralisation and disposal, in line with French Decree 2005-1325 and international best practice.

Pyrotechnic historical context of Paris

Paris has experienced three major waves of pyrotechnic risk: the Prussian siege of 1870-1871, German bombardments in 1914-1918 (the Pariser Kanone, zeppelin and Gotha raids) and above all the 1940-1944 occupation, marked by Allied bombing of peripheral factories (Renault Boulogne-Billancourt, La Chapelle, Gennevilliers) and by the August 1944 liberation.

The Paris region also hosts former ammunition manufacturing and storage sites (Sevran-Livry and Le Bouchet powder works, Issy and Vanves forts, Saint-Cyr depots) whose footprints are now the focus of vast urban projects, from Grand Paris Express to the 2024 Olympic Games.

Construction sites across Île-de-France (brownfield redevelopment, metro extensions, mixed-use districts) regularly uncover UXO, making historical desk studies (EHT) and magnetometric geophysical surveys indispensable before any deep earthworks.

Our services in Paris

Historical pyrotechnic desk study (EHT)

Document research in national and foreign archives to qualify pyrotechnic risk on a site (bombings, combat, depots, ranges).

Pyrotechnic safety study (ESP)

Residual risk assessment, definition of effect zones, safety perimeters and collective protective measures.

Magnetometric geophysical survey

On-site detection of ferromagnetic anomalies, surface or deep, onshore or underwater.

UXO clearance

Extraction, identification and neutralisation / disposal of munitions by our NEDEX / EOD-qualified operators.

Underwater expertise

Survey and clearance in ports, rivers and offshore environments, in partnership with our group company SEMTEC.

Why choose DEMINETEC for Paris?

French licensed company, ISO 9001 and MASE certified, compliant with French Decree 2005-1325.
Teams of former French Navy and Army EOD operators (NEDEX / EOD qualifications).
Over 30 years of accumulated experience in France and on international projects.
Onshore and underwater intervention capacity through the DEMINETEC group (SEMTEC, GEODE, DEMINETEC ECG).
Quick response: quote within 48 hours, rapid mobilisation in France and abroad.

War history and explosive contamination in Paris

During World War I, Germany used several Paris Guns to bombard Paris from March to August 1918. The German Empire deployed the weapons as long-range siege guns, with crews of 80 Imperial Navy sailors under Vice-Admiral Maximilian Rogge and surrounding batteries of standard army artillery. The guns were intended primarily as psychological weapons against the morale of Parisians. They fired from a range of approximately 120 kilometres, and their projectiles travelled through the stratosphere. The first shell landed on the Quai de la Seine at 7:18 a.m. on 23 March 1918. Shells continued to arrive at approximately 15-minute intervals, with 21 counted on the first day. The bombardment killed 250 people, wounded 620, and caused considerable property damage.

The guns were fired from a wooded hill, Le mont de Joie, near Crépy, and three emplacements were located by French reconnaissance. A further emplacement, specifically designed for the Paris Gun, was identified by advancing US troops in early August on the north side of the wooded hill at Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique, approximately 86 kilometres from Paris. Between 320 and 367 shells were fired, at a maximum rate of about 20 per day. The most serious incident occurred on 29 March 1918, when a shell struck the roof of the St-Gervais-et-St-Protais Church during the Good Friday service, killing 91 people and wounding 68. The guns were taken back to Germany in August 1918 as Allied advances threatened their security. The Germans are believed to have destroyed them near the end of the war. No guns were captured by the Allies, although American troops captured one spare mounting at Bruyères-sur-Fère.

Areas and structures concerned

Quai de la Seine
Tuileries Garden
St-Gervais-et-St-Protais Church
Le mont de Joie wooded hill near Crépy
Prepared concrete emplacements for the Paris Gun
Abandoned quarries near Paris
Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique

Expected ordnance and implications for survey

The Paris Gun fired 106-kilogram shells initially measuring 216 millimetres in diameter and 960 millimetres in length. Their thick steel bodies contained 7 kilograms of TNT, and the shell casing produced comparatively few large fragments. Later shells increased from 21 to 24 centimetres in diameter as worn barrels were rebored. Every one of the 303 shells that landed in and around Paris successfully detonated. Casing fragments were collected after the first bombardment, and one shell crater in the Tuileries Garden measured 3 to 4 metres across and 1 metre deep. Initial reports incorrectly considered aircraft bombs, Zeppelin bombs, or an aerial torpedo.

Local regulatory framework

In Paris, explosive ordnance clearance linked to construction works falls under French decree 2005-1325 as amended: the pyrotechnic safety study (ESP), drawn up under the clearance contractor's responsibility, is submitted by the project owner to the DREETS Île-de-France (regional labour authority), which obtains the opinion of the explosives inspectorate.

FAQ: explosive risk in Paris

Where were Paris Gun firing positions and related military sites recorded?

The guns were fired from Le mont de Joie, a wooded hill near Crépy. French reconnaissance located three emplacements within days. Advancing US troops later found another emplacement on the north side of the wooded hill at Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique. The guns were mounted on rail-transportable carriages and fired from prepared concrete emplacements with turntables.

Does the account identify unexploded Paris Gun shells in Paris?

The account states that every one of the 303 shells that landed in and around Paris successfully detonated. It does not identify unexploded Paris Gun shells. It records casing fragments collected after the first bombardment and a shell crater in the Tuileries Garden measuring 3 to 4 metres across and 1 metre deep.

Reference : Wikipédia — Paris Gun

Territorial coverage

DEMINETEC operates in Paris and across France from our French head office (285 avenue Marcel Paul, 83500 La Seyne-sur-Mer, France). We mobilise teams and technical assets to fit each mission: documentary studies, short field surveys, or long-duration clearance operations.

Frequently asked questions about UXO clearance in Paris

Which munitions are typically found?

In Paris and across France, the most frequently recovered items include artillery shells, hand grenades, landmines, aerial bombs and — in coastal areas — naval mines. Exact typology depends on the site history and is the focus of the prior historical desk study (EHT).

Does French Decree 2005-1325 apply abroad?

French Decree 2005-1325 governs civilian pyrotechnic clearance on French soil. Internationally, DEMINETEC uses it as a best-practice benchmark alongside IMAS (International Mine Action Standards) and the contractual requirements specific to France.

How long does a mission in Paris typically last?

Duration varies with surface area, investigation depth and anomaly density. An EHT desk study takes 2-6 weeks, a magnetometric survey from a few days to several months, and active clearance from a few weeks up to multiple years for major projects.

Do you operate underwater?

Yes. Through our subsidiary SEMTEC and the DEMINETEC group, we provide commercial diving, underwater magnetometry and submerged-ordnance neutralisation for ports, rivers, lakes and coastal areas.

Contact DEMINETEC for Paris

For any historical study, diagnostic or pyrotechnic clearance request, contact our teams:

DEMINETEC SAS
285 avenue Marcel Paul
83500 La Seyne-sur-Mer, FRANCE
Tél: +33 (0)9 52 51 00 63
Email: contact@deminetec.com