L'usine de torpilles de Gassin

The torpedo factory is located in the town of Gassin, on the road to Saint-Tropez, at a place called Bertaud, named after the castle integrated into the factory perimeter
This factory was established in 1912 and is one of the oldest active torpedo factories. The factory has been installed for more than a century on this historic site which shelters remains of Roman occupation and a 16th century castle. It is classified in the general inventory of cultural heritage.

A private factory was established there in 1912.
In 1912, a conglomerate of British companies, Vickers and Armstrong, founded the French Whitehead Torpedo Company for the construction of a factory on the seafront east of Gassin. It is named after Robert Whitehead, the inventor of the first torpedo.

The factory was nationalized in 1936 and became the property of the state. Its importance grew after the Second World War: it was spared by the destruction committed by the Anglo-American aviation. All French torpedoes were then built by the Gassin factory.

Integrated into the French Navy and then into the DCN group, which became DCNS, it now belongs to Naval Group, a company which became private again in 2001, but partly owned by state capital.

The factory covers 90,000 m² at the bottom of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez.
The land, owned in the 16th century by the family of Châteauneuf, co-lord of Gassin, was sold in 1912 by a family from Lyon.

On the grounds there is a 16th century castle. Several heritage objects are linked to it: a chapel, a mill and a fountain in particular.

During works carried out in 1970, ancient objects were found.