Trespass on forgotten souls - French ww2 battery placements

[Pixel-Snapper]

[sa_20v]

Interesting pictures - whereabouts in France?

[kybo]

I would guess Normandy. They look like German casements and emplacements that form part of the Atlantic wall in that area.

Scott

PS - I'd also be interested to know the exact location - this kinda thing is right up my alley

[Pixel-Snapper]

kybo said:

I would guess Normandy. They look like German casements and emplacements that form part of the Atlantic wall in that area.

Scott

PS - I'd also be interested to know the exact location - this kinda thing is right up my alley

Good guess with Normandy Scott,

They are emplacements alone the channelside between La Havre and Cherbourg, we got the ferry from portsmouth to Caen and based ourselves just outside the city.

We then drove from Caen alone the coast line stopping off where we saw the emplacements, some were tourist spots with visitors centres. Others where just dotted alone the beach so we parked up and walk to them (with the odd hopping over fences SHHHH).

It really was quite amazing walking around some of these places, we would get there early morning to make sure there was no people say 5am as the sun came up. And looking over the landscape to see the destruction caused by the bombing, as and example this scene would of once been flat with bunkers on! The crators where caused by 1000pound bombs of which they dropped a couple hundred on a site the size of two football fields.

[ettore]

Pixel-Snapper said:

kybo said:

I would guess Normandy. They look like German casements and emplacements that form part of the Atlantic wall in that area.

Scott

PS - I'd also be interested to know the exact location - this kinda thing is right up my alley

Good guess with Normandy Scott,

They are emplacements alone the channelside between La Havre and Cherbourg, we got the ferry from portsmouth to Caen and based ourselves just outside the city.

We then drove from Caen alone the coast line stopping off where we saw the emplacements, some were tourist spots with visitors centres. Others where just dotted alone the beach so we parked up and walk to them (with the odd hopping over fences SHHHH).

It really was quite amazing walking around some of these places, we would get there early morning to make sure there was no people say 5am as the sun came up. And looking over the landscape to see the destruction caused by the bombing, as and example this scene would of once been flat with bunkers on! The crators where caused by 1000pound bombs of which they dropped a couple hundred on a site the size of two football fields.

That looks like Pointe Du Hoc?

There really is so much to see along the D-Day sites. We go every year as part of our Le Mans trip.

[Pixel-Snapper]

I think your right ettore, it was a few years ago i went and ive forgotten where each photo was.

I also got some funny looks off people walking round once they turned up. I had a Mamiya 645 120mm roll film camera on a hefty metal tripod, which kind of looks like a cannon!

Cheers

Matt

[hugoagogo]

Pixel-Snapper said:

....this scene would of once been flat with bunkers on! The crators where caused by 1000pound bombs of which they dropped a couple hundred on a site the size of two football fields.

there were supposed to be big guns there which could cover all of omaha beach
shelled it from battleships right up until the very second the US Rangers got to the bottom of the cliffs and started climbing up
at which point all the germans (or more accurately, people in german uniform) appeared out of their bunkers, shaken but alive, and started dropping grenades on them and shooting down as they climbed ropes
the Rangers eventually got up and took over the place, then discovered there were no guns there anyway

[kybo]

Now we have the Chunnel, it's more accessible than ever. I must go over myself and explore the landscape.

Did you take any maps with you or reference material on where the large emplacements are located?

I'm really interested in retracing your steps and doing the very same thing.

Thx,
Scott

[hugoagogo]

everywhere you go along the d-day coastline and inland has hundreds of leaflets and maps showing where everything is, and there is lots to see

try this site
http://www.normandiememoire.com/NM60Anglais/nmeh/a...

Edited by hugoagogo on Thursday 2nd October 12:39

[Steve Evil]

Is there any danger along the coastline of unexploded ordinance and such?

[Pixel-Snapper]

hugoagogo said:

everywhere you go along the d-day coastline and inland has hundreds of leaflets and maps showing where everything is, and there is lots to see

This is true just get up one day and go thats all you need to do! well apart from somewhere to stay.

I basically did a bit of tinterwebbing to find the area where most of them are (which is about every 5miles along the coastline!)to get a good basecamp so didnt have to drive for hours and hours to get there each morning.

Booked the ferry and went.

Simple as that really.

Im not one for planning kybo.

[Pixel-Snapper]

Steve Evil said:

Is there any danger along the coastline of unexploded ordinance and such?

not that i found ive still got both my legs if that helps!

[The Wiz]

hugoagogo said:

Pixel-Snapper said:

....this scene would of once been flat with bunkers on! The crators where caused by 1000pound bombs of which they dropped a couple hundred on a site the size of two football fields.

there were supposed to be big guns there which could cover all of omaha beach
shelled it from battleships right up until the very second the US Rangers got to the bottom of the cliffs and started climbing up
at which point all the germans (or more accurately, people in german uniform) appeared out of their bunkers, shaken but alive, and started dropping grenades on them and shooting down as they climbed ropes
the Rangers eventually got up and took over the place, then discovered there were no guns there anyway

The guns were actually found further inland by the Rangers. @The primary purpose of the rangers was not to kill Germans or take prisoners, but to get those 155mm cannon. The tracks leading out of the casemates and the effort the Germans were making to dislodge the rangers indicated that they had to be around somewhere.

By 0815 there were about thirty-five rangers from D and E Companies at the perimeter roadblock. Within fifteen minutes another group of twelve from F Company joined up. Excellent soldiers, those rangers -- they immediately began patrolling.

There was a dirt road leading south (inland). It had heavy tracks. Sgts. Leonard Lomell and Jack Kuhn thought the missing guns might have made the tracks. They set out to investigate. At about 250 meters (one kilometer inland), Lomell abruptly stopped. He held his hand out to stop Kuhn, turned, and half whispered, "Jack, here they are. We've found 'em. Here are the goddamned guns."

Unbelievably, the well-camouflaged guns were set up in battery, ready to fire in the direction of Utah Beach, with piles of ammunition around them, but no Germans. Lomell spotted about a hundred Germans a hundred meters or so across an open field, apparently forming up. Evidently they had pulled back during the bombardment, for fear of a stray shell setting off the amunition dump, and were now preparing to man their guns, but they were in no hurry, for until their infantry drove off the rangers and reoccupied the observation post they could not fire with any accuracy.

Lomell never hesitated. "Give me your grenades, Jack," he said to Kuhn. "Cover me. I'm gonna fix 'em." He ran to the guns and set off thermite grenades in the recoil and traversing mechanisms of two of the guns, disabling them. He bashed in the sights of the third gun.

"Jack, we gotta get some more thermite grenades." He and Kuhn ran back to the highway, collected all of the thermite grenades from the rangers in the immediate area, returned to the battery, and disabled the other three guns.

Meanwhile Sgt. Frank Rupinski, leading a patrol of his own, had discovered a huge ammunition dump some distance south of the battery. It too was unguarded. Using high-explosive charges, the rangers detonated it. A tremendous explosion occurred as the shells and powder charges blew up, showering rocks, sand, leaves, and debris on Lomell and Kuhn. Unaware of Rupinski's patrol, Lomell and Kuhn assumed that a stray shell had hit the ammo dump. They withdrew as quickly as they could and sent word back to Rudder by runner that the guns had been found and destroyed.

And with that the rangers had completed their offensive mission. It was 0900. Just that quickly they were now on the defensive, isolated, with nothing heavier than 60mm mortars and BARS to defend themselves.' (from http://www.worldwar2history.info/D-Day/Pointe-Du-H...