StP142 Crasville

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Miscellaneous

WW2 Airfields in Egypt

Warrant Officer 1, MSM, T. Drew, Royal Army Service Corps Dunkirk 1940

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.

Information

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.

Details

Heeres Küsten Batterie
Batterie 5./Heeres Küsten Artillery Regiment 1261.

The army's coastal batteries were mostly set up with field cannons, but often stationary mounted on turntables in concrete positions. The fire control equipment was also the same as the field artillery had. The batteries were therefore often unable to deliver directed fire to a moving sea target, but instead focused on barrage fire. (Wiki Norge)

Les Arquets, F.C.P., Morsalines., the lighthouse on the hill above Morsalines was Crasville's fire control post.

Les Arquets, F.C.P., Morsalines. Les Arquets, Morsalines, the lighthouse on the hill above Morsalines.

Originally they were in open ringstands.

Don't forget the horses.

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.

14 October 2002

Information

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Turm IV R650 casemate

Details

R650 casemate for a pivot gun. Some casemates a field gun can be pushed in via a back door. Here you cannot. The gun room has a hold fast cemented into the floor where pivot mount could be attached. Then a field gun, removed from its carriage. Lifted in place. There were nearly always large rings set into the casemates ceiling to be used to lift a barrel in and out.

Plan.

The guns hold-fast and ring of bolts

Hold-fast bolts at Azeville.

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.

1944

Information

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Turm IV R650 casemate

Details

This picture was taken of the embrasure just after capture. The gun I think was still in place here Two guns were removed after the Americans had landed and placed back on their carriages. They were then used in the retreat to Cherbourg. The other two, it looks as though they were still in the bunkers. One carriage was damaged and we will see that one in a later picture.

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.

1944/5

Information

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B
K331 with shielding 10.5cm Schneider Mod 1913 (f). .

Details

This is the type of gun that was used here and it arrived in 1943 and the batterie of four guns made up the 5./H.K.A.R. 1261. The batterie may have been horse drawn and placed ringstands that sat out in front of the casemates. The horses were often retained so the batteries can be moved around from position to position. When the batteries were casemated the horsed were retained and used to draw ammunition or food and general carrying duties.
(Heers Kusten Artillery Regiment)

The ringstand.

10.5cm horse artillery unit.

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.

14 October 2002

Information

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Turm IV R650 casemate

Details

R650 casemate looking along the rear of the bunker. L to R Entrance to the observation/Tobruk, Left hand entrance and right hand entrance.
The left entrance was to allow access to the ammunition rooms to re load them. The right was the crew entrance with a defended close combat defence room and inside the crew room another CC defence, a 434P01 heavy steel door closed off both rear entrance and also the close combat room.

R650 plan.

The red arrows are the embrasures.

434P01 door.

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.

09 December 2010

Information

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Turm IV R650 casemate

Details

Crew room.

The yellow arrow is looking at the door in the main picture and the large red arrow is the close combat embrasure.

The main red arrow shows the plan of the main picture and looking into the close combat defence room.

Red - Crew Room.
Green - the passage way.
Yellow - Close Combat room.

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.

14 October 2002

Information

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Turm IV R650 casemate

Details

The roof of Turm IV looking towards Turm III a R671.

details

R671 plan.

Plan view of Turm III showing that the rear does not have the two wings on either side. The reasons they were added was to help hold earth to the sides as camouflage.

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.

09 December 2010 15 April 2003

Information

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Turm III a R671

Details

Gun room looking toward the rear door right side. The walls for the ammunition storage has been broken out, this may have been done by the farmer to make room as a barn or storage.

Gun room looking toward the rear door left side.

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.

09 December 2010 15 April 2003

Information

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Turm III a R671

Details

The gun room looking out.

The gun room looking in. Note the ring set into the roof to lift in and out replacement barrels.

Azeville gun in place very much like this one.

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.

13 October 2009

Information

StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Flak?

Details

Now this is something I have never seen before. Some say 2cm Flak but I found a live Lebel round on the floor. So the best I can do is, that it possibly was a Reibel machine gun taken from a Maginot fort and re used here?? in the anti-aircraft role.