Française Tourville (Souterrain)
BATTERIE · K.V.U.Gruppe Cherbourg See · AOK 7 Normandy · France
Castel Vendon (Souterrain) Batterie Française Tourville.
Struggling with Fact and Fiction Reading many accounts of what went on here. Many comments have been lost in translation and I feel also to history. So I will do my best.
Work was slowly being carried out until the armistice, then all works stopped.
The souterrain is un accessibly today, its gated to allow Bats to fly in and out freely.
We visited on the 21 November 2003 & 17 March 2006.
This batterie position was part of the greater Maginot Line. The idea of the Maginot Line was not just to cover the eastern approaches to France, but a greater defence, covering the ports from Dunkirk to Cherbourg. St Malo to Brest. And also the west facing coast to the Gironde estuary. The south of France Batterie Cépet.Toulon. Then there was Corsica, Tunisia and many other territories of greater France. A whole range of guns were to be used. Mostly Naval guns, as it was the French Navy's responsibility to defend the ports.
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL FILE FOR
THE CREATION OF A PREFECTORAL BIOTOPE PROTECTION ORDER (APB) November 2020.
Original plan plan of the site.
In 1926 the French navy studied the construction of coastal defense batteries comprising armored turrets of two 340mm guns identical to those of the battleships. These turrets, called type C model 1928, weighed 600 tons. The guns had a length of 15.58 m and could fire 2 rounds/min. The guns of these turrets had been ordered in 1929 from the Schneider company and delivered in 1932/1933. Two turrets were planned for the Cride battery, one for the Metline battery in Tunisia and one for Bonifacio. The Cride and Bonifacio batteries having been canceled, two turrets were installed at Metline and the other two stored in the artillery park at Puits Soret. In 1936, the site of Castel Vendon, west of Cherbourg, was chosen to install two type C turrets there to replace the battery of 4 164 guns.
From Memoire et Fortifications
Castel-Vendon Département de la Manche
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
The official time line of the works copied from the French.
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
A 1942 air photo showing the pre war excavations, the two gun positions, the entrance and the possible position of the earlier French batterie. And what may have been the German excavations ?
IGN REMONTER LE TEMPS 1942
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Batterie entrance.
Two concrete blocks would have a chain across or a Belgian gate to close off the entrance. This is the main gate to both batteries. These c probably German.
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
'A'
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Above ground looking at the central tube where the turret would have been lowered into place. Wooden battens to to support the reinforced concrete. That would have all been removed to lower the turret into the ground.
Unknown Internet
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
This shows the way they were constructed. A large hole was dug out and then the concrete supports for the turret mounted guns to fit. This was a standard way of building the Maginot forts. Tunneling was only done where this form of construction could not be carried out.
17 March 2006SHM
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
'A'
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
'A'
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Elevation of the design.
Elevation
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
'B'
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
This is a twin turret of 14inch guns from USS Texas. 35.5cm gun very like the 34cm guns that were to be sent here. The lower parts would have been dropped down into the concrete tubes. Giving an idea of what a turret of that size looked like.
USS Texas Gun Turrets (Lonestarbattleship)
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
The shaft wooden construction and then concrete would have been poured.
SHM
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
'B' very un finished.
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
'B'
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
'B'
30 December 2000
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Maginot souterrain entrance on the left with the two 'A' & 'B' emplacements, a German heavy gun turret (unfinished). The tunnel that would have connected the two emplacements and continuing on to the fire control by the cliffs. Then the personnel buildings and the four M272 German Atlantikwall gun casemates in type M272.
Yellow - French.
Red - German.
Subterranea Britannica
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
The French turret 'A' at Cap Cépet, Toulon, France. This is how the turrets here would have looked. Original 34cm guns of the "Normandie" class battleships.
Defence Report No.1
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
The French turret 'A' at Cap Cépet, Toulon, artists sketch of the turret.
Defence Report No.1
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
In the Autumn of 1943, the Germans try and install two of the turrets of the battleship Gneisenau, each consisting of two 28cm SKC/34 guns. The French tubes being too narrow. So a new construction east of the position was undertaken, but abandoned at the end of 1943. The turrets will be used in Denmark (Vogelnest battery). After this failure, the Todt organization changed their plans and built a battery of 4 guns of 150 SKC/28 (range of 23 km) in M272 casemate. This battery was called MKB Landemer. On casemate 4 was a 2cm Flak cannon mounted on the roof and a 5cm KwK defence gun placed towards the sea.
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Bits of concrete still lie around from the construction.
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Getting closer.
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
The tunnel entrance and the decauville, light rail system to carry away spoil. The tunnel was bored out whilst the main gun positions were being dug out and would have been used as access after completion.
SHM
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
The way in. Ent on the plan.
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Remains of the re bar bent over.
17 March 2006 John Flaherty
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
About half way in.
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Continuing on,then turn left and you can just see the concrete arches in the distance.
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Des refuges pour chauves-souris en Normandie.
Possibly Brandt's bats (Myotis brandtii).
17 March 2006
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
The start of the main structure.
21 November 2003 John Flaherty
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Its quite a big structure, church like.
21 November 2003
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Looking in.
17 March 2006
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
The ships turret would be lowered down into this space and it would allow access to ammunition loading.
17 March 2006
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Another picture of the chamber.
17 March 2006
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Two pictures looking out of the turret hole.
26 June 2002 17 March 2006
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
17 March 2006 Shaun Churchill
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
17 March 2006
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Different chambers leading off for ammunition.
17 March 2006
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Mike and Shaun giving scale to the picture.
17 March 2006 John Flaherty
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Caught on camera I try and stay out of photos.
Note the wood from the shuttering is still in place.
17 March 2006 Shaun Churchill
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
17 March 2006 Shaun Churchill
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
Shaun.
Again shuttering still looks as good as it did when new.
17 March 2006
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
A corner section of shuttering looks new.
17 March 2006
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
This is looking towards the 'B' turret, there is no link through the rock. Just a deep hole that may have lead to the second position. The water is spotlessly clear and quite a lot of metal pipe work is down there.
17 March 2006
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
On the way out.
17 March 2006
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
French re bar sticking out of the concrete supports.
17 March 2006
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
A later visit to 'A' with a good view of the hole.
17 March 2006 John Flaherty
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
A later visit to 'A' with another good view of the hole.
17 March 2006
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
I hate showing pictures of friends struggling to extricate themselves from a situation.
"But sometimes you have to, don't you John"! Mike staying vert clear.
17 March 2006
Castel Vendon, Batterie Française Tourville, (Souterrain).
17 March 2006