Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' M.K.B. FCP, Gironde Süd K.V.A. E1, A.O.K.1

MKB · Gironde Sud · OK 1 Vendée - Charente Maritime · France

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

Just north of Soulac-sur-Mer is a large Marine Kusten Batterie 2./M.A.A.618 'Reichenberg' at Les Arros.
This section is all about the M157 Fire Control Post for a medium batterie.

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

Plan of the Marine Kusten Batterie 2./M.A.A.618 'Reichenberg' at Les Arros Gi307. Yellow on the plan and number 9. The FCP sees the target, then works out range, time of flight of shell, etc. Then sends the information to each gun by armoured cable telephone. (Radios can be used if the cables are damaged). Then the gun crew select the shell, case and powder bag from the guns storage in the rear of the casemate. Load the gun, set the range & elevation and when ordered fire the gun. This way all four guns are co-ordinated and heir shells should hit the target at the same time. Each gun has a slightly different angle of attack from the control room, so this also needs to be computed by the men inside the large computing room inside the post. There would be electro mechanical computers to work all the fine detail out. These layouts would be run like a ship, as they were a Marine batterie, so a Captain would be in charge, with his crew looking just like a ship. A Captain is not a specific rank, the actual rank of the batterie commander could be a Oberleutnant zur See, Kapitäleutnant, Korvettenkapitän, etc.

08 November 2012

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

Type M157 Fire Control Post for medium and heavy batteries.

08 November 2012

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

About 1946 photo of the post.

SHM 1946

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

The batterie laid out in 1946 when the French military sent a working party all around the coast to locate, map and photograph the Atlantikwall. This is the southern side

SHM + post card

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

This is the northern side part of the batterie.

SHM + post card

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

To the left was the close combat defence machine gun that would have covered the rear entrance from attack. The large square hole I believe was to allow machinery entry into the rangefinder room. The small added defence, probably was placed there when they knew that they were to be attacked in 1945 from the rear. In the middle at the bottom is the main entrance.

08 November 2012

The yellow arrow shows where the close combat support machine gun would have covered the rear entrance.

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

Battle damage on the back wall, showing the French attack did come in from the rear.

08 November 2012

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

Battle damage on the back wall, Look at the size of the two bomb craters either side at the rear. The concussion from these two bombs would not have helped the crew inside to function properly afterwards.

SHM 1946

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

RAF reconnaissance photos showing the M157 and the whole are pot marked with bomb craters..

Air 34/116

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

This is a USAAF attack on Pointe de Grave by Liberators. It gives an idea of what a bombing attack would have been like.

19 April 1945 SHEAF A19144

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

The main entrance stairway.

08 November 2012

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

Recesses in the wall to hold either a speaking tube or a field telephone, to be able to talk to a member of the defence crew to get entry. If not allowed there is a close combat defence embrasure straight down the stairs and pointing at you with a machine gun.

08 November 2012

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

The close combat defence embrasure ready to shoot if necessary.

08 November 2012

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

Entry corridor and on the left and right are two aerial fittings. It was standard design to have the recesses and some external fittings in most bunkers. But its rare ish to actually find evidence of an aerial fitted. If one was fitting, some support brackets and an earthing strip is usually in place.

08 November 2012

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

The batterie number, the bunkers number and the date of commissioning. Every month the commander of each area had to send in a return to the local head quarters to say what bunkers were planed, under construction and completed. This is why we have some excellent maps from the archives. Also wire and mine fields. I am sure what also may have been added were the numbers of troops, ammunition and food stocks. That would not have been on a plan.

08 November 2012

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

Looking down at the floor. This is a drain, there would have been a Zink square bowl to catch any large items that may have fallen in and a pipe taking away any water. You may ask "why am I so interested in drainage" Well I have fallen down so many of these drains in the past, I make a point now to look where I am going. The round steel plate is off the chimney pipe of a stove. The door handle is the lower latch of a 19P7 steel anti gas door.

08 November 2012

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

Getting nearer the centre.

08 November 2012

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

Another type of drain.

08 November 2012

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

Its down as the boiler room? but I think its been used as a crew rest room.

08 November 2012

Gi307 Les Arros 'Reichenberg' FCP

Its down as the boiler room? but I think its been used as a crew rest room. 47P7 steel gas tight door wit a small glazed window to see who is outside.

08 November 2012