Gi310L Soulac süd 'Sagan'
WN · Gironde Sud · OK 1 Vendée - Charente Maritime · France
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
Soulac-sur-Mer was a small village looking out over the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantik Ocean, the next landfall is the Americas. Behind are marshes and then the Gironde River. Between 1942 and 1943 the Todt Org, built 173 concrete bunkers and 121 wooden shelters. 110 pieces of artillery to shut off the estuary to cover the strategic port of Bordeaux and also its U-boat pen. There were over 4,000 soldiers and marines to defend the area and 600,000 mines.
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
Gi310 is just inside the anti-tank ditch of the southern defence. The defence was only used once in April 1944 when the French army attacked. Up until then the area was bottled up after D-Day and the advance into Germany. The German garrison, had plenty of food, loads of ammunition. But did they have the will to fight to the last man. The French attacked on day one in the east towardsUP10a, on day two they attacked the centre Talais, then on day three W351. Day four the line was just south of the ditch. Day five crossing the ditch and taking G1310. Day seven it was over.
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
2./gem.Flak.Abt.999
1 x L406 Machinery bunker for 10.5cm AA
2 x L409a Emplacement for 3.7cm Flak gun.
1 x 502 Twin group shelter.
1 x Rlb/563 water bunker.
1 x Vf58c
3 x 2cm Flak 30
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
The two Flak bunkers can be seem very well here, the R502 less so but shows up well today. The 563 water bunker, an odd one as its only this year that I have seen many water bunkers. The Wasser I think is a water reservoir used when building the bunkers.
IGNF 06/04/1962
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
L409a Emplacement for 3.7cm Flak gun although only 2cm Flak 30's were used.
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
L409a Emplacement for 3.7cm Flak gun.
The entrance to allow the gun access to the emplacement. It would be placed in the centre and bulks of wood slotted into the sides filled the gap, if not wood, sand bags or any materiel that were available at the time.
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
L409a Emplacement for 3.7cm Flak gun.
When the entrance was closed off, this was the crews entrance.
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
L409a Emplacement for 3.7cm Flak gun.
Ammunition ready spaces around the outer wall, basically for 3.7cm boxes. The smaller openings are for crew shelters, a very small space.
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
L409a Emplacement for 3.7cm Flak gun.
Looking towards the town.
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
Rlb/563 water bunker.
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
563 water bunker.
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
R502 twin group shelter.
The periscope fitting. A 735P3.
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac süd 'Sagan'
Two entrances covered by close combat embrasures into gas lock, one entrance from gas lock to crew rooms. Two adjoining rooms and a third room as a store, senior ranks room, which also holds a periscope.
Plan Kurt
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
The periscope fitting. A 735P3.
Plan Kurt
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
R502 twin group shelter.
A row of steel reinforcing rods hooked over to hold camouflage netting covering the entrances.
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
Unsure of this item??
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
The second L409a Emplacement for 3.7cm Flak gun.
This one has most of its outer defence walls removed, just one lump of concrete let.
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
The second L409a Emplacement for 3.7cm Flak gun.
The guns mounting. On a 2cm Flak it would have just sat on its three feet and not needed to be bolted down.
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
The second L409a Emplacement for 3.7cm Flak gun.
The escape tunnel, you can just see the steel steps bent down on the far side.
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
So why was this Flak defence here, it sits between two more defences Gi309 & Gi311. 309 had a 7.5cm Pak 40 and a 3.7cm Pz.T. tank turret & 311 another 7.5cm Pak. ?? Very odd but there was a large Luftwaffe site behind and on the hill. Gi305a Saint-Nicolas: Luftwaffe station 'Vogel'. It was full of bunkers and radars. So that maybe the reason.
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
08 November 2012
Gi310L Soulac sud 'Sagan'
08 November 2012