Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
BATTERIE · Gironde Nord · OK 1 Vendée - Charente Maritime · France
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
A battery of 4 x 24cm ex-French ship's guns was to be sited in the middle of a forest on the north side of the Gironde estuary. This battery project began in 1943, complementing the railway guns at Gi331 E, Battr. 'Lauben' on the south side of the Gironde at Verdon, which had been established in May 1942 to close off the Gironde estuary from naval assault. In 1943, it was decided to add this second heavy battery, capable of 360° fire, to cover the river estuary and allow free access for submarines entering and leaving the U-boat pens of Bordeaux. Armed with 24cm KM (f) naval guns, the site was built by the Org. Todt, with construction starting around the end of 1943.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
The first items to be built were the two water reservoirs, to be used in the making of concrete. The design of the gun emplacements was S542: a large round concrete plinth for the gun's turret to sit on, a splinter wall covering 3/4 round, and a large concrete complex of ammunition, living, and machinery rooms attached. Built in Baustärke A, 3.5m thick, there would have been two rear entrances, three ammunition rooms, fuel storage, a generator, a plotting room, and also toilets.
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
Literally nothing seems to have been finished. Most of the site was either not started or was under construction, though all four positions can be found.
Unit Details:
- Unit: 5./MA.A.A.284
- Commanding Officer: Kapitänleutnant Werner Schmidt-Tebelmann
- Assisted by: Lieutenant MA dR Heinz Weinkauf
- Personnel: 80 men
Site Inventory:
- 4 x S542 Emplacement for a C/42 gun
- 1 x R658 Water supply bunker
- 1 x R674 Small ammunition bunker I
- 1 x R629 Anti-tank gun bunker
- 1 x R661 Bunker for casualty assembly
- 1 x R639 Large dressing station
- 3 x Fl242 Standard emplacement for medium and light AA
- 2 x 24cm K.M.02/06(f) guns (Only two were located)
- 1 x 7.5cm F.K.295/2(r)
- 1 x 2cm Flak 38 Vierl
- 3 x 2cm Flak 28
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
The site layout displays the positions of the two main batteries intended to protect the Gironde estuary: the Gi50M battery in the north with a 26km range, shown in green, and the Gi331E battery, established in May 1942 on the south side at Verdon, with a 35km range, shown in red.
captured map
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
Forêt de la Coubre spans an area of roughly 7,916 hectares. The forest was established and laid out in the 1800s by the French Forestry Organisation.
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
The layout of the gun positions shows that positions 1 & 2 were in place, but 3 & 4 were not. The yellow road served as the construction road and would have functioned as the military road once construction was finished. I must admit I am very unsure which specific positions we visited, as we only saw two of them and the military road.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
An Allied plan of the area showing where the three heavy batteries were in place in the north Gironde area.
DEFE 44/98 JIB rep on selected German coastal Batteries
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
This Allied reconnaissance plan highlights the strategic positioning and layout of the coastal defenses within the north Gironde sector.
DEFE 44/98 JIB rep on selected German coastal Batteries
Allied Intelligence Plan
An SHM plan of the area shows the locations of the ammunition bunkers and flak emplacements, as well as the high-level observation post built on a steel frame platform.
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
The site features a trench system that runs through the woodland, serving as part of the defensive network for the battery.
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
Somebody or something has been digging to see what is down below; Mike is looking into it. We noticed quite a lot of digging in the area and further south by what look like metal detector 'treasure hunters'. They search and dig up metal, but seem never to fill in their holes, leaving small pits that you can catch your ankle in, and where animals can break their legs.
07 November 2012
Issues with Amateur Excavation
We noticed quite a lot of digging in the area and further south by what look like metal detector 'treasure hunters'. They search and then dig up metal, but seem never to fill in their holes. This leaves small holes that you can catch your ankle in, and in which animals can break their legs.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
As we continued our visit, the first gun position finally came into view.
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
There were two ammunition shelters, and I feel this was one of them. The concrete roof was only 80mm thick; the rest of the buildings were of wooden construction. A quantity of shells was found after capture, but not that many powder charges. Some had been hurriedly sent by air as an emergency resupply, but they did not reach the guns. They had been test-fired, but it is believed that none were fired in anger.
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
This is how the S542 looked post-war after capture. The door that is open leads to a small chamber that feeds cables from the fire control posts in the south up to the gun and nothing else.
There was to be a large S497 fire direction post built nearby, which would have looked like the FDP on the Île de Ré.
DEFE 44/98 JIB rep on selected German coastal Batteries
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
The view looking down on where the turret sat.
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
This illustration provides the plan and elevation view of the S542 gun emplacement.
DEFE 44/98 JIB rep on selected German coastal Batteries
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
This represents the centre mounting for the turret.
07 November 2012
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
The view here is the rear, where the bunker would have been built. Now, there is just the splinter wall and the centre pillar for the turret.
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
Part of the clearing around the gun.
Flak protection was provided by 2 x 2cm Flak 30 guns, and a Würzburg Anton 39t radar was to be installed; it had been delivered but not yet assembled.
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
I stood on the splinter wall that was designed to help protect the turret.
07 November 2012
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
This view shows the remnants of the splinter wall that would have provided protection for the gun turret, illustrating the site's unfinished state during the later stages of the war.
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
The splinter wall shows up well on the left, with the odd-shaped turret remaining half-protected.
shm
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
This is the centre turntable mounting for the gun.
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
The chaser ring, the part where the rear of the turret has two rollers that can run around and when the gun is fired, they take part of the recoil.
(CASER: The traversing railway of iron or wood upon which a siege gun carriage rested in a casemate or Barbette battery. It was also used for recoil or moving it to the front.)
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
Caught on camera.
07 November 2012 jf
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
This is the door to the inside of the central concrete tube designed to hold the gun mount.
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
Looking inside at where the cables from the fire control post would have entered the turret. There are still fixings visible on the wall.
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
Looking up at the splinter wall that was designed to protect the turret.
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
I believe this tower of concrete was used to support the large crane structure used to lower the gun onto its fittings.
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
The area was heavily bombed in 1945. Most of France had been captured in the months after D-Day. The Allies were now fighting into Germany and several pockets of resistance had been left alone and covered by troops newly arrived from America and second-line troops. Also, the French FFI, now part of the French forces and well-armed with modern weapons, could patrol and fight back for their country. They wanted these garrisons removed and some nasty fighting took place to regain its freedom. Here in the Royan pocket, the area was fought over and bombed on several occasions and then captured. The guns were found to be usable, but their fire control and ranging mechanisms were damaged beyond repair.
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
This represents the second of the four gun emplacements. While the first and second positions were in place, the third and fourth were never completed.
07 November 2012
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
This is the second of the four gun emplacements.
07 November 2012
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
This second turret remains in the same sort of condition as the first.
07 November 2012
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
This is the heavy steel ring that provided the base for the gun turret, allowing it to traverse and rotate.
07 November 2012
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
Found embedded in the concrete are boot prints, likely left by the Org Todt laborers during the construction of the battery in late 1943
07 November 2012
Site Survey — Emplacement Layout
07 November 2012
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
The splinter wall shows visible damage caused by bombing during the 1945 attacks on the Royan pocket.
07 November 2012
Allied Bombing Raids
On the 14th and 15th of April 1945, American heavy bombers of the 487th Group struck target 'Barley 29' with B-17s. The area was subsequently hit by French B-26s, before fighter bombers took over the operation.
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
This component is the gun racer ring, which served as the mounting track for the turret.
07 November 2012
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
The military road was built to convey building materials from the railway line near the Pavillon.
07 November 2012
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
These are the remains of a hut base located by the military road, which was originally built to convey construction materials from the nearby railway line at the Pavilion.
07 November 2012
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
This was the military road built to convey building materials from the nearby railway line to the battery site.
07 November 2012
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
This location features a secondary area of the site where further defensive structures were planned but never fully completed during the German occupation of the Gironde estuary.
bundesarchiv
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
The remaining two gun emplacements were completed with dummy guns to deceive Allied reconnaissance.
DEFE 44/98 JIB rep on selected German coastal Batteries
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
Thanks to SD for contemporary photos, JF (photos on the day), and PF (details from the Archive) for their input. The above picture is for John and Mike; when we had arrived back at the car, a small herd of these wild boar ran across our track.
07 November 2012