M3 StP Josephsburgh
STP · Gruppe Alderney · Kanalinseln (Channel Islands) · France
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Alderney a small island off the coast of the Cherbourg Peninsular one of the Channel Islands and a Crown dependency. 3miles x 1.5miles.
In June 1940 its entire population was removed and sent to either the other Channel islands or to Britain (most ended up in Glasgow). Then the German occupation forces arrived on the 2nd July. Hitler thinking that the British would attempt at recapturing, ordered it to become a Festung and later combined into the Atlantikwall.
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
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Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Ausboustand-karte Alderney.
Ausboustand-karte Alderney
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Fort Grosnez or “Grey Headland” (Norse) the fort dates back to the 14c. In 1859 Fort Grosnez armed with two 8˜ howitzers, six 68-pounder guns, sixteen 32-pounders and four 24-pounders. By 1893 all but two guns had been removed and that is how the Germans found Fort Grosnez.
Flak Regiment 197.
2 x R670 casemates for a medium pivot gun (90°).
6 x 2cm Flak 30. 2 x 60cm Search lights.
1 x 150cm Search light. 2 x 10.5cm K331 (f) guns.
1 x Generator house.
Many x Machine gun/defence positions.
Mine fields. Google
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Stormy view over Braye and the harbour with Fort Grosnez. The fort was built to defend the harbour of Braye by the English and when in the 19c. the English also decided to build a massive harbour to equal the ones being built in Cherbourg & Brest by their enemies the French, to protect the English fleet. There was to be two walls but only one was started and cost so much money. Also, history overtook its construction in the way ships were being designed (steel ironclads, deeper drafts & the French became allies and not enemies) that it became redundant.
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Fort Grosnez from the other side.
Building started 1851 to 1853.
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The road towards Fort Grosnez with Glacés of the fort (the large grass area on the left) with a row of machine gun embrasures along the top.
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The first 2cm Flak.
A square compound probably pre occupation but strengthened and a 2cm Flak placed on the top corner.
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The first 2cm Flak.
Looking down to the inside you can see two of the three pads for the gun to sit. Niches on the right for ready ammunition and also just outside the entrance..
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The first 2cm Flak.
The flak position inside the compound with an ammunition bunker space underneath it.
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The first 2cm Flak.
The compound strengthened concrete walls.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Fort Grosnez from the breakwater pier.
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Fort Grosnez.
The slits are English rifle embrasures.
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Fort Grosnez new entrance.
I am not sure when this entrance was opened up.
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Fort Grosnez I think the old entrance.
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Inside the Fort.
Large casemates used for magazines and accommodation.
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Inside the Fort.
Large casemates used for accommodation.
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Inside the Fort.
Another view to the left.
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Inside the Fort.
Ramp and steps up to the battlements. A way for troops to access the ramparts and also to draw guns up the ramp pulled by pulley and man power.
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Up on the roof you can see the rear of an R670 casemate for a 10.5cm K331 (f). On the roof is a 2cm Flak position.
05 October 2016
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate for a 10.5cm K331 (f) with attached Tobruk.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
Entrance to the Tobruk.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
Inside the Tobruk.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
Tobruk and the Man from the Black Lagoon.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
Tobruk and the stairs down. Something we have noticed here on Alderney are the amount of Tobruk's with added aerials, that is the vertical slit in the far wall. I have not noticed evidence of an aerial being fitted and I have not noticed a hole in the top of the Tobruk's.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The view across the casemate to the 2cm Flak position.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
Rear entrance.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
Ammunition room.
52006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
Communications box and second ammunition room with vent pipes.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
Ventilation pipe to suck out the foul gases when the gun fires.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
Ammunition room and vent pipe where an electrical fan would have been fitted. The fan motor would have sat on the concrete block.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
Communication cables running around the bunker these are inside the ammunition room.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
Gun room for a 10.5cm K331 (f) gun.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
The guns hold fast set onto the concrete floor and then the gun bolted on the top.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
The view out of the embrasure over Crabby Bay and Fort Platte Saline.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
The wood used to make up the shuttering on embrasures .
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
Periscope fitting..
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
The communication box lid.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
Looking back to the entrance steps.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
The hooks on the wall are either for bunk beds which seems an odd place to them or for cleaning rods to hang.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate.
Looking at the embrasure.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP Josephsburg
Up on the roof of forts casemate, looking into the 2cm Flak on the other roof. An ammunition room below.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Entering the 2cm Flak ammunition room I found a shield for a 2cm Flak that may have been the gun that was above.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Flak above and ammunition below.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
I have been trying to work this one out. The 2cm Flak has a base which can sit on three pads. I wonder if the gun was dismounted from its chassis and bolted directly down?? as the three pads would not fit on a round base.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
I believe this is an English post to direct the fire of the battery along the roof.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Two of the three English gun mountings.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Moving on to an entrance in the old wall.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Turning the corner.
2006-05-06
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Still going down the lovely Victorian stone and brick work..
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
This is an embrasure for a 60cm searchlight that would be fitted with railway style wheels to run on two tracks. Pulled in to clean/maintain and store. Push out to use it. Used to light up sea targets.
Electricity came from a generator on the south side of the fort.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Search light embrasure.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
View out of the searchlight embrasure at some maybe extra defence positions???
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Walking back out of the tunnel. Spooky.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Above the glacés. A row of machine gun positions.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Guard shelter for a British soldier for guard duty with its port on the right side.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Large machine gun embrasure and also could be used as an observation post.
Looking under the embrasure there are marks on the wall where a wooden table was to place the machine gun on.
A small niche in the wall possibly to hold spare ammunition.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Large machine gun embrasure and also could be used as an observation post. The nice view right out over the town and Crabby bay.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
One of the middle embrasures.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The view along the top.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
A total mix of ages here.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Entrance to the left hand machine gun position.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Not one but incredibly two machine gun embrasures. Just imagine what the noise and smells when two guns were fired together.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Niche cupboard on the side possibly for ammunition.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
2cm Flak position.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
A view of the harbour.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The view north.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Steps up-to the next roof.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Four 32 pdr cannon sat on the roof here and also 2 x 2cm Flak guns.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Ammunition niche with protected entrance or it may have been a small air-raid shelter??
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
32 pdr cannon base with chaser ring and pivot mount.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Another 2cm Flak position on a round base.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The view from above also showing the ready ammunition niches set into the protected wall.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The view down onto the square.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Interesting ramp, most British military establishments had a lorry ramp to service and clean the undersides of the vehicles. Was this German or British Army pre or post war??
0006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Heading down into the depths of depravity.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
A long ramp down to a close combat defence embrasure.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Close combat embrasure below a
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Nice Cyrillic writing urging the soldiers on. “Lasst den Schwächling angstvoll zagen! Wer um Hohes kämpft, muss wagen! Leben gilt es oder Tod”.
"Let the weakling fearfully timid!
He who fights for greatness must dare!
It is a matter of life or death".
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The depths of Depravity.
Its pretty grim in here.
Another close combat defence at the far wall.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The only real detail here I can give is that there was a 19P7 steel door.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Stairs down to the next floors. The ground floor is accessed by a steel ladder and both floors are flooded with sea water and all have half dead and some not very alive Pigeons.
Quite yucky.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Close combat defence on the right and a lot of Pigeon pooooooo.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP Josephsburg
Heading out through the mire.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP Josephsburg
More writing on the wall.
“Herr, lass mich hungern dann und wann, Satt sein macht feig und träge, und schick mir Feinde, Mann um Mann, Kampf hält die Kräfte rege.”
“Lord, let me hunger now and then, being full makes one cowardly and lazy, and send me enemies, man for man, fighting keeps the strength active.”
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
R670 casemate, set into the Victorian stone work. A steel dome regaled the roof (now removed). Several machine gun positions on three levels.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The other side of the tower showing some more machine gun positions.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Coming out.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The route to a Tobruk up the steel ladder.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Another Flak position I just managed to reach.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
On the right a gun base but was empty by 1945.
In front a shelter bunker.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Gun base but was empty by 1945.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
The entrance into the shelter.
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
Fort Grosnez
2006-05-07
Alderney, M3 StP 'Josephsburg', Fort Grosnez
2006-05-07