Marg04 Quiberville Beach Defence

WN · StP Gruppe Ste Marguerite · AOK 15 Haute-Normandie · France

Marg04 Quiberville Beach Defence

Marg04 Quiberville Plage

I found these photos in our archive from WO 252/149 Northern France Check Reconnaissance - Beaches , they show not pillboxes, casemates and bunkers, but the way the river was made to flood and cause an obstacle to an attacking force. And also it shows other means of beach defences as in barbed wire, "Element C" the Allied name for Belgian Gate, and many other forms of defence.

1 x Vf67 Tobruk.

1 x Pz.T. tank turret Tobruk.

1 x Vf/MG.

2 x Feldm.

Belgian gate.
Belgian gate.
Mine laying.
Mine laying.
Steel Hedgehogs.
Steel Hedgehogs.

Marg04 Quiberville Plage

Marg04 Quiberville Plage
 

Marg04 Quiberville Plage

Marg04 Quiberville Plage
Our visit in August 2007, we stayed in a lovely old hotel on the front. This picture was from our bedroom window.

11 August 2007

Marg04 Quiberville Plage
Marg04 Quiberville Plage
Marg04 Quiberville Plage

Marg04 Quiberville Plage

Marg04 Quiberville Plage
Flooding of some of the river valleys on the French coast is almost certainly caused deliberately in order to make these valleys obstacles to lateral movement along the coast. The Vertical and oblique photo - graphs above show inundation of the SAANE Valley at QUIBERVILLE, West of Dieppe. What is possibly a control house (arrow) can be seen at the river mouth and the extent of the flooding is probably controlled by sluices. An anti-tank wall has been constructed leading from the cliff.

WO 252-149 Northern France Check Reconnaissance - Beaches

Marg04 Quiberville Plage

Marg04 Quiberville Plage
Flooding.

WO 252-149 Northern France Check Reconnaissance - Beaches

Marg04 Quiberville Plage

Marg04 Quiberville Plage
From WO 232/29 but also taken from a report MI. 10b/759 which is a Military Intelligence file.

WO 232/29

Marg04 Quiberville Plage

Marg04 Quiberville Plage
The anti-tank ditch.

WO 252-149 Northern France Check Reconnaissance - Beaches

Hedgehogs WO232/29.
Hedgehogs WO232/29.
Anti-tank ditch WO232/29.
Anti-tank ditch WO232/29.

Marg04 Quiberville Plage

Marg04 Quiberville Plage
The shingle had been washed up onto the roadway and the local defence platoon had not cleared it, it also then became an obstacle for tanks.

WO 252-149 Northern France Check Reconnaissance - Beaches

Marg04 Quiberville Plage

Marg04 Quiberville Plage
"Element C " & Hedgehog defences were used on this section.

WO 252-149 Northern France Check Reconnaissance - Beaches

Marg04 Quiberville Plage
"Element C" anti-tank obstacle.
"Element C" anti-tank obstacle.
Barbed wire.
Barbed wire.

Marg04 Quiberville Plage

Marg04 Quiberville Plage
"Element C" Belgian Gate.

WO 232/29 Notes on German Obstacle

A horse or a few men could place a gate into position, it had rollers to run on and down each side a fitting to attached to another gate.
A horse or a few men could place a gate into position, it had rollers to run on and down each side a fitting to attached to another gate.
The fitting down the side where a pin could pass through and join two gates together.
The fitting down the side where a pin could pass through and join two gates together.
Here attached together and also to the outer walls of a road, causing an effective road block.
Here attached together and also to the outer walls of a road, causing an effective road block.

Marg04 Quiberville Plage

Marg04 Quiberville Plage
Arrow on the air photo shows the sluice gate. This held the water back and flooded the valley.

WO 252-149 Northern France Check Reconnaissance - Beaches

Marg04 Quiberville Plage

Marg04 Quiberville Plage
 

11 August 2007