Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

STP · K.V.Gruppe Rance · AOK 7 Brittany · France

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Ra230 Fort de la Cité d'Aleth. The old French defence of St-Servan-sur-Mer and the left flank of Saint-Malo. A very old defence probably upgraded by Vauban and then by the Germans into the main defence of Festung Saint-Malo.

Z1 : R112a (Abri avec cloche blindé type 35P8)
Z2 : R506 (casemate pour Festung-Pak 3.7 cm (t) )
Z3 : R112a ( Abri avec cloche blindé type 35P8 )
Z4 : R625 ( casemate pour 7.5 cm Pak 40 )
Z5 : R625 (idem)
Z6 : R621/501 ( blockhaus type 621 couplé a un blockhaus type 501 , Abri pour personnel)
Z7 : R114a neu ( Abri avec cloche blindé type 20P7)
Z8 : R504 ( Abri avec garage pour canon Pak)
Z9 : R105d ( casemate MG )
Z10 : R114a neu ( Abri avec cloche blindé type 20P7)
Z11 : R112a (Abri avec cloche 20P7 )
Z12 : R112a ( Abri avec cloche blindé type 20P7 )
Z13 : R105b (casemate MG) Z14 : R105 b (casemate MG)
Z15 : Removed.
Z16 : R105d/105b ( 2 casemates MG couplés entres elles)
Z17 : R105d/105b (2 casemates MG couplés entres elles)
Z18 : R105d/105c / MG stand SK ( 2 casemates MG + MG stand SK couplés avec cloche blindé type 486P2)
Z19 : R105c (casemate MG + cloche blindé type 486P2)
Z20 : R611 ( casemate canon de campagne 10.5 cm le F. H. 16)
Z21 : R611 (idem)
Z22 : R636 (poste directeur de Tir)
Z23 : L410a /L410a : Abri couplés doté de 2 cuves Flak ( 4 cm Flak 38 Bofors) , une 3e cuve Flak est placé a proximity
Z24 : Abri pour Mortier automatique M19 Z25 : R667 (casemate pour 5 cm KWK L60)

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Ra230 Fort de la Cité d'Aleth.
A nice walk from Saint-Malo town across the lock and around the bay at Les Bas Sablon to the yacht marina (Port De Plaisance des Sablon) and then climb the steps up to the fort. Also you can drive through the old roads through St-Servan-sur-Mer and park at the yacht marina. On all my visits I have walked the perimeter and the came back through the main gate and on to the port.

12 January 2014

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

After the battle..

After the battle.

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Stab Festungskommandant, Stab M.A.A.608, M.N.O.

25 November 2013

Oberst Von Aulock commander of Festung Saint-Malo.

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Plan of Ra230 Fort de la Cité D'Aleth.
White - defences.
Yellow - underground (souterrain).
Red - guns.
The plan of layout of the fort showing all the bunkers in white and in yellow the underground (souterrain). In the summer you can tour the underground areas and Museum.
Each bunker is numbered with Z. followed by its number. The bunkers used were adapted to being attached to an underground system by leaving out their close combat rooms.

Plan

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.10 114a neu bunker with a 20P7 cupola. The dome (cupola) has six embrasures to locate a machine gun in and a periscope in the centre of the roof. The battle to take the fort was hard and bloody as you can see from the damage done.

25 November 2013

Inside a cupola, not a lot of room. An MG 34 was used in here.

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.10 114a neu bunker with a 20P7 cupola. Underneath this cupola is an R114a neu bunker with a crew room, a gas lock & entrance and the cupola and here it was linked to an underground network of passages which attached most of these bunkers together into a very strong defence.

25 November 2013

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.18 R105d/105c/M.G. - Stand S.K. This is the bottom of Z.18 and shoots along the forts east wall.

25 November 2013

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

The original French fort wall. Showing lots of battle damage

25 November 2013

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z. 10 R112b Bunker with a 20P7 cupola. A slightly larger bunker using the same type of cupola this time covering the northern side of the fort with cross fire from both cupolas either side.

25 November 2013

R112b bunker slightly larger than the last bunker R114a with added ammunition room and a store room and a larger crew room and around eleven men would man this bunker.

A periscope came up through the centre of the cupola and the officer in charge of the bunker could control the battle from there.

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z. 10 R112b bunker with a 20P7 cupola. This one really did take some hits and is the famous one with a shell still embedded in the metal.

25 November 2013

R112 plan here with the close combat room not built and a passage to the underground tunnel system.

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z. 10 R112b bunker with a 20P7 cupola. And this is the one. Imagine what it must have been like inside.

25 November 2013

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.10 R112b bunker with a 20P7 Cupola. Above is the fire control post Z.22 an R636

25 November 2013

The periscope would come through the top of the cupola.

Blanking plug to close off the open embrasure.

And inside with the hinged blanking plug (probably has a name and a number?)

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.22 an R636 command post for coastal batteries. This command post must have had a battery of guns inland to fire on the coast.

18 March 2006

R636 plan with crew room, centre computing room and the three rooms at the top officers, com's. and wireless..

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.20 R611 Casemate with 10.5cm F.H.18 Guns. Below the Cupola and its R112b bunker is an R611 casemate. This one is at Ra155 Ville es Mesneir, 'Batt. Kahlenbach' and this shows how it would look down there. In a normal 611 the left hand side would have been two ammunition stores (case & shell rooms) here it is connected to another fighting room an R667 casemate and behind would have connected to the underground passage.

25 November 2013

Plan of the area below the fire control 636. Top 667, bottom 611 & behind 112.

A plan of the inside and elevation of an R611 casemate from the BAU Report No.30, an Allied intelligence report.

BAU Report No.30 St Malo

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.12 R112 six embrasured turret bunker.

25 November 2013

R112 set into the rocks and attached to the underground tunnel system.

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.12 R112 six embrasured turret bunker. Two bunker specialists (well spotters) discussing the weather and disinterested locals walk by and ignore us.

18 March 2006

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.12 R112 six embrasured turret bunker. The turret this side is perfect no damage at all. This looks to be a 40P8 cupola.

18 March 2006

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.12 R112 six embrasured turret bunker. The turret inside with he periscope tub in place and the embrasure plugs to close off the aperture hinged open. This looks to be a 40P8 cupola.

18 March 2006

Steel ball joint to hold an MG34 machine gun.

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

The defences. The Z numbers of bunkers around the fort.

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.13 an R105b machine gun emplacement. Covering the fort wall this gun could sweep the wall and bank with machine gun fire against attackers.

18 March 2006

R105 plan with a machine gun behind a 78P9 metal plate.

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.13 an R105b machine gun emplacement.

25 June 2002

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.13 an R105b machine gun emplacement. Gun room with a heavy double steel door and an anti gas filtration unit on the wall.

25 June 2002

Air would be drawn in via a tube and drawn through an anti gas filter and then allowed it over pressure the gun room thus not allowing the gas to get in. Also there was an ant smoke filter that could be used when just smoke was a problem.

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.13 an R105b machine gun emplacement. This is the area that the machine gun covered, the trees would not have been there.

25 June 2002

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.14 an R105b machine gun emplacement. Now this is the same bunker but facing the other way.

25 June 2002

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.14 an R105b machine gun emplacement. A closer view of the 78P9Pz. Pz-Schartenplatte for an Mg34.

25 June 2002

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

The French fort wall. Possibly an original French gun casemate and damage on the old wall.

25 June 2002

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.5 R625 casemate for a 7.5cm Pak 40. This casemate is designed for a 7.5cm Pak 40 anti-tank gun, ideal to shoot at shipping by hitting low on the water line to sink them.

25 June 2002

R625 Casemate for a 7.5cm Pak 40 fitted into the rock face.

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.4 R625 casemate for a 7.5cm Pak 40. This is the second Pak bunker.

25 June 2002

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

I think this may be a small ammunition bunker?

25 June 2002

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

One of the two entrances into the tunnel system. I believe these were also for searchlights to cover the estuary.

25 June 2002

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.1 R112 six embrasured turret bunker. This one has been shot at from the town.

25 November 2013

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z. 7 R114A neu six embrasured bunker. This 40P8 cupola covers the back of the fort.

18 March 2006

R114A neu attached to the underground passage.

Another BAU Report No.30 plan of the tunnels.

BAU Report No.30

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Manufacturers number and date

18 March 2006

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.17 105d/105b two levels of bunkers. Two very large steel plates set into a mix of bunkers and old fort and set into the Keep and able to shoot across the moat.

18 March 2006

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Damaged wall and a door, Sally Port. With this door they could access the moat from the main fort.

18 March 2006

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

The 434P01 door. Still with all its fittings here.

18 March 2006

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z. 5 R504 antitank gun garage. The gun could be placed into the garage and the crew use use the other two rooms, Ammunition was stored underneath the gun.

Another BAU Report photo.

BAU Report No.30

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.18 R105d/105c/M.G.-Stand S.K. Built into the old Keep of the fort are three bunkers on several levels with tunnels and steps connecting them.

18 March 2006

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.18 R105d/105c/M.G.-Stand S.K. This view shows how much damage was done by the heavy American guns.

18 March 2006

Z.18 & cupola with two R105's and Z.10 and its cupola.

I think that this is the plan of the lower bunker with the ability to fire into the moat or up the outer fort wall.

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.18 R105d/105c/M.G.-Stand S.K.

The damage is excessive on this side showing where the Americans sighted their guns.
A before and after photos.

18 March 2006

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Z.18 R105d/105c/M.G.-Stand S.K. The damage is excessive on this side showing where the Americans sighted their guns.

14 July 2019

A BAU Report No.30 plan of the stairs to the cupola.

BAU Report No.30

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

The damage. Heavy American direct fire came in from the town, now there are trees but in August 1944 it was wide open and the Americans with their very large guns sighted them through the barrel at the fort. And then fired them, as their sights would not depress that low.

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall. q

The lower level machine gun embrasure covering the moat.

18 March 2006

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

The fort was bombed, machine gunned, Napalmed and shelled and then it took an infantry assault to capture it.

14 July 2019

BAU Report No.30 on the distribution of density of bomb strikes (Numbers of bombs per Acre squares [1Acre = 2 Hectares]).

BAU Report No.30

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Blasted fort.

Ra230 Fort de la Cite d'Aleth. Outside the wall.

Part of the American attacks on the old fort, Napalm was used here and on Cezembre Island for the first time. Here a P38 Lightning dropping two Napalm tanks.