Ra236 I. Pleurtuit

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

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

II./1.912.

1 x L410.

1 x L403.

1 x L413.

2 x Vf2a.

10 x Munitions Lagers.

2 x Scheinwerferstellung.

3 x 3.7cm Flak 36.

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Part of the AA defence of the airfield.

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

The date stone.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Kriegsjahr (Year of the war) 29.9.42

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

The triangular area was a perfect site for a Flak position, 3 x 3.7cm Flak 36. You can see the three flak positions in the corners.

IGNF

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

The southern/western side of the defence with an L410 on the left and a Vf20 with a Flak position above it.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Vf2a entrance.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Vf2a Bu No.1. Note the camouflage colours.

9 December 2013

A plan of the way this Vf2a was adapted.

Vf2a side elevation showing the left passage and then the crew room.

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Vf2a Bu No.1. This is the bunkers number of the group.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

The passage. The entrance to the bunker on the right.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

The other exit now blocked and full of rubbish.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

View into bunker.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Crew room with the escape on the far wall.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Crew room looking back to the entrance door.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Niches in the wall with cut outs to connecting them possibly a field telephone.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Way out. Note again the camouflage colours on the wall

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Back outside and we went on the top.

9 December 2013

Side elevation of how I see this emplacement would look.

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

The entrance for the gun to be brought in. The gun would be drawn in maybe on its wheeled trailer and set up on the base of the emplacement and the trailer removed and parked in a nearby barn. The entrance would then be closed off either with a concrete beam or heavy baulks of wood. The piece of concrete sitting on the right side may have been the entrance closure. The ramp of earth is to gain access for the gun and crew.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Looking into the open emplacement.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Ready ammunition spaces around the outside wall. These allow a quick and easy way to service the gun with ammunition when speed is essential. They would have used old wooden ammunition boxes fitted into the slots to allow the rounds to be stacked either in magazines or loose. For 2cm Flak is in a magazine and for 3.7cm a slide in clip.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Two steel eyes and a niche. The eye bolts may have been used to hold the rear door closed and the niche for a field telephone connection to the control bunker that coordinated all the batteries fire.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

This is the escape hatch. Steel ladder rungs still in place The escape would have at the bottom a steel door a 410P9, then some small shutters that could be removed by hand. The escape shaft would have been filled with gravel or sand and that would have to be emptied into the bunker and then the occupants would crawl through the door and climb steel ladders set into the concrete wall of the bunker.

9 December 2013

The escape is the semi circle of red. The escape could be either a semi circle of red bricks or a half square of bricks.

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Now we move north along the side of the road to the next position. This one I believe is an L410 Flak emplacement for a 3.7cm gun..

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Above the entrance into the Flak emplacement.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Looking through the personnel entrance.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Now looking through the main entrance that would have been closed off with either a concrete beam or heavy wood. The round piece of concrete is the base for a gun to sit on.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Looking back at the two entrances. Just imagine coming through that entrance in a hurry with all your equipment and steel helmet. A bit tight.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Hooks for securing a camouflage net. Hooks made from continuing the steel reinforcing rods out of the concrete and bending them into a hook and attaching a camouflage net to go around the sides of the bunker to hide it from the air.

9 December 2013

Reinforcement bars being tied together and their ends left for camouflage.

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

The open emplacement. Ready ammunition spaces around the walls and this bunker

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

The entrance to the L410 bunker crew rooms. Bit of a fight to get in.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Entrance to the bunker. Most bunkers did not have rear outside doors but a steel gate.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

L410 stairs down. The niche for a possible light switch.

9 December 2013

Ra236 I. Pleurtuit Flak

Bu.No.2 bunker number. The slot on the left is for a radio aerial. Field telephones were mostly used as they were static division but radios aerials could be fitted very easily.

9 December 2013