Ra237 Cognees, le. Flak.Abt.912.

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

Ra237 Cognees, le. Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Several occupied ports were made into Festung's, fortress's and defended by extra troops and guns. A ring of casemates circled the inland side of St Malo and continued around to Dinard. Inside this there were many Flak batteries, this is one of them.

le.Flak.Abt.912.

1 x L403.

5 x L401a.

1 x L402.

2 x L409.

? x 7.5cm Flak.

3 x 2cm Flak 30.

1 x 5cm Pak 38.

1 x 7.62cm I.H.K.260(r)

03 December 2013

7.62cm I.H.K.260(r).
7.62cm I.H.K.260(r).
5cm Pak 38.
5cm Pak 38.
2cm Flak 30.
2cm Flak 30.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
Ra237 is situated now in a housing estate but was actually in the country side in WW2.

Google

L403 on the top with an open gun platform.
L403 on the top with an open gun platform.
L403 underneath this is the fire control post for a heavy AA batterie. Starting at the top left clockwise. Officers room. None commissioned officers. None commissioned officers. (two rooms) Crew room. Crew room (two rooms) Latrines/washrooms. Heating. Fuel. Ventilation. Work room. Telephone room in the middle.
L403 underneath this is the fire control post for a heavy AA batterie. Starting at the top left clockwise. Officers room. None commissioned officers. None commissioned officers. (two rooms) Crew room. Crew room (two rooms) Latrines/washrooms. Heating. Fuel. Ventilation. Work room. Telephone room in the middle.
Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
The red squares are known sites and the yellow squares I am not too sure of. The yellow circle are two concrete water towers??? that show bullet marks.

03 December 2013

Water tanks inside the yellow circle.
Water tanks inside the yellow circle.
Bullet marks all over it.
Bullet marks all over it.
Close up of the 1959 air photo.
Close up of the 1959 air photo.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
This is a 1959 air photo showing the Flak battery laid out in the countryside and the two water/oil tanks yellow circle.

1959

Flak crew.
Flak crew.
Flak crew.
Flak crew.
L402 there was one here.
L402 there was one here.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
In the corner is a small piece of bunker concrete a Vf ammunition storage.

24 November 2013

Close up.
Close up.
Plan.
Plan.
8.8cm ammunition.
8.8cm ammunition.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
There was one L401 here. This one is at the moment in the middle of a housing plot which soon will be built on or around.

24 November 2013

75mm M32(f) Flak gun. There was at least one here.
75mm M32(f) Flak gun. There was at least one here.
L401 top view.
L401 top view.
Bunker underneath. Large crew room and smaller ammunition storage.
Bunker underneath. Large crew room and smaller ammunition storage.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
The entrance which may have been open or closed off with concrete lintels, wooden heavy planking, or any other items that came to hand.

24 November 2013

Plan.
Plan.
How the guns were put into their bunkers.
How the guns were put into their bunkers.
L409 for 3cm Flak there was also two here.
L409 for 3cm Flak there was also two here.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
Ready ammunition space.

24 November 2013

Image Caption
Image Caption
Image Caption
Image Caption

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
L401a emplacement for an 8.8 or 10.5cm Flak gun.

24 November 2013

L401a emplacement.
L401a emplacement.
Plan. Left - Ammunition. Right - Crew room.
Plan. Left - Ammunition. Right - Crew room.
Plan.
Plan.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
Garden extension.

24 November 2013

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
Another view.

24 November 2013

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
Now made into a roundabout and flower bed.

24 November 2013

Plan.
Plan.
Plan view of an L401a emplacement.
Plan view of an L401a emplacement.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

 L401a Roundabout.

24 November 2013

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
This is the last one that can be seen easily and sits on a large plot.

24 November 2013

Image Caption
Image Caption
There are quite a few concrete cylinders that lay around this emplacement. They were used as anti shrapnel defences and can stand vertically, maybe cutting off the entrance or stacked up around the walls of the emplacement to dissipate bomb fragments?
There are quite a few concrete cylinders that lay around this emplacement. They were used as anti shrapnel defences and can stand vertically, maybe cutting off the entrance or stacked up around the walls of the emplacement to dissipate bomb fragments?

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
Now looking down at the floor of the emplacement with slots for command wires that came from a command bunker the L403. Orders from it would be transferred to the gun with range and height so that the gunners could train the gun on its target.

24 November 2013

Range finder.
Range finder.
Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
There are four of these small niches around an L401a and I am not exactly sure what they were for. I think that they were shelters for the crew? Note the black mark on the wall has lettering showing which ammunition is stored at the gun.

24 November 2013

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
Detail of the paint marks. There are other marks to find, often there are four points of the compass or a main mark where all guns are left pointing in the same direction so when 'action stations' is called all control bunker knows where all the guns are pointing.

24 November 2013

A 3.7 British battery with the guns lined up ready to fire.
A 3.7 British battery with the guns lined up ready to fire.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.

Ra237 Cognees. le.Flak.Abt.912.
To the left of this picture is a Vf ammunition bunker hidden under the grass.

24 November 2013

Plan of a Vf7b a type of ammunition bunker that may be here.
Plan of a Vf7b a type of ammunition bunker that may be here.
How it would have looked in the entrance passage with two rooms off to the left.
How it would have looked in the entrance passage with two rooms off to the left.