SA106 'Clausewitz'

STP · K.V.Gruppe Süd Ile Noirmoutier · OK 1 Vendée - Charente Maritime · France

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

FuSan Dora, Saint Martin aux Buneauxle de Noirmoutier is an island off the Vendee coast reached by a bridge (which is now free!)
(5c./le.M.A.A.684) [Marine Artillery]
Teil (part of) 6/Ma.Fl.A.708 Flak.
4 x R501 group bunker.
1 x R502 twin group bunker.
1 x R600 for a 5cm KwK.
1 x R667 for the Same 5cm KwK.
1 x M162a fire control post.
3 x 2cm Flak.
1 x Radar Fu.MO 2.
1 x 5cm KwK 38.
2 x 2cm Flak 28/30.
1 x 2cm Flak 29.
1 x 60cm Searchlight.

Or the passage which can only be accessed at low tide.

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

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Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

Sa106 L'Herbaudiere is situated on the furthest n/w point. You can park outside of the camping site and walk to the point, several bunkers and a fire control post. A view of the point from a distance, the first bunker is an M162a fire control post for a light coastal battery. Next an SK bunker, possibly a generator for the Seetakt radar? Behind and into the trees are more bunkers.

24 November 2007

M162a fire control post for a light coastal battery.

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

M162a with flak. R501 twin group bunker with an SK building for a Fu.MO 2 radar. R600 for 5cm KwK gun (removed). R667 for 5cm KwK gun (moved from above). R501 group bunker. R502 twin group bunker. R501 group bunker with flak. SK store room/ammunition?

SHM

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

The view from the camp site with the toilet block on the right.

24 November 2007

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

This was the FCP for Sa107 'Gneisenau' Batterie 5c/le.M.A.A.684 at Le Luzay with 4 x 15.5cm s.F.H.414(f). M162a is on two levels. In the main body is the lower part with a gas lock leading into the computing room the leading into the observation room. To the left side (as we look at it) is the watch officers room, to the right is a fuel room for a small generator, wireless room and then the close combat defence room covering the back door. Above is the range finder room.

24 November 2007

Sa107 'Gneisenau' Batterie 5c/le.M.A.A.684 at Le Luzay with 4 x 15.5cm s.F.H.414(f).

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

The side view with the viewing slits now sealed up. On the roof is an AA mounting for a 2cm AA gun.

24 November 2007

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

24 November 2007

M162a at Battery Kerbonn, Crozon, Brittany.

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

Aerial fitting and a defence Tobruk to its right.

24 November 2007

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

Anti aircraft defence it would have been a 2cm Oerlikon 28 gun

24 November 2007

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

The area bricked up should be open and a complete 360° observation with a concrete lid on four steel posts holding it up.

24 November 2007

A large rangefinder that would have been set into the floor..

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

British heavy fighters would fly do here on many occasions to attack U-Boats or ships coming and going from the harbours around this area. They would fly out from Cornwall on the southern tip of England, go right around Brittany and attack anything they found. Many submarines, ships were attacked and if there were no ships then targets of opportunity were used like gun batteries and other military sites.

24 November 2007

The route from RAF Portreath in Cornwall.

Beaufighter with D-Day stripes on its winks attacking with rockets. It also had 4 x 20mm cannon and 6 x .303 machine guns. Eight 60lb rockets/ torpedo.

Two Beaufighters leaving a target as the third starts its attack run.

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

The view out to sea with the Île du Pilier lighthouse in the distance. The light would have been used as a lookout as it could see 20miles (32km.)in good weather. The fort could have held a small detachment and the two gun positions may have had old French ordnance.

24 November 2007

Île du Pilier showing two French gun emplacements, a small fort and the Lighthouse.

9.5cm canon de cote de 95 m93 used a lot in coastal defence.

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

R501 group bunker. This one was later modified to have a radar installed on its roof.

24 November 2007

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

Note the camouflage on the R501 bunker and on top is a box to hold a Fu.MO 2 "Calais 36" coastwatcher radar, this radar could control the batterie of 15.5cm field guns inland on any target day or night.

24 November 2007

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

The offices on the side may have been communications between the radars and the main command post on the island.

24 November 2007

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

24 November 2007

How the radar may have looked inside the emplacement.

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

This is where the radar stood until August 1944 when it was removed. Three gun embrasures were put into the concrete walls for local defence.

24 November 2007

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

Three gun embrasures were put into the concrete walls for local defence.

24 November 2007

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

R600 & an R667

24 November 2007

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

The R600 is an early bunker for a 5cm KwK gun, it has an open ringstand with about five ready ammunition niches set into the outer wall and underneath two rooms, one a crew room and the other for ammunition. It also has a gas lock entrance.

24 November 2007

Crew room on the left and ammunition on the right.

The plan view of the emplacement with ready ammunition niches around the wall and two entrances at the rear which lead do to the bunker below.

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

We had a very cold but sunny November.

24 November 2007

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

The guns hold fast in the centre of the ringstand.

24 November 2007

The base of a 5cm KwK showing its squared off base that fits into the socket on the hold fast.

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

The ammunition niches usually they are lined with wood and the ready rounds are placed there. As they get used up, fresh rounds come up from below.

24 November 2007

Passing ammunition from a ready locker to the gun on a Flak site.

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

The bunkers escape. Also behind is an aerial fitting.

24 November 2007

They could have squared off or half round escapes.

Crew room with the escape door open and you crawled out to the shaft and climbed the steel steps to the roof.

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

This is an R667 the replacement for the older R600. Due to allied bombing of fortifications, Hitler ordered all guns to be casemated. In other words covered over from above. This had two sides to it. One: the gun only had a 60° of lateral movement. Two: it was quite Safe from most forms of aerial and naval bombardment which was proved on D-Day when many of these R667's survived the initial onslaught and only succoured to direct tank fire.

24 November 2007

HMS Belfast firing on the Normandy beaches D-Day.

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

This is the rear entrance into the casemate, its staggered to give the rear door some cover. The gun was removed from the R600 and placed inside this casemate when completed.

24 November 2007

Looking do on an R667 with the guns embrasure on the left and the chicane entrance in the right.

Plan showing the gun room and the rear entrance.

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

This is the front and left side, there is a short wall on the right side to cover the embrasure from flanking fire out at sea and the two lips on the roof are for earth/Sand to be placed up there and grass to grow which gives a modicum of camouflage.

24 November 2007

An R667 with its flanking wall. The wall could be built on either side.

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

Another R501 group bunker for 8men. Also an aerial fitting. A this is a Marine unit perhaps they used radios more than field telephones?

24 November 2007

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

24 November 2007

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

The bunkers half round escape.

24 November 2007

The escape shutters closing off the escape pasSage.

Sa106 'Clausewitz', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier

There is not a lot to see of of this bunker as its a bit smashed about. It had an emplacement on its roof for a 60cm searchlight to scan the sea all around the point to show up and enemy ships that may be attacking. I have no idea where the power for the searchlight came from, there may have been a generator somewhere to power it as I am sure there was no mains electricity on the island.

24 November 2007