StP 'Bunker', Merlimont Plage

STP · Hardelot - Merlimont K.V.A. D1. · AOK 15 Nord Pas de Calais · France

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Two visits, one in February 2014 we just viewed it from both sides and in March 2024 we actually visited it.

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Looking along the beach from Merlimont, walking south.

16 March 2024

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

A lot of damage has been done by the sea and its very hard to understand what and where everything is r was. These defences in the KVA D1 and KVA D2, went through a lot of changes between inception and June 1944. As weapons became available, new bunkers were built and either superseded the old ones or added too. In some cases a 5cm KwK can start in a field position, then move to a Vf600type Ringstand to an R667 casemate. Here it looks as though there are three different positions for two 5cm KwK guns and the 7.5cm F.K. was originally on an open Ringstand and then was casemated into an R612. (These are my thoughts). 1 x Peilstand (not found). 1 x R612 casemate. 2 x OB600 Ringstands. 1 x Vf67 tank turret Tobruk. 1 x Vf58c Tobruk (not found). 2 x Munitionsstands. 4 x Feldm/unterstand (shelters). 2 x Wellblech shelter. (one found). 1 x Pz.T. turret. 1 x 7.5cm F.K. 2 x 5cm KwK28.

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StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Hard to imagine it when it was in use, the sea was coming in, further out, so the bunkers were up on sand dunes and these now have washed away. So the heights of each bunker may have been very different to now.

16 March 2024

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Vf67 tank turret Tobruk for a Pz.T. turret(f). This could have been a machine gun, or a 3.7cm Pak with co-axle machine gun.

16 March 2024

FT 17 type turret that was probably here.

Vf67 tank turret a model showing its parts.

Renault 17 tank that the turrets came from.

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Vf67 tank turret Tobruk for a Pz.T. turret(f).

16 March 2024

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

1961 and the bunkers were in the sand dunes.

IGNF 1961

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Possibly a spare ammunition room or a cover for a trench to enter the casemate.

16 March 2024

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Ringstand or Geschützstellung for the 7.5cm F.K. When the R612 casemate was built, the gun would have been removed from here and placed in the casemate.

16 March 2024

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

This piece of un reinforced concrete has lots of boot prints in it.

16 March 2024

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Originally living quarters for the 5cm KwK & the tank turret crews to eat and sleep in. The small hole in the wall, is to allow, that if a grenade was to be dropped down the chimney, it would roll ou of this hole and not explode inside.

16 March 2024

WD80K gasdichter und druckfester ofen. (Gas-tight and pressure-resistant oven).

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Living quarters.

16 March 2024

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Concrete covered trench to and from the bunkers.

16 March 2024

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

R612 casemate with a 7.5cm F.K. was to shoot up landing craft as they arrive on the beach. In Normandy they did this very well and sank/destroyed/damaged many craft. The 5cm KwK was more of an anti-tank weapon and could knock out a Sherman tank easily.

16 March 2024

Probably came from a Horse artillery batterie.

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Inside with the two ammunition niches each side and the gun room and embrasure in the distance.

16 March 2024

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

R612 casemate with its glacis plate under the embrasure, usually this is covered in earth/sand. The small embrasure and the faulty concrete, lots of stone and very little sand. We noticed how bad the concrete was here.

16 March 2024

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

R612 casemate with a large flanking wall. Also there seems to have been provision for a set of doors, probably armoured ones as there are slots set into the embrasure opening.

16 March 2024

A set of steel doors on an unknown casemate.

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Feldm/Unterstand (shelters) for guns crew. In some pictures I have seen chimneys sticking out of them.

16 March 2024 - MKB Bunkertour

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Feldm/unterstand (shelters) quite a large room, but very thin walls.

16 March 2024

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

MKB Bunkertour measuring up the shelter. It seems to have had two doors and an escape, here on the right.

16 March 2024

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Ammunition room for the Ob600 Ringstand for a 5cm KwK Pak.

16 March 2024

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

Ob600 Ringstand for a 5cm KwK Pak.

16 March 2024

The guns hold fast ring, showing the square that sits into a same shaped hole in the concrete.

The guns hold fast ring in position, awaiting the gun to be mounted.

StP Bunker, Merlimont Plage

5cm ammunition storage. This is probably the first time I can remember seeing 5cm ammunition storage. I am sure I have never seen them in Brittany and Normandy.

16 March 2024