StP Mont St Frieux Complex
BATTERIE · Hardelot - Merlimont K.V.A. D1. · AOK 15 Nord Pas de Calais · France
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
StP Mont De Terre, Battr.5./A.R.149.
StP Mont ST Frieux, Stab 1./H.K.A.R.1245. Stab II/Gren.Rgt.148.
StP Höhe 158, Mont St Frieux H.K.B. 4./H.K.A.B.1245. Flak.Abt.501.
StP Südostecke, Mont St Frieux est.
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
A very powerful 'Stützpunkt Gruppe' situated on the top of several very high sand dunes between Hardelot-Plage and Dannes. There are many different types of bunkers and open gun emplacements, radars and lots of bomb craters.
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
The red circle is where we visited.
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Bombing. The red square is where we visited so you can see how large the site is.
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StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
This is the road we drove up and Mont St-Frieux is the hill on the left side and Mont de Terre on the right. The R630 bunker is defending this way in.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Here somebody has acquired many artefact from the area around St Frieux and also along the coast and made a small free museum.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Einmannbunker Splitterschutzzellen.
A one man guard post that would protect the guard in an air-raid, he could duck inside. There would be just enough room for a wooden seat for him to sit on.
This type was made by the Todt Organisation in France I believe.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Einmannbunker Splitterschutzzellen.
This model had a door again made of concrete and also could be bolted down on a ring of bolts to stop it being blown over by blast.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
The large flanking wall covering the embrasure from fire from on the right flank where an attacker may have advanced.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Metal plate.
The metal plates were all removed post war as war reparations. The French government allowed all Mayors to scrap metal within their boundaries and use the moneys to help repair their war torn villages/towns.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Tobruk steps.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Tobruk defence.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Close combat defence.
The metal plate has been removed and now replaced with a thin sheet.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
R630 48/39.
48/39 is the bunkers number.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Steps down into the bunker.
Another close combat defence covering the entrance.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Close combat defence room.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
A 434P01 heavy steel double door fittings.
The close combat room was sealed off with a 434P01 heavy steel double door.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Command cables coming into the bunker connecting all the defence bunkers on the Mont so that a mutual defence between each bunker and the head quarters (Battle HQ?) could be run for their mutual support.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Gas lock.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Crew room.
Here is where the crew of about six men would live. Note the different colours on the far wall.
On the left is the emergency escape. On the floor is a fresh air pipe.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Bei Gasgefahr verbindungsstück mit O herousnehmen Ruumfilter einsetzen.
Not a very good translation but basically "In the event of a gas attack connect the rooms gas filter"
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Crew room.
Close combat covering the entrance stares.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Possibly a speaking tube connected to the Tobruk.
Kampfraum - Battle Space (Tobruk) speaking tube was connected to the Tobruk defence via a pipe set into the concrete when it was built.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Crew room.
Escape tunnel.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Ammunition room.
Also the passage to the gun room, it was where spare ammunition would be stored and also a periscope fitted to help spot for the machine-gun.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
The periscope hole.
The tube where the periscope fits through.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Periscope hole.
Almost managed to get the focus correct.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Gun room.
A 19P7 door was fitted here a thin steel gas tight model.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
The gun room.
Under attack this would be a very busy room.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Gun room.
The steel plate was removed at the end of the war but its now been bricked up
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
The view.
A large anti-tank ditch zig zagged through the fields from the far trees, across the front and off to the left side.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Zuluftleitung - Air supply.
Bringing in air from outside and being filtered by the hand turned filtration pump and then distributed around the bunker making the bunker slightly higher pressure stopping any ingress of gas that may be around and filtering the gases out.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Crew room.
Where the crew lived with bunk beds hanging from the walls, a gas filter pump, a stove to keep them warm in winter and cupboards for their personal kit.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Moving outside.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Concrete military road.
We did climb the fence and go inside. This area is strictly closed to the public and an area of hunting. Wild Boar roam freely as do wild Highland cattle. In the summer there are ticks.
This was Autumn so at least no Ticks. We should not have' BUT well an old fool is always an old fool. We entered and found a couple of bunkers but then decided better to leave. It would be nice to have an arranged tour of the area run by a local historian. Perhaps one day.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Continuing in on the Military road.
This is a beautiful area, full of wildlife and in the Autumn, Toadstools. This area is made up of large sand dunes now covered with a thin layer of grass and pine trees.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
The first bunker that we found.
An R668 small six man bunker and may have a Tobruk? Numbered 60/50. The first bunker on the right of the road would be a Wellblech but we did not find it.
We started to enter the 668 BUT there was a awful smell.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
The next is a rare one for me an R657 56/59 a two kitchen bunker.
Again we did not enter and now I kick myself for not doing that as I have never seen inside one.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Two field kitchens could be wheeled in and their chimneys connected up and then potatoes peeled.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
Now we are heading south the R630 arrowed.
Between here and the R630 there was an anti-tank ditch zig zagging across the fields.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
This is another road onto the Mont.
23 October 2014
StP Gruppe Mont St-Frieux.
23 October 2014