StP09 St Martin de Varreville (Utah Beach)
K.V.Gruppe Cotentin Ost · AOK 7 Normandy · France
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
2.Kp.Bau.Btl.158.
1 x R633 M19 mortar bunker.
1 x R656 15 man bunker pos.
Stab (HQ) 2.Kp.Bau.Btl.158.
2 x R677 casemate for 8.8 Pak.
2 Vf/MG.
5 x APX R35 3.7cm KwK 144 (f) m MG 311 (f) tank turrets.
1 x S35 173 KwK (f) m MG 311 (f) tank turret + Tobruk.
5 x Bf.67 neu Tobruk's.
1 x SK/Machinestand.
1 x 150cm Scheinwerfer (searchlight).
2 x 8.8cm Pak 43/41. Mur anti-char (anti-tank wall). Fosse anti-char (anti-tank ditch).
Latrines.
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Google Maps
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Plan showing the green ant-tank ditches and an outer mine field. Several tank turreted Tobruk's and two 8.8cm A/T guns in casemates. A large R633 bunker with an M19 automatic mortar that could spit out 5cm mortar rounds at an incredible speed. A search light to light up any targets for the guns to fire upon. One 15 man crew bunker R656 may have doubled as the local HQ of the defence.
This to me is a very modern defence, probably slotted in between the two older ones either side. It has no old style bunkers and no 5cm KwK guns but has a very good defensive 5cm automatic mortar, two very good 8.8cm A/T guns able to shoot out any allied tank, landing craft with ease. The casemates were R677's and are the latest design and a very strong bunker. They did take a few hits but no real damage seems to have been done to them. A ring of 3.7cm French tank turrets in their own Tobruks covered all areas of defence, two out to sea and two covering the sides and rear. An S35 4.7cm French tank turret covered the sector between the two casemates making sure they were covered. A search light has been added and these lights were being given to many of the Wn's on the Atlantikwall by 1943/44. Then there are several interlocking anti-tank ditches covering the rear of the Wn and supplemented with two large mine fields. The only oddity is the R656/R621 15man/Gruppe shelter. Without measuring the bunker I have no idea which it is but as its the only bunker for all the soldiers defending the Wn, I am surprised there was not a bigger one or another shelter of some kind. But as this was a modern Wn using the latest designs and guns, they probably felt there was no need.
Plan
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Photo taken by 16Sqd. RAF Spitfire on the 23 April 1944.
1944 aerial photo of the sand dunes showing the anti-tank ditches very clearly. The two black marks on the coast are the two R633 casemates showing up too well. Where is the camouflage?
23 April 1944 Intelligence summery
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Allied Bigot map of the defences here.
These are the maps the Americans would have taken with them on the assault.
Bigot map 12 May 1944
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
A post action plan made for the Allies.
Report on German Concrete Fortifications
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Latrines.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
The rear of the defence was covered by two R35 tank turrets.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Anti-Tank ditch.
What looks like a V cut ditch to stop tanks attacking the rear of the defence.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
This large bunker was designed to hold an M19 automatic mortar. This is and electrically fired magazine fed gun, or the crew could fire it manually.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
After the battle for StP09 this bunker was left smoking and several bodies lying around.
06 June 1944
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
The bunker being checked over by what looks like a US Naval observer.
6 June 1944 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
You can see where the Pz Turm fitted.
21 October 2004
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker-rear entrance.
Two doors, the first is the way into the Tobruk defence and the second deeper in to the bunker.
06 October 2013 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post action June 1944
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker Tobruk defence.
Entrance to the Tobruk. The steel steps up into the Tobruk.
21 October 2004
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker Tobruk defence.
Looking into the Tobruk. The top has been concreted over. The small niche is for a speaking tube connected to the bunkers crew room.
21 October 2004
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker Tobruk defence.
The wall on the right was added when the bunker was built as a protection for the entrance. There is a R634 up the coast also has a wall covering its entrance and may be a local addition.
21 October 2004
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
This is just after the battle for the bunker. Attacked by the 3/22nd US Infantry and it looks as though it was quite a battle.
06 June 1944
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
Close combat defence embrasure and the steel embrasure has been removed.
21 October 2004
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
Close combat embrasure inside.
21 October 2004
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
Looking into the entrance.
21 October 2004
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
Another close combat embrasure covering the passage.
Aerial slots either side of the passage.
21 October 2004
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
Crew room.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
Crew room entrance and escape.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
Escape. In an emergency this is the only way out.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
This room is the ventilation room which means it would have had a pump to suck in air from outside. The air would go through a filter system and pressurize the bunker to keep out any attack with gas and also smoke can be filtered. There were at least two pumps in here.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
Ventilation room. This could also have a generator in here?
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
Ammunition room. Here there would be racks for storing 5cm mortar bombs and a table to make up magazines of about five bombs. The far door is the entrance into the mortar room dome.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
Leaving the ammunition room.
The mortar although it could be manually fired it could also be automatically fired by and electrical motor. It seems that (as far as I can see) very few used power operated motors. There was another item that I have no idea what it was and it sat in the ammunition room at the other end of the gun room.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
Close combat defence room.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
The way out.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R633 M19 mortar bunker.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
The view towards the garage.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
Nice view of the bunker. Two entrances (one hidden behind the bush) and Tobruk entrance.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
21 October 2004
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
Radio aerial slots one with the protective cap still on.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
Details of the builders of the bunker 2.Kp.Bau.Btl.158, possibly the Stab (HQ).
21 October 2004
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
Aerial slots.
00 00 00
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
Tobruk defence.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
Tobruk inside.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
06 October 2014
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
A small niche outside the left door.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
The left entrance.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
Gas lock passage. Two aerial slots either side. A 434P01 would have closed off here. A thick armoured double stable door.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
Door into the crew room and this was a 19P7 thinner steel gas tight door.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
Large crew room would have had rows of bunks, one man wooden cupboards, a folding table or two and about four layers of folding bunk beds.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
The entrance door a close combat embrasure covering the left hand entrance.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
The second close combat embrasure covering the right hand entrance.
The two pipe fittings I believe are the chimney pipes for the bunker stove.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R656 15 man bunker.
Close combat embrasure type 57P8.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R35 3.7cm 144 KwK tank turret Tobruk
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R35 3.7cm tank turret Tobruk.
The turret rim was bolted onto the top of he Tobruk.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Scheinwerfer - (searchlight) garage.
Originally a gun garage, then used to garage the Scheinwerfer and also may have held the generator to power the light.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Scheinwerfer - (searchlight) garage.
If this had been used as a gun garage the square niche in the end wall was to allow the barrel of the to enter thus allowing a long barreled gun to sit inside nicely.
21 October 2004
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Scheinwerfer - (searchlight) garage.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Scheinwerfer - (searchlight) garage & the R656 15 man bunker .
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R35 3.7cm tank turret Tobruk.
The second rear R35 tank turret Tobruk. Note the threads sticking up to bolt down the turret.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R35 3.7cm tank turret Tobruk.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Anti-tank ditch.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Anti-tank ditch.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
The view along the main battle line.
This is where the main defence was placed. Two very powerful 8.8cm ant-tank guns and three tank turret Tobruk's.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R35 3.7cm tank turret Tobruk number three.
This Tobruk has been exploded but I think this is a recent action I believe to make it safe for bathers?
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R35 3.7cm tank turret Tobruk number three.
Beyond this Tobruk on the far corner of the defence was another machine gun in a field position.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R35 3.7cm tank turret Tobruk number three.
Almost unrecognisable.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Scheinwerfer (search light).
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Post D-day picture.
First the tank turret Tobruk, then the search light and the two R633's.
1944
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
150cm Scheinwerfer - (searchlight emplacement).
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
150cm Scheinwerfer - (searchlight emplacement).
1944
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
150cm Scheinwerfer - (searchlight emplacement).
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Beach defences.
The stakes were placed so that they would do the best damage at high water mark.
This is an interesting point: -
The German plan for D-Day England was to land at high tide and let their barges (they were canal barges modified) settle and then the troops, vehicles and horses could land.
Now the Allied plan was to land at low tide or a rising tide and as a landing craft unloaded the tide would have lifted them off and they could return for a new cargo. Also as the beach defences were further up the sand, the landing craft would see and avoid them.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R677Casemate for an 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
The casemate had enough room for a large anti-tank gun and a flanking wall protecting the embrasure from direct fire from the sea. Also it allowed the gun to fire directly down the beach.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R677Casemate for an 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
Looks as though it took a large hit here.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R677Casemate for an 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
Rear entrance.
06 October 2014
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R677Casemate for an 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
Rear entrance just after capture.
June/July 1944
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R677Casemate for an 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
View into the gun room.
06 October 2014
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R677Casemate for an 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
Looking into the gun room. The two legs of the gun set into recesses in the concrete. Two niches either side to hold ammunition.
June 1944
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R677Casemate for an 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
The sea wall/anti-tank wall was built before the gun emplacement and the flanking wall has been built around it.
06 October 2014
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R677Casemate for an 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
The casemate with its gun still in place. The search light emplacement with its camouflage net on the roof. The searchlights cover is sitting down the bank.
1944
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
R677Casemate for an 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
Interesting details here:
A very dark cover over the top of the bunker - the black square on the air photo is this bunker.
Note the damage done to the inside of the flanking wall. The only way they could have been damaged is possibly from tanks advancing up the beach??
Damaged barrel and shell case.
1944
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
S35 tank turret Tobruk.
A very substantially built Tobruk for the tank turret.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
S35 tank turret Tobruk.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
S35 tank turret Tobruk.
You can see where the turret bolted onto the Tobruk.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Continuation of the old ant-tank wall.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
The second R677 casemate.
On the right of the rear entrance is the vent for foul gases from the bunker fan.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
The second R677 casemate.
Gun room. The large round pipe on the wall is where a fan would have been fitted. When the gun fired the room would fill with foul gases from the gun and the fan would suck out the gases via a network of vents set into the roof and piped to the large hole. The fan would then push out the gases out of a vent in the rear of the bunker.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
The second R677 casemate.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
The second R677 casemate.
An MG-Scharte set into the antitank wall which may pre date the bunker.
06 October 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------- 1944
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
The second R677 casemate.
With the gun still in place.
June 1944
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
The second R677 casemate.
View down the beach.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
3.7cm KwK R35 tank turret Tobruk.
06 October 2013
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
3.7cm KwK R35 tank turret Tobruk.
Where the turret fitted one thread can be seen.
21 October 2004
StP09 St Martin de Varreville
Pointe du Hoc
21 October 2004