StP108 St Martine de Varreville H.K.B

HKB · K.V.Gruppe Cotentin Ost · AOK 7 Normandy · France

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

Here in 1942 a batterie of four 10.5cm K331(f) guns arrived and set themselves up to cover the east side of the Cotentin peninsular. They would have dug their guns in in the good soil of Normandy. Camouflaged in, they would be very hard to see from aerial reconnaissance. 1943 and a complete set of new guns are substituted by four 12.2cm K390/2(r) guns. From captured French guns to captured Russian guns. These guns were gradually set into concrete Geschützstellung, Ringstands. and ammunition bunkers dug in behind. Trenches, barbed wire and mines. Then the Hitler order to casemate all guns meant that four R669 casemates were to be built, and this is what was happening when D-Day came along. With D-Day there was a massive bombing campaign by the Allied airforces and both the RAF and the USAAF attacked the site, so well that the guns were removed and placed away from the emplacements. When the American Airborne arrived on D-Day morning expecting a stiff fight. There was nothing there. They had all gone. Where too I do not know yet.

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville,

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

The battered and bombed batterie.

20 March 2006

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

20 March 2006

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

1/.H.K.A.R.1261 (ex St.B.K.316.

4 x R669 under construction.

3 x SK. 5 x Vf2b.

1 x Vf7b. 2 x Vf58c.

4 x Open emplacements for F.K.

4 x 12.2cm K.390/2(r).

SHM 1946

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

Allied BIGOT map showing the defences known on the 12 May 1944. These maps were updated on a daily basis as more intelligence came in. Some intelligence came from air photography and others from local people passing information down to the French underground, who sent it via radio, secret agents (boats/planes) or Pigeons. The problem with Pigeons was that the Germans realized that a Pigeon flying due north probably was a homing Pigeon and carried a secret message. The Army command sent orders down that shot guns should be issued to beach defence units and one had to be ready at all times to shoot at and stop the Pigeons. They could eat the Pigeon but please send the coded message to HQ.

Bigot map dated 12 May 1944

Pigeons would be placed in special boxes and parachuted into France to send information in coded messages.

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

On the other hand it was made illegal to shoot homing Pigeons in Britain.

WW2

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

In 1942 a batterie of four 10.5cm K331(f) guns arrived and they were Heer's Küsten Batterie 316. Four open emplacements were built in field positions and camouflaged. 1943 and a complete set of new guns are substituted and four 12.2cm K390/2(r) guns. From captured French guns to captured Russian ones. These were then set in concrete Ringstands with ammunition niches and ammunition bunkers behind with crew accommodation and living bunkers. The guns had a range of 20Km and may have been able to reach the Pointe du Hoc but by no means Omaha beach. With the casemating of artillery, four casemates of R669 were being built, but by D-Day they were still in their reinforced steel internals and no concrete laid.

20 March 2006

10.5cm K331(f) modernised version with pneumatic tires.

10.5cm K331(f) the original 1913 type horse drawn artillery.

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

‘French farmer, St. Martin d’Audeville’ not far from here. He would have lived through the bombing and then the shelling from the Navy. And on top of that may have been involved in the French underground, like a farmer I met many years ago. Who as a young man on the eve of D-Day went out that night and fought and helped the American airborne soldiers that were lost and needed to find their way around.

Victor Alfred Lundy

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

The church of St Martin De Varreville as seen from the ruined emplacements. Utah Beach in a direct line beyond the church. Showing naval fire and aerial bombardment, "I consider this an excellent example". Pinpoint bombing of the batterie at Varreville. ETOUSA.

WO 219/5208 ETOUSA War Observers Report Vol. 1. 17-2

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

Note penetration of concrete in comparison with height of 6' man. ETOUSA.

WO 219/5208 ETOUSA War Observers Report Vol. 1. 17-4

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

I have found this in a later page in document (Air 14/1215 Enemy Batteries). These photographs cover the attached between 29.5.44 and 7.6.44, two by Bomber Command and one by the 9th Air Force 6.6.44. (this I am unsure, the 9th did not target the batterie but it did the beach of the same name). The whole area is covered with craters, two of the casemates have been severely damaged and one destroyed. Command post, communications and signal installations and personnel accommodation have all been severely damaged. All this is substituted by A.D.I.(K) Report No.272/1944 which also supports the observation by crew of a large explosion apparently caused by an ammunition store exploding. A large crater behind the casemates is probably the site of the explosion.

Air 14/1215 Enemy Batteries.

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

Photo showing cratering around the batterie. ETOUSA.

WO 219/5208 ETOUSA War Observers Report Vol. 1. 17-1

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

And here the overlapping of craters. These photos were used to show the Allied military officers what shelling and bombing can do to a target when attacked correctly. ETOUSA.

WO 219/5208 ETOUSA War Observers Report Vol. 1. 16-12

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

Photo 16-10and 16-11 show the abandon ammunition and supplies which resulted when the Germans were driven from this position by aerial bombardment. ETOUSA.

WO 219/5208 ETOUSA War Observers Report Vol. 1. 16-10 WO 219/5208 ETOUSA War Observers Report Vol. 1. 16-11

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

Remains of an R669 casemate under construction.

Air 37/864/2 Coastal Def. Fort. in the Cherbourg Peninsular. 12.

Rear of a finished R669 in northern France.

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

Possibly a Vf shelter pushed in by a direct hit, showing that they were not strong enough to take heavy bombing and that is why they were replaced by 600 series bunkers.

Air 37/864/2 Coastal Def. Fort. in the Cherbourg Peninsular. 10.

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

This may have been an ammunition bunker and looks as though the internal (right side) wall has been pushed out of true.

file unknown

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

Vf2b personnel shelter for sleeping up to six men probably the crew of one gun.

20 March 2006

Wn108 Battr St Martin de Varreville

Vf2b personnel shelter. Another view of this R501 showing the entrance with two wings added on, constructed after the bunker to allow access into a trench system now long gone. Earth would have been heaped up around the entrance and over the top of the bunker as extra protection.

20 March 2006