StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
STP · K.V.Gruppe Cotentin Ost · AOK 7 Normandy · France
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Barfleur.
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
My plan of StP121, the yellow line is where the wall of Belgian gates was sighted. The red line, the anti-tank wall.
1 x R667 5cm casemate.
1 x R677 8.8cm Pak 43/41 casemate.
1 x Vf69 mortar Tobruk.
1 x Vf/MG
1 x 5cm Ringstand.
6 x Vf58c Tobruks.
2 x Wellblech
1 x R35 Pz.T 3.7cm KwK 144(f).
2 x 5cm KwK L/42.
1 x 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
1 x 4.7cm Pak K.36(t).
1 x 2cm Flak 30.
1 x Mortar 8cm or 5cm.
Geoportail
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
This is the Barfleur area, with all the Wn & StP's along the coast. MF. 62 & 63. are the two large minefields that covered the gaps between defences.
German map
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Barfleur is situated to the east of Cherbourg, it is a very interesting little fishing port with many bars, shops and restaurants.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Allied photo taken a year after D-Day.
Barfleur was an important little fishing town prior to 1940. In wartime it was not used by many fishing boats (maybe the odd one or two under guard would be allowed) but by coastal craft plying around the Atlantikwall's small ports. It was also a port that if captured could be used to supply an invading army, so it had to be defended. It was too small though for E-boats as the harbour dried out at low tide.
WO 252/151
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
This is a very extensive wall that runs from L to R across this picture.
07 October 2013
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
With the tide out you can see the extensive make up of this wall.
After the Dieppe Raid went very wrong, the Allies decided never to attack a port.
The German attitude to the Allies was that they would attack a port. So ports were strongly defended.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
07 October 2013
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
07 October 2013
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
You can see here extended steel rods coming out of the concrete wall to attach barbed wire to.
07 October 2013
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
This maybe where a small anti-tank gun could be used.
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
This casemate would have held a 5cm KwK Pak 42. This gun covered the inner harbour.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
This casemate would have held a 5cm KwK Pak 42. An earlier picture.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
This is one end of an anti-tank barrier, whereby a row of Belgian Gates would be linked together and tied into this block and another on the harbour wall.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
This shows the harbour wall end with the R677 camouflaged with a covering of turfs and grass. The Belgian Gates locked together.
SHM
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
The block at the bottom of the picture is the harbour wall side of the Belgian Gate wall.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Here is the block on the harbour wall.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Here is the block on the harbour wall.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
At the end of the harbour wall is an Nr1694 ringstand with a 5cm KwK L42 Pak.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
This is how it may have looked sat at the end of the harbour covering all angles.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Now a harbour light has been fitted inside the ringstand.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
As seen from the seaward side with the tide out.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Now looking at the part of Wn121 that runs along the beach front.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
The house in the middle was a 4.7cm Pak gun bunker built into it.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
This looks like a defended position.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
This is a picture of the house.
SHM
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Details
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
There is quite a lot of remains along this side.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
There is quite a lot of remains along this side.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
A hook set into the rocks to hole barbed wire entanglement.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
A strengthened wall around this Vf58c Tobruk.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
The top flush with the ground.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Vf Machine gun post.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Vf Machine gun post.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Vf Machine gun post. Also note the steel posts set into the concrete to hold barbed wire.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Machine gun embrasure that has had the embrasure bricked up, I am assuming that just a rifle could shoot through it.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
A machine gun on its tripod could fit on the concrete table.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Another Tobruk.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
At night the defences were blind, so searchlights were integrated into the defences. From small to 60cm to 150cm searchlights could be used.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
At night the defences were blind, so searchlights were integrated into the defences. From small to 60cm to 150cm searchlights could be used.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Vf58c Tobruk.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Vf58c Tobruk.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
One part of a set for making a tetrahedron beach anti-tank defence.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
R677 anti-tank gun casemate with an 8.8cm Pak covering the beach.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Flanking wall and embrasure.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
The field of fire of this casemate.
22 November 2008
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Most R677 do not have added Tobruk defences. This is quite a rare version. The Tobruk allowed for AA defence, local defence and also observation. The soldier in the Tobruk, could use binoculars to tell the gunners where targets are and also adjustment of their fire.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Added Tobruk.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Inside the attached Tobruk. There would have been a voice communication tube connecting the Tobruk to the gun room to and the machine gunner would help lay the gun on its targets.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
The rear entrance where the gun could be pushed in. Two ammunition niches on each side to hold ready ammunition.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
When the gun fired, fumes & smoke from the gun would fill the gun room.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Gun room embrasure.
The 8.8cm anti-tank gun was, one of the best AT guns of all time. But by mid war, advances in tanks and mobile warfare made them almost redundant. They were very big and heavy. They needed a large tractor to tow them in and out of positions. When in position in modern warfare, they probably only manage two rounds to fire before the enemy had spotted, where they were and either brought a gun/tank/aircraft to bear on them. The crew could not extract the guns quickly enough and the gun was often blown up. The small hand held rocket launcher became the cheapest and easiest way of killing tanks. So a lot of 8.8cm guns were moved into the Atlantikwall to be placed in fixed casemates and that gave them their strongest defence. On D-day they proved a phenomenal weapon. Omaha Beach was a great example with two guns, one at each end inside casemates just like this one.
Bigot
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Ammunition bunker.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
An emplacement for a small 2cm Flak 30. Not only giving good AA coverage, but could be a very effective ground defence gun.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Looking into the position.
Bigot
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Covering the rear.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Two ammunition niches
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Usually an 8cm mortar were in these bunkers. others a smaller 5cm mortar could be used. An ammunition room, a gun room where the mortar sits and a Tobruk defence and observation.
Bigot
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Usually an 8cm mortar were in these bunkers. others a smaller 5cm mortar could be used. An ammunition room, a gun room where the mortar sits and a Tobruk defence and observation.
25 September 2005
StP121 Barfleur le Cracko
Bigot