StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
HKB · K.V.Gruppe Cotentin Ost · AOK 7 Normandy · France
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Heeres Küsten Batterie
Batterie 5./Heeres Küsten Artillery Regiment 1261.
The army's coastal batteries were mostly set up with field cannons, but often stationary mounted on turntables in concrete positions. The fire control equipment was also the same as the field artillery had. The batteries were therefore often unable to deliver directed fire to a moving sea target, but instead focused on barrage fire. (Wiki Norge)
Les Arquets, F.C.P., Morsalines., the lighthouse on the hill above Morsalines was Crasville's fire control post.
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Batterie 5./H.K.A.R. 1261.
2 x R650 casemates.
2 c R671 casemates.
1 x Vf58c Tobruk.
1 x Wasser bunker.
1 x SK/MG stand.
4 x 10.5cm K.331(f) guns.
1 x 2cm Flak 30.
1 x 3.7cm Flak.
Munitions, garage, Flak mound, unterstand,etc.
AIR 40/1959
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
SHM plan and I have added items that we have found.
Plan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
R650 casemate for a pivot gun. Some casemates a field gun can be pushed in via a back door. Here you cannot. The gun room has a hold fast cemented into the floor where pivot mount could be attached. Then a field gun, removed from its carriage. Lifted in place. There were nearly always large rings set into the casemates ceiling to be used to lift a barrel in and out.
14 October 2002
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
This is a plan of Batterie Azeville R650 from MKB Bunkertour, which is the same type.
plan kurt
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
This picture was taken of the embrasure just after capture. The gun I think was still in place here Two guns were removed after the Americans had landed and placed back on their carriages. They were then used in the retreat to Cherbourg. The other two, it looks as though they were still in the bunkers. One carriage was damaged and we will see that one in a later picture.
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
This is the type of gun that was used here and it arrived in 1943 and the batterie of four guns made up the 5./H.K.A.R. 1261. The batterie may have been horse drawn and placed ringstands that sat out in front of the casemates. The horses were often retained so the batteries can be moved around from position to position. When the batteries were casemated the horsed were retained and used to draw ammunition or food and general carrying duties.
(Heers Kusten Artillery Regiment)
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
R650 casemate looking along the rear of the bunker. L to R Entrance to the observation/Tobruk, Left hand entrance and right hand entrance.
The left entrance was to allow access to the ammunition rooms to re load them. The right was the crew entrance with a defended close combat defence room and inside the crew room another CC defence, a 434P01 heavy steel door closed off both rear entrance and also the close combat room.
14 October 2002
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Just after capture the detritus of war lying around with items of building materials.
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
The Carriage of the K331 10.5cm Schneider Mod 1913 (f) with badly damaged wheel. The guns barrel has been removed and fitted into the casemate.
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
K331 with a 10.5cm Schneider Mod 1913 (f). This is how it may have looked set up in one of the open emplacements. The camouflage net is fitted to a frame and can rotate with the gun.
bundesarckiv
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
A slightly later photo and several camouflage nets have gradually been removed, may have been commandeered for use on American vehicles? Note the building matáriels still lying around.
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
The rear most entrance up to the observation Tobruk.
14 October 2002
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
The iron steps set into the concrete.
14 October 2002
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Niche for a connection box for a field telephone. Above a tube for the speaking tube/Sprachrohr that linked to inside the bunker.
14 October 2002
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
A steel ring would have been cemented into the recess where four brackets fit.
14 October 2002
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
The Tobruk observation and defence.
14 October 2002
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Crew entrance and close combat defence embrasure.
09 December 2010
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
The internal Close Combat embrasure. There would have been a 434P01 door just inside to the right..
09 December 2010
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Crew room.
09 December 2010
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Passage way from the crew room to the gun room.
09 December 2010
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
The roof of Turm IV looking towards Turm III a R671.
14 October 2002
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Being squared off these are from the design for use in towns, so they fit into a townscape with the straight sides and square look.
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Rear entrance.
09 December 2010
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Rear entrance.
09 December 2010
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Gun room looking toward the rear door right side. The walls for the ammunition storage has been broken out, this may have been done by the farmer to make room as a barn or storage.
09 December 2010 15 April 2003
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
The gun room looking out.
09 December 2010 15 April 2003
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
A rather shell splattered wall.
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
This is slightly later than the last photo as it looks as though its been tidied up a bit. You can just see the gun shield in place but no barrel, that is because this barrel was re united to it gun carriage and used later outside the bunker in the retreat to Cherbourg.
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
The rear view.
22 October 2004
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Just after capture and work was still in progress right up to 6th June.
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Gradually being lost in the woodland.
09 December 2010
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
This one also has its gun barrel removed.
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
A good amount of ammunition seems to have been fired off.
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
This photo looks as though it was taken later and the site is quite tidy.
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Three quarter view of the gun line.
24 October 2004
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
The embrasure side of the casemate.
14 October 2002
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
This photo was taken very soon after capture, the gun is still in place. It does looks like yje casemates were painted a dark colour as several cannon shells have hit the casemate and splattered the concrete, chipping the paint. The guns shield was not hit.
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Just after capture another good photo, it shows a lot of the building matáriels lying around.
SHM
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
14 October 2002
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Rear view showing the Tobruk entrance, the ammunition entrance and the crew entrance.
01 May 2004
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
This is one of the only gun sites I have ever found a Flak Tumulus. I checked with a friend and its not a pre - Roman burial Tumulus.
18 April 2003
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
It had a 3.7cm Flak on the top when captured and would have had a very good 360° view of the area. And was probably used in ground defence when the batterie was attacked.
09 December 2010
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
The 3.7cm gun in place.
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
This picture, taken slightly later and the defence wall around the gun has been pushed down.
Jim Swan
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Possibly a Vf bunker (Vf1a?) either for the crew or more likely ammunition for the 3.7cm Flak gun.
09 December 2010
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Another Vf bunker of some kind, just the outline of its top.
21 October 2004
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Now this is something I have never seen before. Some say 2cm Flak but I found a live Lebel round on the floor. So the best I can do is, that it possibly was a Reibel machine gun taken from a Maginot fort and re used here?? in the anti-aircraft role.
13 October 2009
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
It is too small for a 2cm Flak 30 type by may be able to house a 2cm Flak 29 Oerlikon.
09 December 2010
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Here we just found the escape and no bunker.
21 October 2004
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Looking down the escape with steel steps set into the side of the wall.
21 October 2004
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Extra ammunition storage next to Turm IV.
09 December 2010
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Ammunition storage there were at least two at Crasville.
16 November 2001
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
This Tobruk is on the road side and covered the South/West side of the batterie.
09 December 2010
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Some call it a Wasser bunker/water bunker, but its not a bunker but a water tank for the construction of the batterie. Since used as a Pig sty.
15 May 2005
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
15 April 2003
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
The second ammunition bunker, just a small room for storage.
15 April 2003
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
I am not sure this was a generator house, more an SK anti-tank garage for a small 2cm AT gun. On the left maybe the generator house.
15 April 2003
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
This left entrance could have been a gererator house? we did not look in.
15 April 2003
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
The gun can sit over a pit in the floor and spare ammunition for the gun is placed in the pit. Room for the small crew on the left side.
15 April 2003
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
I cannot see a Generator was fitted in here but certainly the pit had a ledge each side to take wooden boards so ammunition could be stored under the gun.
15 April 2003
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Steps down into the bunker.
15 April 2003
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
The entrance.
22 December 2004
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
22 December 2004
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
Inside.
22 December 2004
StP142 Crasville Videcosville H.K.B.
15 April 2003