StP234 Batt. Hamburg T2

Here we are covering Turm 2 of 4.

Plan of the batterie site of StP234 Batterie 'Hamburg' 3./M.A.A.260. Head Quarters were in the Château de Tourlaville.

Turm 2 with a Geschützstellung or open emplacement for a 24cm S.K.L./40 gun. Behind a 15cm searchlight was added. Several bunker/shelters for barracks, offices, etc. The gun emplacement has three ammunition magazines attached at the rear, then there were added at least one more either side. The capacity of ammunition would have been quite high. All guns were issued a 'Load'. A load is the amount a gun/batterie needs to use in a standard battle scenario. The ammunition supply officers would, as the ammunition was being used up. Call for another load to be brought up. There is no finite quantity, its all down to the type of batterie or speed of using up ammunition, etc. There was at least one Tobruk 58c type covering the rear of the gun.

The angled concrete is the access to the gun space and the ammunition rooms. It was also the farmers front door. And inside, his kitchen and sink.

The front door. 11 March 2002 my friend Ian and I were on a bunker hunting trip to Normandy and took a walk around the back of Turm 2. Two dogs came running out and started barking, followed by the farmer. He was lovely, started to chat away to us. Now Ian and I do not speak French, he did not speak English. There were several mutual words that I understood and then he just forgot we were English and continued in, what I would call. Norman French. He took us into his home, the ammunition bunker and emplacement of Turm2. He showed us into the three ammunition rooms, which were the bedrooms, the passageway was his kitchen and the open emplacement had a glass green house lean too against the wall. This was his living room. He then kindly walked us around the fields pointing out where certain positions were. His father owned the farm before the war. War came and the invaders needed space to build a batterie of heavy guns. So the local farmers were told to leave. Well the batterie was built, the war ends and the Mayor tells our farmers father, he can have his farm back, bunker and all.

Ian & the farmer. The Geschützstellung with the guns hold fast, now a flower bed. Where once gunners toiled to fire on Allied warships. There are a row of plant pots. 'Swords into plough shears' comes to mind.

The Geschützstellung showing the way the two side walls only allowed the gun a few degrees to to shoot through. I think 80° was the maximum here.

Another angle showing the Geschützstellung.

The Geschützstellung and a 24 cm/40 (9.4") SK L/40 gun in place. The gun shields had been removed by the time this picture was taken. Note the way the original Geschützstellung runs through the wall, showing this was an open emplacement and that it was gradually being casemated.

Geschützstellung outside looking in.

This picture is from Turm 3. The ammunition bunkers behind the gun and when we visited the farmer allowed us into all his rooms, but this was his house. I did not think it right to take photos of his bedrooms.

The lovely farmer who really thought I spoke French. He actually spoke quite good German as well.

Air photo looking south at the mouth of the gun position.