StP245 M.K.B. 'Brommy'

MKB · K.V.U.Gruppe Cherbourg See · AOK 7 Normandy · France

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Artillery commander Cherbourg had these batteries: Hamburg Batterie (West) in Fermanville (4 x 24cm). York Batterie (West) in Querqueville (4 x 17cm). Brommy Batterie (West) near Les Caplains (4 x 15cm). and Cherbourg Mole Batterie (4 x 9.5cm). (The word WEST means Western Europe as opposed to Eastern Europe, there were several batteries in the east with the same names).
Construction started in early September 1940 around the French batterie of Les Caplains. The French guns were removed and four emplacements for four 15cm S.K.C./28 ships guns were ready by the end of the month. Construction was by the Marine Construction Battalions 311 and 313. A 1.5m diameter searchlight was also added.
After the frantic arrival and build up of 1940, then Battle of Britain was fought. The airfields of Maupertus and Querqueville had Me109 & Stuka dive bombers flying backwards and forwards to fight the British over Portland, Weymouth and Portsmouth. After that, the area the area went very quite. Not a lot happened until the RAF had built up more strength.
Then with the RAF starting Circus (daytime bomber attacks with fighter escorts against short range targets), Ramrod – short range bomber attacks to destroy ground targets, Rhubarb – fighter or fighter-bomber attacks. Things started to liven up. More light flak was added and in December 1943, when Hitler decided to casemate all artillery. The construction of four casemates was started, (1 x standard M272, 2 x M270 and 1 x M195). Which was completed in May 1944 and also added were a batterie of four 7.5cm AA guns (f) and two 7.62cm Field guns (r). A huge mine belt surrounding the site with over 2800 mines was planted. Most of this work was carried out by the Todt Org.

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

The batterie looking north from Wn244.

27 June 2001

The German plan of the area, showing all the defences in the area.
200's the main seaward defence. 400's the Land defence.
MF 105- Mine field with at least 2800 mines..
Wn241 Le Fort de Digosville.
StP209 Port des Flamands.
StP208 Plage Collignon.

German defence plan

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Bttr.1/M.A.A.260.
Captain Lieutenant Walter Schindler.
1 x M195 Geschützstellung/casemate.
1 x M272 casemate.
2 x M270 casemates.
1 x R608 Stab bunker.
1 x SK/Sanitätbunker.
1 x SK/Scheinwerfer, searchlight.
4 x Vf bunkers.
2 x Leitstand/SK.
4 x 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval guns.
6 x 7.5cm Flak M17/34(f) guns.
2 x 7.62 F.G.(r). 2cm Flak.

ignf 1944

15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval guns.

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

SHM's plan.

shm plan

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Main gate and guard bunker.

24 October 2004

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Main gate and guard bunker.

24 October 2004

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

French batterie offices.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

French batterie offices.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

French batterie offices.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

French batterie offices. In a small annexe is a power house that would have held a generator, to run the French batterie. There was/is a water cisterne just outside the offices and may have also held a water pump.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

French batterie offices. Annexe for generator.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Ex French barrack block.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

French ammunition magazine Originally here there were a battery of six 240mm French naval guns and a second batterie of either two or 4 95mm guns. These were in open emplacements on a long earth mound and concreted in, in open emplacements. They had two of these ammunition magazines, one room looks as though it was the store for ether gun.

27 June 2001

Ammunition magazine & one gun emplacement.

A magazine and a 240mm gun at Wn241 Le Fort de Digosville.

And how Wn241 Le Fort Digosville looked in the 1930's.

Wn241 Le Fort de Digosville Fonds Karl Herbust 1940

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

French ammunition magazine The same view 16 years later.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

French ammunition magazine When filling the magazine, the ammunition would have been brought in through the door. But in battle. The door is closed and the ammunition is issued via two slots. Top and bottom. These slots would have had steel shutters, or often galvanised shutters.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

French ammunition magazine The ammunition was placed on the lower table and then cranked up via a shell hoist at the far end to the top shelf.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

French ammunition magazine Shell hoist, note the recess mad in the wall to allow the hoists winding handle to run right around. A very tight fit.

Detail in the wall, I have no idea what it was. Air vent?

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

French ammunition magazine.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

French ammunition magazine Little blast walls between entrances.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Unknown bunker.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

The second ammunition bunker. Another example of probably the American engineers. Filling a bunker with ammunition, cordite bags and any other explosives and blowing the lot up.

27 June 2001

US engineers filling a bunker with 600lb of T.N.T. and 3200gal of oil into a ventilator shaft and then detonated. (13 April 1945).

Preparations for blowing up Teller mines.

1943/4 and Rommel doing his rounds at StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Bundesarchiv

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Part of the French gun position.

15 October 201715 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Ammunition bunker German There are three of this type at StP277 'York', one at Turm 1 StP234 Battr. 'Hamburg' and another here. Entrance either end and a small escape hatch that even I can squeeze through in the wall that separates the two rooms.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Ammunition bunker German This is how I found it in May 2001. The red cross looks genuine?? Although there was an SK/Sanitätbunker behind the batterie.

27 June 2001

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Ammunition bunker German The small escape hole between the two rooms.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Ammunition bunker German

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Ammunition bunker German The other door out towards the guns.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 2 from above.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 1 M270 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun.

27 June 2001

Us signals corps

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 1 M270 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun. There were four very thick cable inlets to a panel on the wall. I have never seen any of these panels in situ so I cannot show what they were like.

12 January 2000

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 1 M270 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun. One hell of a mounting for the gun.

12 January 2000

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 1 M 270 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun. Ammunition rooms.

04 May 2001

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 1 M270 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun. Access to the two case and shell store ammunition rooms with a 434P01 door.

04 May 2001

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 1 M270 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun. Access to the two case and shell store ammunition rooms.

04 May 2001

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 1 M270 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun. Ammunition can be passed through these apertures to the gun crews by ammunition handlers in the magazines.

04 May 2001

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 2 M272 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun. Same type of gun, just a different casemate.

15 October 2017

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 2 M272 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun.

12 January 2000

DEFE 2/488

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 2 M272 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun. Two smallish niches either side for ammunition (unlike the last bunker) and and stairs running out.

12 January 2000

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 2 M272 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun. Nice view over the top.

24 May 2002

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 2 M272 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun. On this particular visit I was on my own, except there were 30 Goats about.

27 June 2001

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 3 M270 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun.

27 June 2001

15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun.

DEFE 2/488

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 3 M270 15cm S.K.C./28 medium-caliber naval gun.

15 October 2017

And how it looked after its capture.

US Army Signals Corps

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 4 M195 Geschützstellung/casemate. This casemate was originally designed as a Geschützstellung or open emplacement with semi sunk ammunition magazines behind the gun. Then when the order came from Hitler to casemate the guns, this open emplacement was casemated over with a lid.

12 January 2000

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 4 M195 Geschützstellung/casemate. The lid on the top.

27 June 2001

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 4 M195 Geschützstellung/casemate. .

24 October 2004

DEFE 2/488

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 4 M195 Geschützstellung/casemate.

12 January 2000

DEFE 2/488

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

Turm 4 M195 Geschützstellung/casemate. The access to the ammunition rooms below.

12 January 2000

This is actually horizontal and a shell/case would be passed through int.

StP245 Fort des Caplains M.K.B. 'Brommy',

On the evening of June 24th, the 12th Infantry Regiment under Colonel Luckett had advanced to Tourlaville, just a few hundred meters south of the battery, and an attack was imminent. After a swarm of P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bombers dropped a total of 13 bombs on the battery, on the morning of June 25. The 1st Bn., 12th IR cautiously approached the battery area along the route of the couplet (today's D 120). Since two of the American troops had seen white flags, the Americans assumed that the garrison wanted to surrender and moved closer without taking cover. The Germans then opened fire with several mortars and 2 cm anti-aircraft guns, seriously wounding six Americans. With the support of several tanks, the Americans then penetrated the battery area and were able to take the battery without encountering much resistance. In great haste, Naval Task Force 129 under Rear-Admiral Morton Deyo, which was heading towards Cherbourg, was informed that the Brommy battery was in American hands and therefore there should be no shelling from sea.

04 May 2001