StP255 Fort du Roule Interior

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

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

M.A.A.260, M.K.B. Korvetten Kapitan Hans von Martin was in command.
4 x R671/SK casemates set into the rock..
1 x Leitstand/SK (Fire Control Post).
4 x 10.5cm S.K.C/32.U guns. Souterraine - Tunnels.
M.A.A. - Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung.
M.K.B. - Marine-Küsten-Batterie.

R671 casemate and the way they are fitted into the cliff face.

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

The positions of the casemates, the FCP & just to the side, the entrance.

cimy

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

SHM plan of the tunnel system. There would have been plenty of ammunition, but re supply may have been a problem. Where ever the munitions were held, they had to be got to the guns. Behind Cherbourg is/was a large French torpedo/fuel & ammunition underground storage. With railway lines in and out. But that is exactly where the Americans attacked from. They came into Fort du Roule from the rear. Advanced over the rough terrain of the east side and met with terrific fire from many Flak guns, machine gun bunkers and trenches. These were overcome. The fort was taken. Now to stop the Roule batterie from firring. First the Americans presumed the lower floor of the fort was connected to the batterie tunnels. Bu no it was not. They tried tunneling, blowing with charges. But got nowhere. In the end a very brave American GI, climbed down on numerous occasions and fed pole charges into the embrasures. Gradually knocking the guns out.

shm Plan

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Main entrance. We arrived here twice to find the door completely remove. The first visit, we had no idea what we were going into. So we only ventured in a few meters. The next visit, no door, so we were better prepared. Since our visit, the batterie has been opened as a museum. This may have fallen through, I am not too sure what is now happening.

25 September 2005

A US Navy Officers photo showing what may have been the two original entrances.

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

They would have needed some electricity and some bunkers had small generators situated in the rear door close combat rooms that look like these concrete bases for a generator.

25 September 2005

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

This looks like concrete bases for a generator set. They would need electricity to run lighting, etc. and sitting it by the entrance, the exhaust pipe would poke out somewhere around the door and taking the fumes away.

25 September 2005 JF

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Passage way to the second entrance (not visited)

25 September 2005

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Small rooms cut left and right into the rock to use as ammunition spaces.

25 September 2005

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Another ammunition space.

25 September 2005

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Another ammunition space. All that is left here is an old water tank.,

25 September 2005

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Continuing on.

25 September 2005

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Turm 4 Gun room with a large extractor head fitted above the guns breach.

25 September 2005 jf

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Turm 4 Cherbourg bellow.

25 September 2005

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Turm 4

25 September 2005 jf

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Turm 3 & 4 on the outside.

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

25 September 2005

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Turm 3

25 September 2005

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Turm 3 outside.

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Continuing onwards.

25 September 2005

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

FCP door a 434P01 type. This door sealed off the Fire Control Post from the tunnel system.

25 September 2005

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

FCP passage to the post.

25 September 2005

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Fire Control Post, with graffiti removed. Not a particularly large area to work in. I am not sure this post was totally equipped, as quite a few of these posts were not fitted out. Due to the large amounts needed, the supply system, the bombing of the French railways, etc.

25 September 2005 jf

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Fire Control Post outside.

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Moving on to Turm 2

25 September 2005

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Turm 2 Looking into the gun room for 10.5 cm S.K.C/32.0 and the gun was bolted to the floor with a hold fast ring, turntable. The embrasure has been bricked up at this date 2006. Note the battle damage inside the casemates, large pieces of concrete broken of the walls.

17 March 2006 jf

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Turm 2 In the small niche for ammunition storage is a large fan to suck out the foul gases from the gun after it had fired. The gas/smoke would be sucked into the collecting box bolted to the roof and via some pipe work to the fan and then out of the casemate. When the gun is fired, the case is expelled from the breach and that would be caught by a gun crew member and probably thrown out of the embrasure. To keep the gun room floor clear.

17 March 2006

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Turm 2 The collecting box above where the gun would have sat. More damage to the corner.

17 March 2006

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Turm 2 Detail of the fan.

17 March 2006

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

How it looked after the gun was removed and the battle damage cleared up. (Unsure which casemate this was). The guns hold fast ring on the floor.

1947

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Turm 2 The huge air extraction hood.

17 March 2006

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Turm 2

24 November 2008

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

A US Navy Officer, today it would be called a selfie, then it was to send back to his folks at home.

1945 a US Navy Officer

He was a Officer aboard the US Army troop transport Alden Besse. Taking US soldiers back from Europe after the wars end.

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

Walking towards T1, Mike in search mode.

17 March 2006

StP255 Fort du Roule M.K.B Interior

On several photos the fog can be seen. We walked through the tunnels of Ra145 Pointe de la Garde Guerin 'Paulus' in Brittany. The tunnels started low down and you had to climb to the centre. As you climbed, at a certain level there was a fog bank that you walked through.

17 March 2006