Wn55 Port-en-Bessin

WN · K.V.U. Gruppe Bessin (Gold/Omaha Beach) · AOK 7 Normandy · France

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Port-en-Bessin is a lovely little town and I have spent a lot of time there. It was defended by the Germans with four defence positions that circled the small port, set into a cleft between high cliffs/hills either side. The port was very important in the early days of the war as the different German garrisons could be re supplied by coasters running up and down the channel. With Allied air superiority, it became very dangerous for slow moving, lightly armed boats to sail. So the Kriegsmarine designed a small ship/boat called a Siebel ferries & Flak Lighters. A superstructure containing as many anti-aircraft guns on it as possible and three remained in the port after capture. StP55 was the eastern cliff, not terribly well defended, but has a couple of heavy mortars, a few concrete Vf/FK bunkers. A 7.5cm Kannon and a lot of trenches.

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

StP55 starts I think at the Vauban tower on the left, to the top of the cliff. A barbed wire ran around the defence and there was a mine field.

10 march 2013

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

1., Grenadier-Regiment 726, [CP: Maisons, Château Wn54].
1 x R612 casemate due to start construction (Bw.Nr.486).
2 x Ringstands Gr.W mortars.
1 x Ringstand 5cm KwK.
1 x Vf58c Tobruk.
1 x Pz.T. FT17 MG 311(f) turret. 2 x SK bunkers/shelters.
1 x 7.5cm F.K.235(b).
1 x 5cm KwK L/60. 1 x 2cm Flak ?.

AIR 14/2904 05 April 1943

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Stuetzpünktgruppe Port-en-Bessin the amalgamation of the four defences. British Commandos were tasked with taking the port and assaulted the town and cliffs on D-Day, but attacked later on D+1 as they had a very bad landing and had to march from around Wn36 Asnelles and attacked from the rear of the town and taking Wn58, Wn57, the town Wn56 and StP55 last..

German plan

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

The view of the port StP55 on the hill.

NARA 18 June 1945

A pre D-Day intelligence photo of the area.

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

A pre D-Day intelligence photo of the area.

Bigot

A NARA air photo showing the extensive trenches being dug around the hill top.

NARA

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

The start of the walk. If you park in or near the Ibis car park and then walk up the hill along the original Zig Zag path. This is the path the Commandos advanced up.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

The water reservoir that was here at the time and was adapted into a bunker. To its side is the plinth with the Commandos details. Probably an ex Compagnie Générale des Eaux.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Plinth in English and French.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Copied from the plinth.

https://youtu.be/xEbkxgDIGH0?si=6LuMkoDx94TI-lSI a good film about the Commandos.

'A' -Troop Royal Marine Commando May 1944.

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

The capture of Port-en-Bessin, 7th June 1944 by David Rowland ROWLAND DAVID is one of today's finest and most accurate military artists. His atmospheric oil paintings present a realistic record of the dramatic events of war, and have won him many commissions from the British Army and Royal favour.

The Capture of Port-en-Bessin by 47 (RM) Commando

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

The water reservoir.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Dreh-Elektra? = Sonne? Sonne ["Sun"]: long wave (several LF frequencies between 270 and 330 kHz vs 300 kHz nominal and 250-350 kHz), long-range system of the Kriegsmarine (navy). Lorenz. It was based on "Elektra", but rather than physically rotating a loop antenna, Sonne used three stationary antennas spaced about 1 km (about 3.86 wavelengths) and a single transmitter + goniometer, to electronically sweep the direction of the beams. Range over land 1200 km. Range over sea 2000 km. Transmitter power: 1.5 kW. Ref. 230A-230C, 230K, 230L, 230M, 164B (p. 8, 9)). Collapsed hyperbolic system (extreme case of hyperbolic). Became operational June 1942.

10 October 2018 - Air 14/2904 Bayeux Electra

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Aerial tie down. There are many up here.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Now the defences. This is an observation post.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Observation.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Observation.

Bundesarchiv

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Trench position.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Trench ammunition niche.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Trenches running off east along the cliff.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Trench running back west.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Trench leading to an SK bunker I think now removed.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Look what flew over. Maybe a Mirage 2000 Fighter.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

About as far as the defence went.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Sorry but there are a lot of trenches left up here, more than most German defences in France.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Steps down into - Something?.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

2 x Ringstands Gr.W mortars. They look very much like the Vf69 Ringstand for an 8cm mortar and a Tobruk for fire control and also machine gun defence.

10 October 2018

Vf69 a Ringstand for a 8.14cm Gr.W278(f)

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Vf69 a Ringstand for a 8.14cm Gr.W278(f) the mortar Ringstand.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Machine gun Tobruk.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Trench continuing on to the second Vf69.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

The second mortar Tobruk.

10 October 2018

Pictures around the lip to show where targets were.

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

The entrance into the mortar Tobruk.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

The entrance into the mortar Tobruk. You can see the raw concrete wall.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Site of the R612 casemate due to start construction (Bw.Nr.486) [Bw - Build number when this is shown it means it is ordered or under construction]. By the looks of it this position was started, but not finished. The gun a 7.5cm F.K.235(b). was there and used in an open position but ready to go inside when the casemate was finished.

Construction of a casemate at Rue de Ouzeville Jim Swan.

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Vf58c Tobruk defence.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Vf58c Tobruk defence. Interesting that the door is in the rear, most Vf58c's have them on the side.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Vf58c Tobruk defence. The Ringstand for a machine gun.

10 October 2018

Looking into a Ringstand showing the ring and the rest for its machine gun.

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Vf58c Tobruk defence. The view from the Tobruk.

10 October 2018

StP55 Port-en-Bessin

Port-en-Bessin.
If you look carefully you can see the word 'Ouistreham' from when they used the port for the film 'The Longest Day' sequence for the taking of the Casino in Ouistreham.

10 October 2018