Tre012 Plateau de la Croix au Bailly

BATTERIE · StP Gruppe Le Treport · AOK 15 Haute-Normandie · France

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Batterie 1./H.A.A.1148.

4 x R669 Casemates.

2 x Feldm shelters.

5 x munitions bunker.

1 x 3.7cm Pak 35/36.

4 x 10cm F.H.14/19 (t).

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Take the D952 towards Abbeville, the road winds out of EU up the hill and joins Roman road at the top. There is a cross roads and take the right turn and drive down the track. We parked where it st safe and walked the rest of the way.

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Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Plateau de la Croix au Bailly, the guns are just over the horizon on the back slope of the hill.

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

They are laid out in front of the woods.

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

The gun line.
4 x 10cm horse drawn artillery, There would have been probably a team of six horses to a guns team making 24 or more. The gun commander may also have had a horse and the forward observation office (FOO) would also have a horse if it had not been replaced by a small VW type vehicle. These are the same as details in Tre011 as they had the same guns and casemates except this battery position was up graded to casemates slightly earlier than Tre011.

24 February 2014

The type of fire control post that may have housed the forward controller for this battery. A long cable would have been buried in the ground and linked the battery with the observer. Radio would only be used if they had one or if the cable was broken.

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Turm 1.
As in Tre011 these casemates are huredly built. 10cm artillery had a range of about 10,500meters with a rate of fire of four rounds a minuet. Made by Skoda of Czechoslovakia (t) and captured by the Germans in early 1940 and re used here. 4,000 meters from the sea the guns would have covered from Ault, Mers, Le Treport to Criel-Plage.

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Turm 2.

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Turm 3.

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Turm 4.

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Turm 1 R669 casemate.
The slots set into concrete around the embrasure I think are for fitting a frame to hold a door on the front.

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Turm 1 R669 casemate.
Gun room.

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Turm 1 R669 casemate.
Showing the shocking state they are in.

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Turm 1 R669 casemate.
Rear entrance.

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Turm 2.

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Turm 2 note John pointing out that there are four extra holes in the wall by the air vent. Could this have been the command bunker to run the other guns?

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Turm 2.
Details of the rear entrance.

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Turm 2.
Extraction fan fittings.

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Turm 3.
A nice rear end.

24 February 2014

Wn Tre012, Plateau de la Croix au Bailly.

Turm 3.
The slot above the entrance may have had a piece of wood to act as a gutter for water to run off. And is that a light switch on the right fitting? or a door bell.

24 February 2014