Va07 Le Bégot Sud
K.V.Gruppe Vannes · AOK 7 Brittany · France
Va07 Le Bégot sud
1 x R676 small casemate for a 4.7cm Festungspak.
1 x SK/Schartenstand 4.7cm Pak.
1 x R667 casemates.
1 x R622 + Ringstand for 5cm KwK.
1 x Vf2a crew bunker.
1 x R622 crew bunker.
5 x Vf bunkers.
1 x Pz.T. FT17 tank turret.
1 x 4.7cm Pak K.36(t).
1 x 4.7cm Pak 181(f).
1 x 5cm KwK 38.
Va07 Le Bégot sud
Va07 Le Bégot sud
Plan showing the Va300 Marine railway batterie in the middle, with three defence positions surrounding it. They are too far apart to give mutual protection and can only be used as a forward observation, initial defence and guard duty for the perimeter. The troops would be Army (Heer) and the batterie would be Marine (Navy). So no love lost between these two groups.
Plan
Va07 Le Bégot sud
I cannot find a plan for Va07 so I have looked at this 1953 air photo, before most of the bunkers were removed, the area re modeled and adjusted to what it is today.
IGN 1953
Va07 Le Bégot sud
Here I have split them in half to give better definition.
North - section.
IGN 1953
Va07 Le Bégot sud
This is looking north from around the bottom of Va07. Its a vast area and a lot has gone on since WW2 to spoil the layout. Large building built and demolished, huge army training area. Sand extraction for building. The list goes on. Now its more a nature reserve and a play park for holiday makers looking for sun and sea.
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
Looking south towards Quiberon..
28 August 2013
Va07 Va07 Le Bégot sud
R676 casemate.
A neat little complex of bunkers..
28 August 2013
Va07 Va07 Le Bégot sud
R676 casemate.
Around the back of the bunkers unsure of type. It could be a small accommodation or ammunition storage.
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
R676 small casemate for a 4.7cm Festungspak.
This is a Skoda bunker, its an R676 small casemate for a 4.7cm Festungspak. Designed to take the Czech. 4.7cm fortress Pak anti-tank gun. A very short barrel and all the workings behind a thick armoured shield. Crewed by at least three men, Commander, gunner and loader. But probably had a few more men to help out. .
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
R676 small casemate for a 4.7cm Festungspak.
The gun room, an ammunition niches left & right side, you can see the chicane entrance at the rear.
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
R676 small casemate for a 4.7cm Festungspak.
The barrel is short to protect it and the shell is inserted in the breach, fired and the case is then sent down a tube. To a large hole just in front of the casemate to store used cases. After the action, they can be retrieved and re used..
My archive
Va07 Le Bégot sud
R676 small casemate for a 4.7cm Festungspak.
This is how the muzzle would have looked. The large hole, the 4.7cm. The bottom hole a 7.92mm machine gun barrel, co-axle gun.
My archive
Va07 Le Bégot sud
R676 small casemate for a 4.7cm Festungspak.
Flanking wall covering the gun from fire from the sea and on the roof a tube. This was a periscope for the commander to use to see 360°.
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
R676 small casemate for a 4.7cm Festungspak.
The other side, showing the periscope and some ladders that lead down to an escape tunnel..
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
R676 small casemate for a 4.7cm Festungspak.
The rear entrance.
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
I have located where ten years ago that I took the picture, its the complex on the left and you can see the trenches leading out and across to a Tobruk.
IGN 1953
Va07 Le Bégot sud
Here you can see the trenches still laid out, obviously a lot shallower. They would have had wooden supports and shuttering to hold the sand back..
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
An Unknown type of bunker, it would have been sunk into the ground and a trench would lead you into it. To me it looks very like the Marine bunker in Va300.
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
Marine bunker.
The door is very like a naval door you would have on a ship. And you can see the Bauform brick work. Inner and outer skin in Bauform and between steel reinforcement and then poured concrete between.
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
Marine bunker.
Looking in side the entrance turns to the right and then probably left into the bunker. Maybe just one room and as its a Marine style bunker, it may have been built for a small detachment from Va300 that needed to work down amongst the Army men..
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
Its odd in all the lists of bunkers I have found, none say Tobruk's, but here is one by the car park.
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
This is by the road and cycle path..
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
This is the location of the SK/Schartenstand 4.7cm Pak. A French 4.7cm this time and taken maybe from one of the forts around here. The bunker was there until the 60's when it was removed to make way for road improvements. There would also have been a road block to check anybody leaving Quiberon town.
IGN 1953
Va07 Le Bégot sud
The train from Quiberon just arriving at the station
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
This is the second R667 casemate with its Ringstand both for 5cm KwK 38. (red arrow).
SHM 1946
Va07 Le Bégot sud
R667 casemate looking south on the eastern side of the railway. To its left and not photographed is a Ringstand for a 5cm KwK 38 and the R667 casemate supersedes it. Now if the gun was removed and placed in the casemate, I do not know.
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
R667 casemate from the rear, showing the entrance.
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
R667 casemate looking in from the rear, on the left is an ammunition niche.
28 August 2013
Va07 Le Bégot sud
28 August 2013