StP Waldam Fort Vert Batterie MI
BATTERIE · K.V.A. B Dunquerque Freie Küste S/W · AOK 15 Nord Pas de Calais · France
StP Waldam M.K.B
Batterie Waldam more an experimental defence with some interesting bunker designs. M.K.B. Marine Küsten Batterie a naval unit with orders to protect the north of the port of Calais.
In the summer 1940 the Kriegsmarine installed 4 17cm average batteries between Waldam and Gris-Nez for the close defense of the Seelöwe Operation to attack Britain.
This is one of the four M batteries, they were named “Coastal batteries M” of the Marine Artillery Abteilung 244.
StP Waldam M.K.B. MI.
StP106 Dresden M.K.B. MII.
Wn164a Sickingen M.K.B. MIV.
StP Waldam M.K.B
StP Waldam M.K.B
Iconic view of M.K.B. Waldam.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Iconic view of M.K.B. Waldam 1944.
SHM 1946
StP Waldam M.K.B
Batterie M.A.A.244.
2 x M270 casemates.
1 x SK/Schartenstand turning concrete hood (M305 Emplacement for 15cm SKC/28 in Kst.MPLC/36).
1 x FCP (Leitstand/SK).
1 x R612 casemate.
1 x SK/Maschinenbunker.
5 x Munitions bunker.
28 x Feldm bunkers.
2 x Wellblech.
3 x 15cm S.K.C./28 guns.
1 x 7.5cm F.K.
1 x 2.5cm Pak 112(f).
Flak:
4 x 4cm Bofors guns.
1 x 3.7cm Flak.
2 x 2cm Flak.
1 x 150cm Searchlight.
10 x assorted machine gun defence.
Geoportail
StP Waldam M.K.B
Fire Control Post from rear.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Fire Control Post from rear 1944.
SHM
StP Waldam M.K.B
The area of the batterie was a French coastal batterie, taken over by the German Army (Heers) and three 17cm SL L/40 guns were mounted in open emplacements. The guns were ex ships 17cm guns of the Schwere Artillerieabteilung 216. In 1942 the site was taken over by the Kriegsmarine and they then placed three 15cm C/28 guns in open emplacements by the Marineartillerieabteilung 244.
1942 and the Schartenbauprogramm (placing as many guns under the cover of casemates). Two large M270 casemates were built side by side in 1944.
In 1942 the rotating unique bunker was built by the Festungspionierkommandeur at Pionierpark in Gennevillers. Waldam was selected to have the first one of this style to be built in March 1944.
The turret/cupola weighing in at 750ton on rotated wheels from an old French battleships turret. The only problem was that sometimes when the gun fired the turret slipped off its runners and had to be put back on.
German 1944 plan
StP Waldam M.K.B
A lone sentry box where a soldier could cower out of the rain and wind, possibly sit on a wooden plank but always aware of who was entering or leaving.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Guard room building.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Guard room building. Everybody and everything arriving and leaving the batterie site would have had to check in here.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
FA ==== Feldmässig Ausbau.
Wache = Guard.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
We could not get inside.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
This is as close as we could get.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Continuing on.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
FA Lager = Feldmässig Ausbau. Camp (barracks).
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Garage and Lager bunker on left
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
More Tetrahedral.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 1, 1950m3 of concrete and steel reinforcement, 20m long, 8m high and 15m wide and built in the early part of 1944.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 1, 15m across with a 15cm S.K.C./28 gun.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 1, gun room badly damaged for its 15cm S.K.C./28 gun.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 1, gun hooks to lift in the gun..
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
The view towards the North Sea..
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Light marine ammunition bunker.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Light ammunition bunker.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Two roomed ammunition bunker.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Two roomed ammunition bunker.
I am not sure what the niche is between the doors.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
View across the back of the batterie position.
I believe the rounded roofed bunker maybe the machinery bunker with a garage in front.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Garage type bunker.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Garage type bunker looking inside.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Garage type bunker looking the roof has a square hole in the roof?
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
I also believe this is the Kitchen/Kanteen bunker.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Two roomed ammunition bunker.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 2 casemate M270 entrance to the Tobruk defence. A nice set of steel ladders run up to it and even hand hold steels still in place.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 2 casemate M270 entrance into the casemate with a close combat defence. A machine gun in the close combat defence could cover the rear of the bunker and the steps up to the Tobruk defence.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 2 casemate M270 entrance corridor showing the next close combat defence.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 2 casemate M270 the close combat embrasure covering the rear door from the passage and the other photo is the other side of the combat embrasure inside its own small room in the casemate.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 2 casemate M270 ammunition shell room. The slot in the far wall is where the shells would be passed through to the gun room.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 2 casemate M270 Cartridge case room. The door to the close combat embrasure covering the outside rear entrance.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 2 casemate M270 close combat room.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 2 casemate M270 close combat room. Note the what looks like heavy machine gun rounds ricochet off the wall.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 2 Close combat 483P2.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 2 gun room. Looking down into the fired shell case room. When the gun is fired the case is removed from the breach and dropped down one of two holes in the floor and retrieved via square manhole cover.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 2 gun room.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 2 vary bad damage in the roof space.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 2 looking out of the gun room.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 2 casemate M270.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Turm 3 M305 plus FCP. There were also about three other open emplacements laid out between the casemates for three 17cm Heers guns (army guns).
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
M305 casemate has its own history.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
M305 cupola showing a rather nasty hit by passably a 3" tank shell??
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Hooks probably for camouflage attachments.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Looking down at the turret fitting. The cupola originally turned by man power via cranking handles, later I believe they fitted a small engine to help turn it. The cupola was independent of the gun and could either be turned when the gun turned or if it was only needed to turn the gun a few degrees the turret would be left in position.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
The embrasure was bricked up to make as little room as possible to stop Allied guns shooting in as the British and Canadians advanced north.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
This is the floor of the gun room, that stayed still, the gun and the turret could turn 360°.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Inside the gun room.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Ammunition supply would come up through this man hole in the floor.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Looking down into the casemates ammunition rooms cellar.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
The view at the rear of the casemate with the double rear entrance in the basement and the cupola on the top.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Entrance into the basement.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Rear steps down into the central corridor.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
The central corridor to the centre of the casemate.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Fire Control Post on three layers.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Looking up to the second and third layer.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Rear entrance. The door and windows had steel door and shutters.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Fire Control Post - Leitstand. The rear room.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
The lowest observation room.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Where some form of machinery was hung??
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
The way out and the remains of some poor immigrant left here.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
The way up to the next floor. Too old and decrepit to climb the concrete.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Another small garage.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Garage inside.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Garage the roof. Two of these bunkers have a square hole in the roof??
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
One of the Naval crew bunkers.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Not a lot of room inside.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Light recess and that is about all we could find inside this bunker.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Way out.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
Base for a small crane to load and unload ammunition.
18 May 2018
StP Waldam M.K.B
18 May 2018