Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan', K.V.G.U. La Turballe puis La Baule, K.V.A. 'C2', K.V.G. Loire.

BATTERIE · K.V.Gruppe Loire · AOK 7 Brittany · France

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'.

Batterie 4./M.A.A.280.
1 x S414 fire control post.
2 x R502 twin group shelter.
2 x R501 group shelter.
2 x R607 ammunition bunker II
2 x R612 casemate for an assault gun.
4 x Vf8c Tobruk's.
4 x Vf/s.MG.
6 x Geschützstellung 7.5cm, open emplacements.
2 x Flakstellung 2cm Flak 38.
2 x Geschützstellung for 24cm K.(E).
2 x 24cm K.(E) 558(f) railway guns.
4 x under construction S741 type emplacements for 30.5cm guns.
6 x 7.5cm Flak M33(f).
2 x 2cm Flak 38.
2 x 7.5cm F.K.235(b) guns.
4 x 30.5cm S.K.L/50 (still in their factory in Germany)

Geschützstellung - Gun emplacement.
Unterstand - Shelter.

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'.

A plan from the National Archive at Kew showing the position of the two 24cm railway guns and four massive casemates unfinished.
The number of actual guns on Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan' - 2 x 240mm railway guns in open emplacements (red dots on plan). The 24cm guns come from the French battleship 'Diderot' and were placed on railway gun mountings.
Turms 1,2,3 & 4 were under construction. Four large emplacements, These are 'S' emplacements, numbers used in several publications put them as S536, 539 & 741. But Rolph states the type as S741. So I will use S741 for four 30.5cm C/41 railway guns.

JIC

S741 plan emplacement (Geschützstand) for a C/41 gun (not a ships type).
A large cartridge magazine, and a smaller shell magazine, an engine room, fuel store & ventilation. — S741 plan emplacement (Geschützstand) for a C/41 gun (not a ships type). A large cartridge magazine, and a smaller shell magazine, an engine room, fuel store & ventilation.

30.5cm C/41 type of gun on a mounting that would possibly be used here.

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

We were not able to get in and see around the gun emplacement.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

Unfinished & none of the four large 30.5cm KM/6/10(f) guns was ever placed here. By 1944 the area was encircled by the American army.

04 November 2015

Ammunition handling at the Mirus battery Guernsey.

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'.

S741 type emplacement being constructed from 1943/4 onwards but the war caught up and they were never finished.

JIC

The casemate from above today has a water tower built into it..

A guns hold-fast being constructed very like the one here would have been.

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

Another view.

JIC

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'.

There would have been ammunition magazines, heating, electrical generation, etc.

JIC

Plan of an S741 showing how the layout may have looked.

Battery Mirus on the island of Guernsey giving an idea of how it may have looked.

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

JIC

Ian Fleming was commissioned as a Lieutenant Commander RNVR in the Naval Intelligence Division.

40 AU the unit that Flemming formed to find out the German secrets as the Allies advanced.

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

Intel Files

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'.

24cm K.(E) 558(f) these guns were in place here at the end of 1941. The guns were removed post war and tested, then stored at the Army proving ground at Gavres. There were two Officers, 24 NCO's and 164 men of the 4./M.A.A.280.

08 August 2014

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'.

We have two sites here: - The first two emplacements with their ammunition magazines can be seen [24cm guns] in the middle Then casemate [Turm 4] can be seen at the top L/H, [Turm 3& 2] and then (Turm 1) the final casemate under construction. They would have been 4 x S741 casemates for four 30.5cm C/41 railway guns. The end of the war came and they could not be finished.

1947

Large caliber gun barrels in a German factory.

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'.

The railway came in from the bottom left and a small connecting branch joins the two Geschützstand for the 24cm guns. Two R502 twin group shelters for the guns crews and two Vf Unterstands that may have been used as HQ for each gun. Behind each gun were four ammunition bunkers. Possibly two for the cordite bags and two for shells.

Air photo

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

24cm Batterie position details.

JIC

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

24cm Batterie position details.

JIC

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'.

First set on the side of the track is a defensive Tobruk.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

Built on the surface and not in a large hole in the ground, the usual method of construction. This R502 looks as though spare ammunition was placed inside it and then exploded by French army engineers.

04 November 2015

How it may have looked inside, sleeping up to 15 men..

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

The reinforcement holding the concrete together.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

I have said it may have been the guns office and the R502 the living accommodation.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

Shaped in a D with access from the rear.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

The layout of the western gun position with the bunkers in the north and ammunition behind.

1947

The carriage was set on a short piece of railway line and the gun had its own turntable and could fire 360degrees.

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'.

They came from the French battleship 'Diderot' and placed on a rail chassis with an internal pivot and could be sat on any railway line and still fire 360deg. The British report states that the railway lines were removed when they arrived at Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan some time in 1945.

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

Looking over the concrete wall.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

You can see the hole in the concrete, the wall is NOT a defensive wall but just a wall wall. It is hollow inside. Hard to believe, I have seen pictures where you could almost crawl inside. ????

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

This is the rear of the D shaped emplacement. This is where the railway gun would have been drawn into its emplacement and also all the ammunition would have been brought through.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

There seems to be a step in the wall that may have allowed the guns crew to get on and off the gun??

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

Two of four that were here.

04 November 2015

Shell & cordite bags on small railway truck.

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'.

An archive photo of some ammunition magazines. But I am not too sure that although it is stated that these were here. Also these have a sloped roof, the ones here do not. Why the British Army mission managed to get this wrong, I have no idea. They may be from Re303 MKB 'Graf Spee'.

JIC

Ammunition magazine at Batterie 'Graf Spee' more like the ones in the above picture.

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

Entrance and some brackets. No door hinges could be seen.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

The two the other side have been blown up and completely removed as far as we could see.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

The trains came off the main line and onto a short branch line specially laid and onto this section that joins both gun positions.

04 November 2015

Probably pulled into its position by an engine like this one.

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

The layout is a mirror image of the western side.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

Hidden trap for the unwary.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

Totally camouflaged.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

Details

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

Store

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

Inside the store.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

R502 shelter.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

Vf Unterstand.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

The base of the gun platform.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

The base of the gun platform with the trench for cabling to run through.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

This is the centre of the gun position and you can see the steel ladder wrungs to climb up onto the gun. This is where any power cables or telephone link would come onto the gun.

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

The short concrete posts we were not sure what they were for. The only thing we could think of was used to hold camouflage nets??

04 November 2015

Wn. Tu301 La Dilanne M.K.B. 'Kermoisan'

04 November 2015