Wn08 Auderville la Hubert la Redoute (Utah Beach)
WN · K.V.Gruppe Cotentin Ost · AOK 7 Normandy · France
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
1 x R501 group shelter.
1 x R622 twin group shelter.
2 x Vf/MG.
2 x Vf58c Tobruk.
1 x Ic125 mortar Tobruk.
1 x ringstand mortar Tobruk.
2 x ringstands for 5cm KwK.
1 x 4.7cm Pak181(f).
2 x 5cm KwK L/60 guns.
2 x 8cm Mortar Gr.W278(f).
1 x 7.6cm F.K. Lag. Field Cannon (Lag-anti landing cannon).
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Google Maps
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
This is where the Americans were supposed to land straight onto Wn08. Although it was not a too stronger defence with only a field gun, a 4.7cm A/T gun, two 5cm KwK guns and two mortars. The main inland artillery batteries target for the beach area was Zinten. The Bigot map is very accurate and can be set against my plan and shows many of of the gun positions.
Plan
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Another Bigot map showing even more detail and I have just noticed the Old Windmill also mentioned on the landings that should have been on the Americans left but could not be seen from Wn05.
Plan
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Area..................St. Martine De Varreville.
Taken by ..........16 Sqn. RAF.
Date ..................23-4-44.
Negative No. ....59884.
Plan
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Plan.
Plan
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
R501 Gruppe shelter with added Tobruk and extended wall.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Steps up to the Tobruk. A nice added extra.
21 October 2004
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
MKB Bunkertour Plan.
MKB Bunkertour
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Inside the Tobruk a niche with a connecting pipe to inside the bunker for a speaking tube.
21 October 2004
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Entrance into the bunker.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Gas lock.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Periscope fitting.
21 October 2004
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Crew room with the door coming in, the escape hatch through the wall and the close combat embrasure, now removed and just a hole left.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
R501 close combat embrasure.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Escape tunnel which should have a 410P9 door.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
This is where the crew lived/slept in bunks hung from the walls and a folding table and chairs. The odd cupboard.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
The escape outside. Usually these are made of bricks but here its been formed in concrete.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Fitting for a radio antenna mast.
21 October 2004
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Two mortar Tobruk's. One inside the Mud Fort and this one outside.
21 October 2004
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
The entrance is behind the small tree.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Ammunition and gun room.
21 October 2004
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Looking into the gun room with the entrance in front and niches around the wall for ready ammunition.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
R622 twin Gruppe shelter.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Left entrance and look at the photographer.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Gas lock. On the left and right are the aerial fittings then a 19P7 gas tight door with a small glass window.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Gas lock looking into two entrances. One has a 19P7 door on the right and left a 434P01 heavy armoured split door.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
The left hand crew room to take one Gruppe of soldiers with bunk beds around the walls.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Left hand crew room.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Inter joining 19P7 door.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Now who is this young man.
21 October 2004
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Right hand crew room.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
422P01 close combat embrasure.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Gas lock and way out.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Entrance to the Tobruk defence.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
The Tobruk defence and also hooks for a camouflage net to hang.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
R622 twin Gruppe shelter.
21 October 2004
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Now walking up the sand dune to the right flank of the defence. Probably through a mine field.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
The first defence should be a Tobruk but we did not find it. This gun would have had a good view of D-day. That is if they had survived the bombing, shelling and rocket fire. This is where D-day should have started but as i commented I Wn05 due to the tide and mines they drifted south and hit Wn05 fair and square.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
With a 5cm gun the defenders here would have been hard pressed to hit very much landing at Wn05. But anything drifting this way would have taken a few rounds..
21 October 2004
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Continuing north.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Pilz is German for 'mushroom'. A small pillbox defence.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Looking down into the entrance.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Looking in to the entrance. This is as far as I got but others have noticed painting on the roof donating target information.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
The second ringstand covering the gap in the sand dunes and it was to become Exit 4.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
You can see how important Wn08 was. Right on the start of Exit 4 it was to become a very important route inland..
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Very well camouflaged with only the lip showing, if it survived the initial bombardment, this machine gun could have done a lot of damage.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
There were five Tobruk's here in Wn08.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
This is on D-Day (and a windmill now gone) what the Americans were looking for 'The Mud Fort'. The word Mud is the American way of saying earth. The Fort was an old 18c. French fort protecting with the many others along this coast to stop the English, the enemy at the time from invading. As If.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
For October what a day.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
The real Atlantikwall. This wall ran along miles of this beach from north to south and like here sand has blown over it and protected it. Now the sea has started to wash it away.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
Damage done around D-Day.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
The wall looking north.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
This may be an emplacement for the 4.7cm Pak 181(f).
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
The view south.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
S.P.I. ..........................Concentration areas.
A..................................Assembly areas.
A.2. .............................Box in Assembly Area (Nos.1&2 Reception 3,4,&5 Marshalling Boxes).
T.2...............................Transit Areas.
Red doted circle.........Reserved for Operation Troops.
Red Flag......................Assembly Areas H.Q.
The camps were sealed with nobody going in or out. The troops were given some of the best food they had ever had in the army. They were allowed to rest, relax and do not marching. Plans, maps, photos of their targets were in a special hut or tent where any soldier at any time could go in and see the area they were to land and attack. The organisation was exceptional and roads were made one way to stop traffic jams. Then when they departed the moved to 'Hards' where they were loaded onto their craft from TLS, Assault ships to Landing Craft. Due to leave on the 4th June for a D-Day on the 5th June, but due to the weather, they left on the 5th June for D-Day on the 6th.
Appendix "B" Overlord General Information Map 1 May 1944
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
The D-Day beach markings laid out on this air photo.
Utah Beach Museum
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
The 3rd Battalion of the 22nd Infantry --- 3/22 moved north and was assigned the task of reducing the enemy beach strong points. The Battalion moved north past les Dunes de Varreville and Exit 4 (Wn08) and reached the southern edge of Hamel de Cruttes by night fall. (Utah Beach to Cherbourg). So that means they took Wn08 & StP09 on D-Day.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
The Gooseberry a code name for sunken ships on Utah beach to create a sort of harbour for landing craft running in and out of the beach. The ships were redundant time served.
05 October 2013
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
An air view of the Gooseberry.
June 1944
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
An air view of the Gooseberry.
June 1944
Wn08 Redoute d'Audouville la Hubert
05 October 2013