Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
K.V.Gruppe Cotentin Ost · AOK 7 Normandy · France
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
4./119 Grenadier Regiment, 709th ID 1.K.p./Bau.Pioneer Bt1. 59 I.D.
2 x Vf2a crew bunkers.
1 x SK/Doppelschartenstand.
1 x Bf58c Tobruk.
1 x Vf Pakstand.
1 x 5cm KwK L/60.
1 x 4.7cm Pak 181(f).
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
Wn13 was here to protect the beach entrance where fishermen could pass through the sea wall. This entrance also gives direct access to the D15 which runs inland and a good place for an Allied invasion point. The Army wanted the opening in the sea wall closed off but a company of Seenotdienst (Luftwaffe sea) air sea rescue boats that were also used by fortress engineers to gain access to St-Marcouf Islands needed it.
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
Sea wall entrance (Panzersperre) with a Bf.58c Tobruk. Two Vf.2a bunkers for ten men each. An Sk Doppelschartenstand for a 5cm KwK L/60 Pak gun shooting up and down the beach, then a 4.7cm Pak 181(f) anti tank gun in a field ringstand and stored in a Pakstand garage. There was also an 8cm G.W mortar in a field position. To the south flank several machine guns in field positions covering the sea road.
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
Allied reconnaissance air photo possibly just before D-Day.
1943/44 reconnaissance air photo
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
This is the German plan of the defences with Wn13 & Wn14 with the mine field to the north M.F.56 and to the south M.F.55.
German plan
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
T mines and S mines and the plan of how they were laid out behind the
Mine field plan Wn14/Wn13
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
Sk Doppelschartenstand.
06 October 2013
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
The complete roof section and walls now removed leaving only the floor area left.
06 October 2013
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
This wall would have been filled in to protect the gun and crew.
06 October 2013
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
The other side.
06 October 2013
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
Gun room.
D-Day and the Americans landed seven kilometres south and a few Wn's & StP's were cleared on D-Day but Wn13 was a bit later and some very bitter fighting took place. Strait after the war many of the of the bunkers and positions were cleared away.
06 October 2013
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
This is the area that the gun could have covered.
06 October 2013
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
This is the area that the gun would have covered but remember only one gun and if it was covering the other flank, that meant that this flank was not being covered. This was the only problem with the Sk Doppelschartenstand.
06 October 2013
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
Vf.2a was a bunker for ten men to live in in relative safety, semi sunk into the ground and a small covering of earth/sand and grass growing on the top for camouflage.
06 October 2013
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
Another view of the bunker, the second was across the road to the right of this one.
02 April 2011
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
06 October 2013
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
06 October 2013
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
The clear opening today but in 1944 this would be a very good target to land and get inland on to the D15 and inland. That is why it was blocked and defended.
02 April 2011
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
How it may have looked dragging the Belgian Gate (Element C).
02 April 2011
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
The above picture was taken by a British Army unit whose job was to photograph landing beaches all along the French coast..
08 July 1945
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
Slots in the wall to allow wooden beams to be slotted in to hold back a high tide but in wartime a Belgian gate would be fixed here.
02 April 2011
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
The slot and pin holes to pass a large rod to lock the gates.
02 April 2011
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
A mortar was stored in an ammunition bunker so there may have been a field position of some type to be able to use it.
Bundesarchiv
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
Covering this opening was a Bf.58c Tobruk a small ringstand just big enough for one/two men could uses a machine gun. The gun looks like an M.G.34 type.
Int
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
Stationed here were a unit of the Seenotdienst (Luftwaffe sea) with Engineer assault boats Leiche Pioniersturmboot 39. They were used for air sea rescue but also by fortress engineer company 1.Kp./Bau.Pioneir Infanterie.1st Bt.59I.D. to lay out the defences on St-Marcouf Islands and the local Wn´s and StP´'s. The Islands where not defended by any troops but a very extensive mine field was laid out around them. Just before D-Day the Americans suddenly realised that the Islands could be heavily defended and could cause damage to their landings further south. They urgently trained up an Armoured unit as assault infantry (you can imagine the grumbling from the ranks). They assaulted just before H hour and found the islands empty of any enemy but lost a lot of men to mines. EF.
02 April 2011
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
St-Marcouf Islands.
Allied publication
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
Bigot map 19 March 1944 showing the defences the Allies thought were here. The arrows show automatic weapons.
Bigot 19 March 1944
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
US troops that attacked Wn11 & Wn12 then moved inland to Ravenoville, then turned east and Wn13. The navy softened up the defence and did quite a lot of damage. Many German soldiers tried to escape either to be captured or move away and north, but were prevented by their officers. A German POW was sent into Wn13 by the Americans under a white flag and 82 remaining Germans of the garrison surrendered and walked out to become POW's.
Int 1944
Wn13 Grand Hameau des Dunes
02 April 2011