Wn137 Quineville le poteau Ginsteröhe

CAMP · K.V.Gruppe Cotentin Ost · AOK 7 Normandy · France

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

Wn137 was a two bunker HQ of the Army and the Artillery in this area. Ginsterhöhe stands for Ginster Hill but the actual hill is le Poteau in French (the Pole). Here were two R608 Battalion and Regimental command bunkers. In the Artillery HQ was Generalmajor Karl August Hugo Gerhard Triepel. Commander of the Heers Kusten Artillery Regiment (HKAR) 1261. Both bunkers had a small tunnel to a cupola for viewing the whole area. Wn17 de Colleville ("Hohe 61") [Hillman], K.V.U.Gr Riva-Bella, has exactly the same set up of two R608/SK bunkers and as we visited them in 2023, I have added pictures from them to show how these bunkers may have looked. Site Hillman Face book.

Generalmajor Karl August Hugo Gerhard Triepel

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

Searching. You walk into the area of scrub land and search.

27 January 2007

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

And then you find something. All that can be seen above.

27 January 2007

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

The German military plan of the area, showing the defences and mine fields (MF.). one of the HQ Officers job, would be to update this map. You will see later on the office table of the Officer in Wn17 ("Hohe 61") who drew the maps for the K.V.U.Gr Riva-Bella area. From Wn137, you would have got a really hood view of the area they commanded.

German Military map ---------------------------------------------- Remonter Le Temps 1955

L'Oberst Gerhard Triepel.20.12.1943 Kommandeur des Heeres küstenartillerieregiments 1261

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. The entrance.

27 January 2007 R608 No.2.

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. Going down the steps. A Gittertür steel gate would have closed off the entrance. Any one trying to force their way down, would be seen by the close combat defence window below and could be shot at.

27 January 2007 R608 No.2.

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. Entrance to the bunker with a drain and often a shower, to wash off Mustard gas. If you had Mustard gas as a solid on your cloths, entering an enclosed space and also cleaning the substance up, it starts to react and a small amount on a boot or trousers, can fill the bunker with a toxic gas.

27 January 2007 R608 No.2. ------------------------------------------- 21 April 2023 Wn17 Hillman

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

Plan This is an Allied plan dated 1943. MI 10b/701 May'45 ABW Store room - Chart room/Planning room - Wireless None-Commissioned Officer - Work room - Gas lock Commander Crew - Ventilation - Heating - Close Combat Defence. Escape (MI could be Military Intelligence?)

MI 10b/701 May'45 ABW

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. Gas lock. There would be a 434P01a door, a very thick armoured double door to allow access or escape, if the bottom section was stopped from opening with say debris, the top door could open and you climb over. A sliding metal plate allows you to view through the door and also shoot through if needed. A bolt and a ring also added. The ring I believe was for the handle to pull the door open.

27 January 2007 R608 No.2.

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. Close combat defence embrasure. Possibly a 48P8 embrasure with a sliding section to open and look through or shoot through.

27 January 2007 R608 No.2.

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. This is the 'Ventilation' room.

27 January 2007 R608 No.2.

Heers-Einheits-Schutzlüfter HES 1.2 MKB.

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. This is Wn17 ("Hohe 61") ventilation room, showing two complete sets of filters and a lot of piping.

21 April 2023 Wn17 Hillman ------------------------------------ 21 April 2023 Wn17 Hillman

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. An Allied photo of a gas filtration unit, showing the types of filters..

2384541 21-09-44

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. Crew room, this would have had sets of bunks around the room. Note the drain it the centre.

27 January 2007 R608 No.2.

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. Work room.

27 January 2007 R608 No.2.

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. Work room.

27 January 2007 R608 No.2. ------------------------------- Wn17 ("Hohe 61")

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. Either the None-commissioned Officers room or the Commanders room.

27 January 2007 R608 No.2.

panzerteil armoured cover for the periscope, when its retracted.

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. Radio room.

27 January 2007 R608 No.2. --------------------------------- 21 April 2023 Wn17 Hillman

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. The short tunnel to a viewing cupola Without the cupola fitting this would be an R608, with the cupola, this makes it an R608/SK. SK - Sonderkonstruktionen or special construction.

27 January 2007 R608 No.2. --------------------------------------------------21 April 2023 Wn17 Hillman

9P7 type that was at Dieppe may have been in one.

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. Wn17 ("Hohe 61") this is looking up into the cupola from below. The steel cupolas at Wn17 ("Hohe 61") have all been scrapped, so what you see now are look alike ones.

21 April 2023 Wn17 Hillman -------------------------------------------- 21 April 2023 Wn17 ("Hohe 61")

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. Looking back to the entrance way..

27 January 2007 R608 No.2.

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.2. Now fight your way out.

27 January 2007 R608 No.2.

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.1. In there is the entrance, its just finding it.

27 January 2007 R608 No.1

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.1. Down in the rear of the bunker.

27 January 2007 R608 No.1

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.1. This one was quite heavily damaged.

27 January 2007 R608 No.1 JF

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.1.

27 January 2007 R608 No.1 JF

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.1.

27 January 2007 R608 No.1 JF

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.1. This could be the radio room.

27 January 2007 R608 No.1 JF

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.1. Work room.

27 January 2007 R608 No.1 JF ------------------------------------------ 21 April 2023 Wn17 ("Hohe 61")

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.1. Maybe the crew room.

27 January 2007 R608 No.1 JF

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.1. Work room.

27 January 2007 R608 No.1 JF

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.1. Ventilation room.

27 January 2007 R608 No.1 JF

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.1. Small tunnel to the cupola.

27 January 2007 R608 No.1 JF

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.1. Very bad damage.

27 January 2007 R608 No.1 JF

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.1. Wn17 ("Hohe 61") commanders room, with his cot, table and cupboard. The senior officers often lived in commander houses behind the bunkers, in one of the villages, sometimes they could have their wives and as with Azeville batterie, his daughter. Also another alternative to the wife, was a mistress. The men I am never quite sure where they lived, maybe in wooden huts somewhere near by or in a farmers barn, usually in the roof. Wn99 Le Châlet had steel steps set into the wall to allow access to the top of the barn.

21 April 2023 Wn17 Hillman

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

R608 No.1.

27 January 2007 R608 No.1 JF

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

Wasser reservoir.

27 January 2007 ----------------------------------------------------- 21 April 2023 Wn17 Hillman

It could still be seen from the air in the 1950's.

Wn137 Quineville le poteau 'Ginsterhöhe.'

27 January 2007