Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
K.V.Gruppe Cotentin Ost · AOK 7 Normandy · France
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
6., Grenadier-Regiment 919
1 x SK (Sonder Konstruction) double casemate & garage.
2 x 3.7cm tank turret ringstand
2 x Tobruk´s for 8cm s.Gr.W.34 mortars.
2 x Vf8 Tobruk´s for MG.
3 x Vf2a personnel bunkers.
1 x Vf bunker.
1 x Ammunition bunker.
1 x 5cm Pak 38.
1 x 5 cm KwK L/60.
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Wn14 plan. There has been a lot of new building going on here and some pieces may have been removed but others have been reused by a sailing club and as garden ornaments. The grey lines on the map are where trenches went.
Plan
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
This is the German plan of the defences with Wn13 & Wn14 with the mine field to the north M.F.57 and to the south M.F.56.
German plan
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
This is a very one off SK casemate (SK Sonder Konstruction) [Sonder-Spetial].
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
A starfish coat of arms on the centre of the casemate.
12 March 2006
Erik's photo of the star in 2001.
06 June 2001 Erik Ritterbak
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
A double SK casemate on the left a 3.7cm Pak & a 5cm Pak guns. The 3.7cm was in the left and the 5cm on the right.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
In 2001 a very good friend Erik, visited Normandy and recently gave me his old pictures. Its interesting to see how they used to look.
06 June 2001 Erik Ritterbak
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Originally the configuration of the guns was as below North the 3.7cm and south the 5.cm.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
As things changed with time the open wall on the north side was filled in and a heavy machine gun replaced the 3.7cm Pak.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
This side had the anti tank gun in place.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
In 2001 a very good friend Erik, visited Normandy and recently gave me his old pictures. Its interesting to see how they used to look.
06 June 2001 Erik Ritterbak
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Gun garage just a long concrete square tube.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
The gun would have to be dragged out of the garage and into the casemate. The garage may pre date the casemate and there may have been a field position for the gun.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
1694 Ringstand for a 5cm KwK L/60
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
The niches all around are for ready ammunition.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
The ring that would have held the gun down, a ring of bolts up standing.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
8cm Gr.W.34 mortar.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
8cm Gr.W.34 mortar.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
A small Vf bunker probably ammunition for the 8cm mortars.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Lovely little summerhouse.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Ammunition and crew room.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Chimney for the Vf Unterstand.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
The top of the second mortar Tobruk.
12 March 2006 SC
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Rear entrance.
12 March 2006 JF
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Entrance.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Ammunition/crew room.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Gun room floor. The mortar would be set up here lined up centrally to the floor and marks around the bunkers wall show directions. Fire could be called from a forward observer to drop their bombs exactly where they are needed.
12 March 2006 JF
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
The wooden shuttering has left its mark on the concrete.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
S South compass bearing marks for aiming the mortar.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
More markings on the inner wall. An area along the sea shore in front of Wn14 was called Obliarion calling that name over the radio or field telephone would prompt all the guns and mortars to fire on that area.
12 March 2006 JF
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
MZ 18 1/2
12 March 2006 SC
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Small ammunition room.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Small ammunition room.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
A small ten man bunker
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Pz. Drehturm (Tank turret) with a Reibel s.MG311(f).
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
The turret just sat on the turret ring on a ball bearing race, they fitted into the inner grove and the turret would easily turn just by light pressure on the gun and shuffling around.
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
12 March 2006
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
Bigot map prior to D-Day showing that the Germans did not use the Old Fort?? Why I have no idea. One reason maybe the exit off the beach like Wn13. It shows an anti-tank ditch to the north. Large barbed wire entanglement all around. A mine field No.56 along the sea front. There were also several weapons pits all over the defence.
Bigot 19 March 1944
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
The small anti-tank sea wall runs all along this beach and in several places there are openings that needed to be defended. This was one (‘Panzersperre’) and needed to be blocked to stop an invading army crossing the beach and passing through the sea wall . But when an army is not invading the defenders need to go onto the beach to plant Rommel's Asparagus and mines. To block the gap a Belgian gate was used.
Bigot 19 March 1944
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
You can see where the beach entrance is situated just north of Wn14.
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
A horse could be hooked up to the two rings on the rear and pulled it in and out of place. There are three heavy rollers to allow it to be moved. Also each side welded to the frame are ties to lock it in to a second Belgian gate or into a wall as here.
Bigot 19 March 1944
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
The left hand side there were rings set in to the wall.
Bigot 19 March 1944
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
And the same on this side.
Bigot 19 March 1944
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
As it is today.
Bigot 19 March 1944
Wn14 Le Fort Redout de Ravenoville
12 March 2006