Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
WN · K.V.Gruppe Cotentin Ost · AOK 7 Normandy · France
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
A casemate for a 7.5cm Pak 40 anti-tank gun covering the D14 from any advances up that road towards Quettehou.
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
1 x R680 casemate.
1 x 7.5cm Pak 40.
The gun covered an effective range of 1800m.
IGNF 1947
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
Plans if the R680 which has straight sides, unlike most bunkers. This is because they are the designs for town bunkers and not field bunkers. To camouflage in a town where all the lines are straight, a bunker with rounded sides would show up and be out of place. This style of bunker, an R680 was specifically designed to take the 7.5 Pak 40 gun and would have been made inside so that the gun could just be pushed in from the rear, and mounted and be ready to go.
Plan Kurt
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
A side view showing how the sharp lines look right with buildings all around it.
16 November 2001
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
German 7.5 cm Pak 40 anti-tank gun on a defensive position outside Königsberg, 1945. The inscription in German reads: “We hold Königsberg".
This is how it would have looked sticking out of the casemate.
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
The view from the other side, showing the small flanking wall to cover the embrasure from fire, from the sea and beach area.
09 December 2010
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
The rear, the ground level would have been lower and the gun could just roll in. There should have been two large rear doors, but these may not have been fitted. The Rost (round vent) a mesh cover to stop any grenades being placed into it if attacked by infantry. Usually there would have been a very heavy 200mm Rost used.
16 November 2001
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
The view from the rear with two ammunition niches each side and ramps of concrete to run the wheels of the gun up. Then when the trail is opened out, cuts in the concrete allow the trail to lock in and take the recoil.
16 November 2001
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
Here you can see the extraction fan, electrical, so would need external power as there is no generator in the bunker. Then the slots for the trail and the shaped concrete to allow the wheels to be fitted into.
16 November 2001
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
Here the extraction again and the vents show up in the roof where they are attached to pipework set into the concrete.
09 December 2010
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
Camouflage, the concrete has been made to look like local stone houses and also breaks up the flat concrete. Sticking out of the top are Pig tails of iron rod from the reinforcement and camouflage nets can be hung form them.
27 December 2010
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
MKB Plan.
Plan Kurt
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
The Pak 40 was much heavier than the Pak 38; its decreased mobility meant that it was difficult or even impossible to move without an artillery tractor on boggy ground. So ideal for use as a static bunker gun.
LoneSentry.com
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
Although a modern re in actors photo, this gives a very good idea of how it would have been used in the field.
Re in actors
Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel
Field of fire.
09 December 2010