Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne “Morris” ( Sword Beach)
K.V.Gruppe River-Bella (Sword & Juno Beaches) · AOK 7 Normandy · France
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Batterie 2./A.R.1716. Allied code name 'Morris'.
4 x R669 casemate, one under construction.
1 x MG Ringstand.
4 x Vf's positions.
1 x Water cistern.
4 x Geschützstellung [open emplacements].
4 x 10cm le. F.H.14/19(t) guns.
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Google Maps
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Allied an air photo of the batterie with the four casemates under construction with at least three open emplacements can be seen.
Allied Reconnaissance photo
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Bigot map of Wn16 showing the gun position, the minefield defence and trenches.
Bigot
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
A nice air photo taken in 1947 of what remained then. The three casemates and the water reservoir can be seen.
1947 NA
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Plan of the batterie.
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Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Turm 1
R669 casemate, Hitler decided after the constant bombing of open gun emplacements that they needed top cover and one design was the R669. It allows a gun to fire on a 60° angle of fire. With two small ammunition niches behind the gun room. Also the roof of the casemate has extraction vents to allow smoke from the gun to be extracted via an electric fan.
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Turm 1
The rear of the casemate showing the rear door. There is a vent to the left of the door to allow the foul gases to leave the bunker.
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Turm 1
Gun room just showing the left hand ammunition niche.
John Flaherty
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Turm 2
The last Ringstand still in place. The gun would sit on the concrete and tied down to the centre and could swivel 360°.
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Turm 3
Inside this now very large house is an R669 casemate. Its gradually been built over and just got bigger.
John Flaherty
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Water reservoir set behind the batterie position.
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Turm 4
Just up the track and the last R669 casemate appears..
03 November 2016
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Turm 4
Looking into the rear of the embrasure..
03 November 2016
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Turm 4
Side view of the R669.
03 November 2016
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Random camouflage set into the concrete.
03 November 2016
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
Possibly each gun had a separate ammunition store like this one.
John Flaherty
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
After construction earth was banked up around the casemate to help to camouflage it and also adds a bit more protection/strength when being bombed or shelled.
NA
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
After capture what else could a soldier do but hang up his washing.
NA
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
The final one under-construction with the timber framework being nailed in place.
The 1st Suffolk Regiment landed
between La Breche and Lion-sur-Mer. Advanced across the beach and to their forming up position. 'B' Company advanced on 'Morris', a batterie of four 10cm le. F.H.14/19(t) guns with about three already in casemates but at least one was outside still. 'B' Company arrived at the barbed wire and a call went out for Bangalore Torpedoes. They start blowing the wire only to be confronted by white flags from the bunkers. The soldiers were not die-hard Germans, but Polish forced gunners.
NA
Wn16 Colleville-sur-Orne
10cm le. F.H.14/19(t) guns. A 10cm Field Howitzer (t) Czechoslovakian captured gun and re used here. The horses would have been kept near on a farm or a stable and one may be used to bring up stores in a wagon and others bring up spare ammunition from the inland ammunition stores.
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