— Wn304,Wn304a & Wn392, Pointe de Jardeheu

WN · K.V.U.Gruppe Joburg · AOK 7 Normandy · France

Wn304a Pointe de Jardeheu

Pointe de Jardeneu was a French battery of two 15.3cm guns behind a parapet, all now gone and then down graded a battery of two 9.5cm guns and small ready ammunition bunkers. Later it was turned into a coastguard lookout. Now again redundant and derelict but is being renovated into Gites. I am covering three areas Wn392 the Sémaphore, also the German defences of the areas Wn304a & Wn304..

Wn304a Pointe de Jardeheu

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu

2 x 9.5cm (f).

Anti-tank ditch.

A 7.5cm field gun was found with two positions that it could use and interconnected by a small concrete roadway, and camouflaged with netting. Living accommodation were wooden huts dug into the ground.

Wn304a

1 - Tobruk (Tank Turret?).

1 - Ammunition Niche.

1 - Vf/MG Pilz. 1 - OB.

1 x MG bunker. Wn304

1 - Vf/MG Pilz.

1 - Unterstand.

IGNF 1960-03-07

Wn304a Pointe de Jardeheu

"Report of C.O.H.Q"

Wn304a Pointe de Jardeheu

Wn392 the Deuche Heerskarte map of the Pointe. These maps were constantly being updated on a daily bases. A map maker would go out in the morning, check an area for changes and then update his master map.

Cap de la Hague Deuche Heerskarte

Wn304a Pointe de Jardeheu

From "Report of C.O.H.Q. Special Observer Party on beach and coastal defences in the Cherbourg area"

The main defence was an open 75mm wheeled gun emplacement, arranged so that there were two alternative sites for the gun, one facing to give fire west and south, the other east and south. The gun would not fire north because it was behind the rise in the hill. The two positions were about 25yards apart, and were connected by a concrete runway; they were camouflaged with netting and were backed with a dugout, to hold ammunition. Living quarters consisted of wooden huts in a dugout, with roof flush with the ground as was usual in this area. At the north eastern corner of the position was a strong pillbox with a 2ft thick concrete roof and walls and embrasure facing north and east. Two machine gun posts of light concrete and earth construction covered the west flank of the position, and a third faced north. Outside the perimeter wire to the north of the strong point, were the remains of a Tobruk type machine gun post, and a concrete pillbox apparently disused. The semaphore station at the tip of the point had been converted to an observation post by making a light wood structure on the roof. There were two very ancient (about 1888) French 95mm which may possibly have been considered to be part of the defence. The semaphore station could have been used for defence by light machine gun or rifle fire.

Thank you Sebastien for your help.

GSGS map

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. This may be a field position for a machine gun.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. French battery of two 15.3cm used to be here, possibly up to the first world war and then the whole area was removed and re modeled to take the new Sémaphore de Jardeheu. When the new construction was built, small defences were issued in this case 9.5cm Cannon de cote de 95 m93. And you can find these all around the French coast. If not the gun at least the concrete hold fast.

IGNF 1972

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. "at least the concrete hold fast" and here we have two.

29 January 2007

Hold fast ring of bolts in a concrete base.

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. The bolt ring for the 9.5cm gun.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. Taken around the turn of the century, a nice smart new Sémaphore with its small batterie of guns.

SHM

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. A lovely 1901 photo that looks as if they are fitting the guns out.

SH|M 1901 Canon de 95 G1892-1927 (SHM).

Wn392 Pointe de Jardeheu

Elevation of a 95mm showing the concrete hold fast.

Canon de 95 G1892-1927 (SHM).

Pointe de Jardeneu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. In 2007 very derelict. It has now been very tastefully modernised.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. The viewing platform has been covered over as the building dilapidated.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. The ready ammunition lockers behind the wall, to service the guns on the other side.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. A electrical generator was fitted into a shed on the side, this would have been a standby set. So if mains electrics went off (or they may not have had mains?). This engine would kick in and run the electrics.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. A electrical generator control panels.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. Around the back.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. The front door.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. A lovely spiral stair case, now removed and a bland new one fitted.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. The observation room.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu. Up in the roof space.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn392

Wn392 Sémaphore de Jardeheu.

11 October 2017

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a Eisenpfahel placed upside down and used as a base for a shaded lamp to show the way in the dark.

29 January 2007

Eisenpfahel picket post the correct way up used as a barbed wire entanglement.

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a we are now moving on the Wn304a. This area is very overgrown and hard to get in and see what was there. OB, not quite sure what that was, a trench system probably joining all the defences up. Pilz a small pillbox with a domed roof and one to four embrasures, however that were needed in each Pilz.

IGNF 1972

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a Ammunition niche. Sometimes they can gave concrete doors that hinge on steel wire hooks.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a Vf/MG Pilz entrance. Possibly a trench would run past the entrance, allowing access when under fire.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a Vf/MG Pilz John entering.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a Vf/MG Pilz entrance inside.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a Vf/MG Pilz one of the two small embrasures.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a Vf/MG Pilz and Me. I still have the camera.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a Vf/MG Pilz.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a Vf/MG emplacement. Built probably by the troops that were here.

29 January 2007

Wn304a Pointe de Jardeheu

Wn304a Vf/MG emplacement. Embrasure.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a another pair of Eisenpfahel, one placed upside down and used as a base for a shaded lamp to show the way in the dark.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a Vf58c Tobruk.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a Vf58c Tobruk. Here the machine gun ring was never fitted into the mold when it was being made and these square slots were placed instead. This could have been for a turret ring for a light tank turret. Or another idea was a metal frame??

29 January 2007

Tobruk and an ex French tank turret with a machine gun.

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a Vf58c Tobruk.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304a

Wn304a Vf58c Tobruk.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304

Wn304 Vf/MG Pilz. We are now in Wn304's area.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304

Wn304a the Pilz in the north and the Unterstand to the south. This picture was taken in 1972.

IGNF 1972

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304

Wn304 Vf/MG Pilz. A trench entrance into the Vf/MG Pilz Pilz translated is Mushroom.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304

Wn304 Vf/MG Pilz. Two much larger embrasures.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu Wn304

Wn304 Vf/MG Pilz. Looking inside the embrasure. When we visited we do not know, that there may have been a unterstand in some rough ground to the south of here.

29 January 2007

Pointe de Jardeheu (Wn392, Wn304a & Wn304)

29 January 2007