Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer (Gold Beach)
K.V.U. Gruppe Courseulles (Juno/Gold Beach) · AOK 7 Normandy · France
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer, Breche Le Bisson.
This is where a tank (Sherman) met a bunker and the tank won.
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer, Breche Le Bisson.
Elements of the 7./736 Inf. Regt. 1/441 Ost Battalion.
1x R677 casemate.
1 x R612 casemate (under construction).
1 x 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
1 x 7.5cm F.K.
1 x MG stand (under construction). Several small field constructed bunkers and the story of its destruction.
26 October 2013
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
The Area around Courseulles-sur-Mer.
Wn 33a it sits right out on its own between two very strong Wn's and it must have been over looked as a vulnerable point. An R677 was built for an 8.8cm Pak 43/41 and possibly a field gun was set in a position back from the sea so a bunker was being constructed for it, an R612. A machine gun bunker was placed between them to cover their rears. A classic Wn design using the weapons available.
26 October 2013
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
A plan of the defence.
1944
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
This picture was taken some time after D-day showing the beach still having a few landing craft left on the sand but most of the detritus cleared up.
Left to Right.
An R612 casemate
for an assault gun probably a 7.5cm FK.
An MG Shartenständ probably for a heavy older machine gun.
An R677
Casemate for 8.8cm Pak 43/41
1944
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
The view along the beach looking East.
First the bombers came over, USAAF B17's or RAF heavy bombers, then medium bombers and after that fighter bombers. Next came the battleships, cruisers, destroyers. Then landing craft with hundreds of rockets and after that 105mm self propelled guns and 25 ponders fired from their landing craft. DD tanks entered the water and swam to the beach & engaged the gun positions and last but not least, the infantry.
09 March 2013
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
The R677 Casemate
rear view into the gun room.
09 March 2013
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
R677 casemate. These Formstien bunkers seem always to look worse for wear than the full concrete versions. I wonder if they were as strong as the original ones.
09 March 2013
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
H677 Casemate Front. This is the view into the gun room, this is the view Jim would have seen.
09 March 2013
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
The View from the Sea. It does look very battered.
09 March 2013
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
Jim's Bunker (David's photo). This picture was kindly sent to me by David from St Malo who visited the bunker some years ago and when the details were still on the bunker. Sadly its now gone.
2006 David Fredericks
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
Jim Smith Story Above & Below
.Jim progressed into the town and was soon asked to assist in taking out a German sniper who was hiding in the belfry of a small church. He soon spotted him and took out the side of the church belfry with one shot. To this day one can see a slight colour difference in the stonework where the church belfry was repaired after the war. On June 6th, 2004 Jim made an emotional visit back to where he landed on D-Day for the first time in 60 years. He eventually found the graves of his lost comrades in a war cemetery, and after some searching he also found the remains of the bunker. It is situated on the sea wall next to a path upon which hundreds of tourists and people going to the beach pass every day,
Jim is now the Treasurer for the Association for Veterans of Foreign Wars
www.avfw.org.uk
09 March 2013
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
The tank commanders after action report.
09 March 2013
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
The original sign on the bunker telling its history.
2006 David Fredericks
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson. j
Jim Smith & Mrs Fredericks D-Day 2006 in Arromanches.
Email From Adrian Stone: -
Hi there, I have been looking through your info on wn33a, have to mention that it was my granddad in his flail tank that decommissioned the bunker, it was the proudest thing he'd ever done and it stayed with him until he passed. Trooper Henry "Jim" Smith. He shouldn't have even been there only volunteering to go when the lad who should have been going fell sick.
Well that says a lot for the man I wish I had met him, thank you Adrian very much.
2006 David Fredericks
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
The View towards where the Tanks Landed.
09 March 2013
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
Details of the Formstien blocks that were used to construct the later bunkers in the area.
09 March 2013
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
Up the Beach Towards StP Courseulles.
This is where Jim and his troop of modified tanks came ashore.
09 March 2013
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
'Love', 'King', 'Jig', 'Item', the four sectors of Gold Beach .
09 March 2013
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
The 2nd Hertfordshires joined 9 Beach Group (104 Beach Sub-Area) under their commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel J.R. Harper. He was appointed overall commander. On D-Day, 6 June 1944, it was assigned to KING and LOVE sectors of Gold Beach, through which two brigades of the 50th Infantry Division would come ashore. The job of the 2nd Hertfordshires was to land on D-Day, 6 June 1944 at H+45. They landed and cleared the beach to the east (as per plan). Once the enemy had been subdued, their second task was to defend the beach from counter attack and then help with the clearing of the beach rubbish and mines. Then help unload shipping supplies. Once this job had been completed, the 2nd Hears were broken up and the men sent as replacements to other infantry regiments.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
HMS Princess Josephine Charlotte – LSI(S)
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
Châteaux de Vaux.
As the battle for D-Day continued, hospitals were desperately needed. With the lead up to the invasion, army mobile hospitals were formed in Britain. They were brought over to Normandy as soon as possible and either they used tents or as here took over a large French house.
1944
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
The tank should be able to be traced by its number '75' on the turret
1944
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
Landings now processing but not too smoothly.
A DD tank still has its skirt up, US and British landing craft are struggling for space, A man is in the water and looks as though he is struggling with something. The casemate can be seen on the far right of the picture.
LCT857 was built at Arrol (Alloa, Scotland, U.K.).
1944
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
1944