— Wn346Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Radar
RADAR · K.V.U.Gruppe Joburg · AOK 7 Normandy · France
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
A Kriegsmarine were in the process of building a heavy detection station consisting of a Mammut Fu.MO 51 device on a V143 bunker.
Fu.MO - Funkmess-Ortung, Radar - direction finder, active ranging.
Interesting I search as much as I can to find detail and this is what I found:
"Even a simplified listing of radar type designations, with their technical particulars, would require a intensive research in German and foreign archives". Says it all.
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
Bunker type is a V143 Mammutstand, a multi room bunker to hold a large radar array. This type just sent out a large beam, imagine it being dark and you switch on a light switch. When a ship/aircraft passed through it. A shadow would show up. Very like the British Chain Home radar. It could not sweep the sky like the more modern types.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
Station Kriegsmarine.
2.Funkmess-Abtelung.
1 x V143 radar bunker.
1 x V229 Socket.
4 x SK/Flak 2cm.
3 x Unterstand.
1 x Vf/MG Stand.
1 x Wasser.
2 x SK?.
1 x Mammut Fu.MO 51.
1 x Fu.MG Seetakt Gema Fu.MO 2.
Plan
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
Allied plan of the radar site. Rhubarb was the RAF's code name for German radar attacks. Some of the sites were bombed by heavy bombers but others were attacked by bomb dropping and rocket firing Typhoons.
Near the Hameau des Asselins lies the most interesting of German bunkers.
This is a rare Mammut radar installation (named Gouesneraie), used not only
for detecting shipping, but it also gave the range for the guns to either side of
it. The bunker is quite a rare V143 type of which only four were built. The
Mammut radar was called hoarding by the British, because of its size and
shape. It sat on three huge concrete pillars sitting on top of the bunker. It was
a long range radar having an effective range of 300 kilometres, and it gave an
incredible accuracy in its findings. The cables that linked the antenna to the
electronics below in the bunker can still be seen. There were two entrances to
the control centre, both protected by machine gun posts. Inside the condition
of the bunker is good and none of the heavy metal doors have been taken for
scrap. None of the equipment remains as all radar and electronic equipment
was taken for further use by the liberating Americans. The floor of many of
the internal rooms show just how much thought went into its construction.
Cable ducts and special walkways were formed into the concrete, much as you
would have found in a computer during the 1960's. You can see evidence of
the taking of the radar station by the Americans on the left hand entrance. by
John Flaherty.
AIR 40-1667 Rhubarb - Appendix XII Coastal Radar Stations
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
MKB Bunkertour's plan of the V143 at Les Asselins.
MKB Bunkertour
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
Wn346 situated on a small hill overlooking the north coast.
1944 German Plan
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
Mammut and Wassermann
Technology Survey
Prof. Hugh Griffith, the picture was taken from his excellent website and if you are very interested in radars, you should read his pamphlet.
Another book is Stations radar et radio-navigation
sur le Mur de l'Atlantique
Spécial Normandie d'Antifer à Granville
By Alain Chazette - Bernard Paich
and others
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
The close combat defence covering the entrance.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
Close combat on the inside and showing that something rather heavy was fired at it.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
434P01a door.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
434P01a door.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
Another close combat embrasure damaged.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
Into the interior. Workshop.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
Cable inlets. These cables came through a large steel pipe set into the concrete.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
Workroom.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
Compensator room.
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Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
Recess in roof to hold a water tank.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
Water for cooling was very important in radar bunkers. The recess in the roof looks like a it held a water tank. One of the straps are still there.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
Water stop tap.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
There would have been a large door here, some were steel sliding doors.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
Engine room with ducting under the floor for cables.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
Engine room with ducting under the floor for cables.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
Ducting under the floor for cables showing the cable inlets and armoured cable.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
The second entrance now filled in.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand.
WW2 German barbed wire.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
V143 Mammutstand. One of the tree concrete pylons to hold the array.
A plan of radar sites in and around the peninsular.
26 January 2007 German radar sites in 1942
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
Outside some very simply made buildings.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
The low entrance.
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Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
The steps into the room.
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Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
So I wonder what it was for.
The block looks similar to those found in Channel Island army artillery battery command bunkers – they supported a big round plotting table.
Hope that helps,
Mark Page.
Thank you Mark. I can imagine a large plotting table sat there. I am not sure if this was originally a French
FCP as it looks very basic. As you see, the last time I was there was in<h3> </h3> 2007.
26 January 2007
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
FA/MG positions in the hedge row.
26 January 2007 John Flaherty
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
Another small room.
26 January 2007 John Flaherty
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
Hand painted walls.
26 January 2007 John Flaherty
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
Home from home.
26 January 2007 John Flaherty
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
Known as '30 Assault Unit', they took part in the major campaigns of the Second World War, landing on the Normandy beaches and helping to liberate Paris. 30AU's final amazing coup was to seize the entire archives of the German Navy - thirty tons of documents.
Although this was the American sphere of influence 30AU came here to Asselins to look over the bunker for any technical information. They were a mix of Commandos and Naval Officers with a Troop of Commandos to add muscle. They took the Naval HQ in Cherbourg, visited all the sites on Manche and then went into Brittany.
ADM 202/598/30 Assault Unit - Photos - Vol 1’
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
I think a lot was destroyed, the naval officers had plenty of time to damage anything of importance, but also I do think Asselins was not yet operational.
ADM 202/598/30 Assault Unit - Photos - Vol 1’
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
In the background it does look like a Fu.MO 215 Seeriece radar rather damaged. There is a V229 base in the radars area.
ADM 202/598/30 Assault Unit - Photos - Vol 1’
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
RAF Bomber Command file on radar targets, the secret designation for radars was Rhubarb. In his very informative book, "Most Secret War" RV Jones writes about going to RAF Typhoon Squadrons and talking to the pilots about the radars and then asking them to attack them one at a time. A bit like "Putting the lights out". The pilots kept asking why they were not allowed to attack a certain radar in northern France. RV (as he was known) kept telling them "No leave it alone". Well D-Day happened and the Fortitude deception plan used that radar to see fake images coming from small ships with radar reflectors, several bomber squadrons dropping Window, radar reflecting materials. These spoofs completely fooled the German intelligence service. The day after D-Day, RJ visited the squadron and told them, OK get the Radar. They literally ran to their planes, jumped in and went out and completely smashed the place.
AIR 40-1667 Rhubarb - Appendix XII Coastal Radar Stations
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
Rhubarb target air photo.
AIR 40-1667 Rhubarb - Appendix XII Coastal Radar Stations
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
Rhubarb target air photo.
AIR 40-1667 Rhubarb - Appendix XII Coastal Radar Stations
Wn346 Les Asselins la Gouinerie, Omonville la Rogue
26 January 2007