Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais (Gold Beach)

K.V.U. Gruppe Courseulles (Juno/Gold Beach) · AOK 7 Normandy · France

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

3./Ost-Btl.441(Ukr).

1 x Nr.1694 Ringstand.

1 x Lc116 Tobruk.

10 x Feldm.

1 x M.G. stand.

1 x 5cm KwK L/60.

2 x 2cm Flack 30.

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Plan The Unterstands are Feldmässig bunkers that are big enough for about six men and with about ten that were here. The defending reinforced platoon of around 30 to 40 men would have lived in commandeered houses possibly in Ver-sur-Mer and used the Feldmässig as accommodation when on duty. One was an artillery observation bunker and may have spotted for Wn32 La Marefontaine batterie 'Vera' and its 4 x 10cm le.F.E.14/19 (t) guns. A 5cm KwK anti-tank gun in an Nr.1694 Ringstand sat out in front to take on any tanks that may land here and to its left a machine gun position was set in a concrete self made (made by the soldiers) bunker. On the right flank a Tobruk defence with all round cover would have had a machine gun installed. Two 2cm Flak 30's were being installed on what I believe were two mounds of earth to make them a bit higher. I am not sure these were ready to use but two concrete ammunition niches had been built and at least one remains. A trench system joins all the important bunkers and a barbed wire and a mine field finished off the the defence.

Plan

Wn35 and Mf.74 mine field surrounding it.

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Remaining are a few bits of the M.G. bunker and some steps, the Nr.1694, an ammunition niche, two small Unterstands and the larger FA unterstand. The left to right track was a railway line, more a small tramway/railway.

Geoportail

The railway through one of the Calvados villages.

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

1950's air photo of the area north of Ver-sur-Mer. The road was under construction by the Germans and bomb craters litter the area. An anti-tank ditch covering the north side of Wn33a H.K.B. Ver-sur-Mer batterie.

Geo 1950

Lancaster´s. Early in the morning bombers of the RAF and the USAAF.

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

This is a fire plan of the area with Wn35 in the middle. The plan shows the red named circles Attona, Oedlinburg & Opplin is the 6/1716 batterie Vera targets for saturation fire onto a beach landing. The blue circles are other saturation targets and the blue & red dots are point targets, cross roads, areas where bunching up of attacking forces, etc. This fire plan was actually used on D-Day. The batterie although heavily bombed between H-30 & H-5 with 500lb & 1000lb bombs fused at 0.025 delay. The casemates and the guns inside were undamaged. All guns fired 25 rounds per gun on D-Day. [Special Observer Party. Beach Report] Wn32 Ver-sur-Mer, La Marefontaine Batterie Vera.

German Artillery Maps

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

The D514 is now a major route along the coast. The Germans were building this as a route (you could be call it a Military Road) to service their defence along the coast. The British used the old railway line as a route along the beaches.

22 March 2015

Red ---- the roads used.
Green - the new German road. — Red ---- the roads used. Green - the new German road.

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

The view down to the Wn. Easy parking down the track.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Marais du Bessin.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

M.G. bunker Here the books state there may have been a machine gun position, we do not know what it was but there are some remains on the beach.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

M.G. bunker cemented stones and bricks that could have been used to camouflage the bunker.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

M.G. bunker steps leading up into the bunker from a trench.

11 November 2016

Plan of what it may have looked like with steps down into a trench at the rear.

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Details

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Nr.1694 Ringstand for a 5cm KwK L/60 Pak. The rear entrance steps.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Nr.1694 Ringstand The steel handle grips to help you up the steps into the Ringstand.

00-00-00

The trench and the two handles each side.

Steel ladder rungs can also be used as hand rails.

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Nr.1694 Ringstand. The sea now has washed away all the sand and earth around this gun. In the centre the gun would have been tied down by a ring of bolts., The gun then used a chain and gears to turn the gun in a 360°.

11 November 2016

The base plate and hold-fast of the gun fitting into the square hole on the emplacement.

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Nf.1694 Ringstand. Ready ammunition could be stored in three small niches around the wall. The niche would have a wooden box the same size inserted and then filled with the 5cm rounds.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Nr.1694 Ringstand. How the gun may have looked. Very low silhouette with a camouflage net to hide its stark outline, some had a roof of tin or wood made to give extra camouflage effect from above. Note the aperture on the left of the gun shield for the sights to look through and a hinged cover, open on this one.

MKB group

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Nr.1694 Ringstand. This looks to be a direct hit on the Ringstand.

23 March 2015

Destroyers came in very close and fired at almost point blank range.

DD Sherman tanks came ashore with the infantry at around 7.30am with the main armoured support so any could have have fired on the Ringstand. and put it out of action.

Sherman Crab mine clearing tank could still use its main gun.

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

More remains.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

A small stone/brick wall and some concrete niches.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Concrete niche maybe from a bunker or used as a slit trench??

MKB Kurt 2017

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand, the concrete roof with possibly a hole for a chimney.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand, the concrete roof has been strengthened with concrete I beams.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand - Feldmässig.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand - Feldmässig.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand - Feldmässig.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand - Feldmässig. A small blast wall or concrete trench wall around the entrance.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand - Feldmässig. A very small space.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand - Feldmässig. This one is still set into the bank on the shore and looks to be a full concrete bunker.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand - Feldmässig roof.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand - Feldmässig this one has a blast wall around three sides.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Plan of the VF Unterstand showing the small bunker with trench blast walls around it. Details supplied by MKB Bunkertour [Facebook].

MKB

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand damaged at some time??

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand looking inside.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand entrance to the bunker.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand entrance and small stone wall linking it to a trench.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

VF Unterstand bunker.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Ammunition niche for one of the 2cm Flak 30 guns.

11 November 2016

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Ammunition niche for one of the 2cm Flak 30 guns.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Ammunition niche for one of the 2cm Flak 30 guns.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Railway The track behind the beach was in 1944 the railway line (tramway) between Courseulles and Asnelles.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

The view West.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

The view East.

23 March 2015

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Now we move from Defence to Attack. D-Day the planning and here a map of Wn35 showing the what the Allies thought was there.

Combined Operations HQ

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

Plan of the beaches and the 50th (N) Division landing beaches.

Combined Operations HQ

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

The boats to land at King and Jig sectors.

Combined Operations HQ

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

The Battle King se3ctor landing was very good, the enemy in Wn35 did not put up a very good fight and either died, made prisoner or melted away. You cannot blame them they were Ukrainian volunteers here not general German soldiers. The advance carried forward onto the Meuvaines ridge and then into the hinterland. Backup troops continued to land, engineers, signals, RAF radar units, airfield construction builders, etc. RASC ammunition, fuel and food. With them the second, third and fourth wave pouring in with infantry artillery and tanks needed to continue the advance.

Int

Wn35 Ver-sur-Mer, le Marais

post D-Day 104 Beach Sub Area showing roads and direction of travel along them and dotted lines are new roads (by passes), also where their respective HQ were and ammunition dumps.

Combined Operations HQ