Wn454 Les Bertrands est (Stp La Vacqurie)

WN · K.V.U. Gruppe Cherbourg Land · AOK 7 Normandy · France

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

This defence is just west of the N13 at Les Bertrands and one of the defences that surrounded Cherbourg.

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Seeing the defence back in 2001 I could not understand where it fitted into the Cherbourg defence. As time has gone on more information has come about and now I can understand why a machine gun casemate was placed at a small cross roads in Les Bertrands. The absolute outer defence of Cherbourg was the anti-tank ditch. Not continuous but covering relevant points. Wn454 with 453 & 455 making StP La Vaquerie sitting behind the anti-tank ditch 453 & 455 only have R622 twin group bunkers for about 30 men. Wn454 also has an R622 for 15 men and an anti-tank gun and bunker R629. One Tobruk sitting out in front.

1940's Remonter le Temps

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Plan of the main defence. Three individual Wn's, two with only R622 twin group bunkers and the third Wn454 with the major defence..

German Army plan

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

The size of the Cherbourg defence, there was also many anti-tank ditches built covering the eastern, southern & western approaches to the city.

SHM

Plan of how to build an anti-tank ditch.

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

The rear of the R630.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Entrances.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Front with the flanking wall.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

The gun room would have had a thick steel armoured plate filling in the front, a 455P01 type. Inside a heavy machine gun would have its mounting screwed to threads set into the plate and bolted on. A crew of four. Gun commander, gunner, loader and ammunition hand to go between the ammunition magazine room and the gun crew delivering belts of machine gun bullets..

21 March 2006

A type of observation slit on the outside.

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

A very heavy steel plate would have been bolted onto the front by at least eight/ten bolts and then cemented in.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

The left side with entrance to the Tobruk defence and right entrance into the bunker.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

This is the entrance into the Tobruk. Several stairs up and twisting to the left.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Looking out of the Tobruk and parts of the machine gun ring can still be seen.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Detail from underneath.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

The view towards the area they were defending. The Anti-tank ditch in the far distance, today there are at least two houses built in the field. Progress.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

The small niche above is for a speaking tube, connected to the crew/gun room below. If the machine gunner sees anything, he can shout down through the tube to the guns commander and tell him what he sees. The second niche below is if fitted for a junction box for a field telephone.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Getting out, a tight fit.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Entrance passage down some stairs and on the right a close combat defence embrasure, where a machine gun could be mounted to defend the door.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Close combat defence embrasure still with the wood surround that was used in the making of the bunker, but left on as it helps to absorb bullets and shrapnel. In the left another Sprachrohr mouthpiece so you can talk to anybody inside. The only way to get in when the bunker is locked down when fighting.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

The entrance steps with another close combat defence embrasure to shoot any enemy entering the bunker, who has passed the machine gun outside.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Close combat defence room.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Close combat room covering the entrance with a 48P8 embrasure.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

The entrance to the crew room was closed off by a 434P01 door.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Escape there was a 410P9 door continues on into a passage with shutters holding back a sand ballast mix that fills the escape. All this has to be removed to get out.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

The close combat defence that covers the entrance door, the pipes for the air filtration system.

14 December 2003

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

More pipe work and the far door to the ammunition room.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Ammunition space. This would possibly have wooden shelving made by the crew and stacked with machine gun ammunition.

14 December 2003

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

From the ammunition room into the gun room. The back wall has pipes and vents to extract the foul gases from the machine gun and sends it through the pipe work to vents outside. They can be electrically operated, if there are electrics or hand operated via a large handle.

21 March 2006

HES handle, Heers-Einheits-Schutslüfter. MKB Bunkertour.

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Door to the left to the ammunition room, the pipes behind. Plenty of room for at least three men and a machine gun.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Looking out of the gun room.

21 March 2006

A 7P7 early plate this is how it would have looked with the gun removed.

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Looking back at the ammunition room where a 434P01 door closed off the gun room.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

The direction of fire of the gun towards the Anti-Tank ditch.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

R629 on the plan.

Geoportail

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

The Tobruk defence for the bunker.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

The entrance to the garage side of the bunker.

21 March 2006

The one main door and the second a double stable type door a 484P2. You can see the hinges on the door frame on the main picture.

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Inside the garage where the gun would be stored, I am not sure which type of gun was here maybe an 8.8cm Pak. The recess in the far end is to take the muzzle of the gun. Underneath this is where the ammunition was stored. These bunkers were for gun and gun crew to live and garage the gun. Any fighting was done outside in a pre prepared position, a field type position. There was no room for a vehicle, so the gun had to be man handled by the crew into position. A large 8.8cm Pak would be very heavy..

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Lobby.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Gas lock. To the right into the crew room, to the far left the Mens entrance from the bunker.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

On the left the niche is the radio aerial socket.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Another aerial slot and behind it the close combat defence embrasure.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Close combat embrasure covering the entrance,.

00-00-00

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

4ML01 equalising air valve.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Crew room would have had a 19P7 door.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

1 - Escape. 2 - Escape tunnel. 3 - Storage. 4 - Crew room. 5 - Bunker heater. 6 - HES air ventilation filter pump. 7 - Close combat defence embrasure. 8 - Crew entrance. 9 - Lobby. 10 - Gun room. 12 - Tobruk defence.

Plan ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Periscope tube. A periscope would be passed into the tube and a lookout on the outside world could be kept.

21 March 2006

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Crew room.

00-00-00

Heers-Einheits-Schutzlüfter HES 1.2 MKB Bunkertour.

Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)

Equalizing valve and the remains of some sort of fitting on the wall. Through the door you cans see the paint marks of where a bunker phone was hung on the wall.

21 March 2006