— Wn75Montivilliers Epresmesnil
WN · K.V.Gruppe Le Havre · AOK 15 Haute-Normandie · France
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Early in the war the German Navy were given the job of defending the large French ports, to be used as U-boat or S-boat bases. LeHavre was no different. As the war carried on Le Havre became a Festung. That meant defending the port on the sea front and the land front. Wn75 is one of the land front defences. An anti-tank ditch, with barbed wire and minefields. Behind them came static defence positions. These included machine gun posts, observation posts, and many small and medium bunkers.
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
The red line is the possible area the Wn covered.
1 x R634 six embrasured machine gun turret.
1 x R622 twin group bunker.
1 x Z193 water reservoir.
7 x Vf understands.
1 x Vf/MG stand.
3 x Vf8 Tobruk's.
1 x 7.5cm F.K.
1 x 7.5cm Pak.
09/10/1945
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
R634 Six embrasured turret bunker.
François giving scale to the picture.
15 October 2022 MKB Bunkertour
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
R634 Six embrasured turret bunker.
The crew room would have living accommodation with beds, table, chairs and cupboards to store their kit. The gas lock to stop the ingress of gas. Ventilation would have had a Heers-Einheits-Schutzlüfter HES 1.2 pump to suck in through filtration, filtered air and blow it around the bunker, increasing the air pressure to stop the ingress of any gas or if no gas, smoke/fumes from the machine gun. Turret, a solidly made steel dome that held a machine gun that could by opening an embrasure. Place a machine gun through it or a special monocular viewing binocular, that used a single monocular through the embrasure, for observation. There was also a periscope that came up through the centre of the dome so the bunker commander could help the gunner direct his fire on the most important targets.
MKB Bunkertour
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
R634 Six embrasured turret bunker.
40P8 dome that has been cut off just after the war. The French government sent out an order that if you had any wartime remains in your town, village, it was the property of the Mayor, to do as he wished with it for the benefit of the people. Most steel parts were sold off for scrap, wood, cement was use in re construction, etc.
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
This is what the bunker would have looked like, it would be buried up to its roof and just the dome sticking out.
MKB Bunkertour
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Not the correct fittings being used. but it does give an idea of how it would look in a bunker..
Bundesarchiv
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
The cut and inside.
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Doudeneville's R634 showing what it would have looked like.
SHM 1946
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Eisenpfahel - Iron post. It is a piece of angle iron, with a design on the top to hold wire, comes in several lengths. As needed. With a stylized swastika half way down. At the base is a flat plate. A hole id dug and the flat plate inserted, covered over with the spoil from the hole and trampled down. Exceedingly hard to remove. Also it can be turned upside down and a lamp positioned on the top as a directional beam to show up only where it may be safe to walk.
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
A row of Eisenpfahel posts still being used today and behind a Vf8 Tobruk.
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Plant pot. Vf8 Tobruk.
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Vf8 Tobruk plan.
MKB Bunkertour
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Vf8 Tobruk, "Turning guns into plough shears".
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
A small Manoir with out buildings and in the grounds are two Tobruk's and several Vf unterstands.
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Looking in we could just see the odd mound shape of a bunker, but that is all.
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Vf Machine gun.
A walk back to the next bunker a small observation/machine gun Vf bunker.
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Vf Machine gun.
A very good field of fire.
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Vf Machine gun.
Half a Vf3 bunker only allowing fire forwards and to either side. Probably used as an observation and defence position. There was also a Vs Unterstand somewhere behind the hedge, probably it was attached with a small trench.
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Vf Machine gun.
Kurt's plans of this bunker.
MKB Bunkertour
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Vf Machine gun.
The side view, now nicely glazed but in the day, it would have been open.
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Vf Machine gun.
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Vf Machine gun.
This is how it looked in 1946. A little damage on the left side. Considering it had the weight of Operation Astonia forced upon it, it surprises me its still there.
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Operation Astonia 11 September 1944. The attack by British forces upon the city of Le Havre. The main attack came in from the north and swept along the top of the city towards the sea and the large guns facing the seaward side and then down into the town.
It started with a very heavy bombing raid, a huge artillery barrage and the flail tanks went in across the minefields, bridging tank through tank bridges over the ditches and infantry and Churchill tanks advanced. Many of the Churchill's were equipped with flame throwers.
11 September 1944
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Written on the photo:
"The morning after the attack by 56 INF BDE area of enemy minefields and A/TK ditches showing the gaps made".
The number 535324 is the map reference for the spot. Then you have the breaches in the minefields. The red circle is where Wn75 is located. The SP numbers are target numbers. If the infantry or tanks came int difficulty, they could call up the artillery to fire on these targets.
11 September 1944 542Sqdn RAF
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Tanks preparing to advance. Churchill Infantry tank and a Churchill bridge layer.
11 September WO223/151
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Sherman flail tanks advancing into the minefields.
11 September WO223/151
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Tanks and infantry advance.
11 September WO223/151
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
Let battle commence.
11 September WO223/151
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
The arrival of British troupes liberating Le Havre. The greatest shame is the bombing obliterated many areas of the town and killed a lot of civilians, which was one of the greatest failures if the battle for Le Havre.
15 October 2022
Wn75 Montivilliers Epresmesnil
The two supports of the Pont du Normandy over the River Seine.
15 October 2022