Wn79 Grandcamp
K.V.U.Gruppe Percée (Omaha Beach) · AOK 7 Normandy · France
Stp79 Grandcamp
This is a Then & Now of Grandcamp. The 'Then' photos are posted on Facebook "World War Pictures". The 'Now' photos are taken from Google Maps.
I was actually in Grandcamp on the 27th July 2024 with my Grandson and we ate at the Cafe du Port. Highly recommended.
Stp79 Grandcamp
Stp79 Grandcamp
A low level reconnaissance photo taken by a Lightning photo reconnaissance plane.
3 x U Tobruk Pz. Dremturm FT.
2 x FT 3.7cm KwK144(f) guns.
1 x FT MG.311(f) Reibel MG.
1 x R667 casemate (Possibly Rue du Petit Maisy).
1 x 5cm KwK gun (Possibly Rue du Petit Maisy).
1 x 2cm Flak 30 Oerlikon.
Several Feldmässig shelters.
There may have been more?
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Stp79 Grandcamp
Another high level photo, showing the harbour very well.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
The harbour in the 1960's.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
The harbour pre war.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
A more up to date photo of the sea front.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
Quai Crampton leading into the Sur les Bords des Veys with tree trunks sunk into the road to form a road block/anti tank wall.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
Sur les Bords des Veys translates to On the banks of the Veys.
An observation/machine gun post set into the road.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
Sur les Bords des Veys a little further on where there is a slip way.
Local French fishermen look watery eyed for a chance to take their boats out.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
Stp79 Grandcamp
Sat on the slip way was a Higgins boat PA13-6, Capacity 36 Men or 8,100lbs. Probably damaged.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
Note the men poking around the boat are medics and a local fisherman.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
Unknown position, but possibly a little further down. An observation and shooting point. This may be the eastern extent of Wn79 as it views east along the beach looking towards Wn78.
Stp79 Grandcamp
Stp79 Grandcamp
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Stp79 Grandcamp
This is a large concrete anti tank wall blocking th exit from the port onto Rue Ariside Briand. A combination of concrete wall, tree trunks and any old gate that can fill a hole.
Stp79 Grandcamp
Down along the Quai, this building has possibly gone now.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
Stp79 Grandcamp
In the town and the junction of Rue Aristide Briand, Rue de la Liberation and Rue de la Marine.
A medical Jeep driving through.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
The junction of Rue Aristide Briand, Rue de la Liberation and Rue de la Marine.
This is a 2cm Flak 30 type. Another name is an 2cm Oerlikon.
Stp79 Grandcamp
2cm Flak 30 Oerlikon.
Stp79 Grandcamp
Rue Aristide Briand and the CIC Sergeant talking to a local.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
In the Port.
Barges sunk to stop access for Allied shipping.
Stp79 Grandcamp
Cutting off one of the piers is a U Tobruk French FT tank turret 3.5cm and co-axle machine gun.
Note also the anti-shipping or anti-submarine net closing off the harbour.
Stp79 Grandcamp
US photographer braving a photo of a Teller mine set on a post that would sink a landing craft easily.
Stp79 Grandcamp
Locals showing the CIC sergeant one of the machine gun posts.
The gun is a French Reibel Mg311(f), possibly an ex Maginot line machine gun, used extensively by the Germans on the Atlantikwall.
Stp79 Grandcamp
The French model 81mm mortar, developed by the engineer Edgar Brandt. A crew of four or five men. Here the mortar is being examined by American soldiers. There are plenty of live mortar bombs lying around there.
Stp79 Grandcamp
CIC Counter Intelligence Corps.
Here the CIC sergeant is chatting to locals outside the German Head Quarters.
Stp79 Grandcamp
Battle damage in the cemetery, unfortunately it was on the front line. There is a Tobruk at the junction of the D614 and the Rue du Commandant Kieffer and that was part of Wn78.
Stp79 Grandcamp
Rue du Petit Maisy about half way up there was a barrier and above a casemate can be seen, I can find no record of this casemate.
Stp79 Grandcamp
Rue du Petit Maisy further down and civilians coming back to their homes.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
Very young POW's (Prisoners of War), it looks as though they have been separated from the older soldiers.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
Kids doing what kids do well, I am sure they were given either candy or chewing gum.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
A very thick anti-tank wall with a large steel gate and barbed wire covering the holes. The gate looks to open into a recess in the wall.
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Stp79 Grandcamp
I do not know where this is or what it is, but it looks like two semi-sunk bunkers that are well camouflaged.
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