Yport H.K.B.

BATTERIE · K.V.Gruppe Fécamp · AOK 15 Haute-Normandie · France

Yport H.K.B.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport north of Le Havre, another cleft in the cliff, and another lovely little seaside town, with a stony beach, small fishing boats and bathing huts.
Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
 

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
The battery we are looking at here are the casemates on the hill above the cliff. From document: WO 233/56 Ground Checking Notes No.3 - Le Havre.

05 March 2012

R679 casemate.
R679 casemate.
R679 casemate.
R679 casemate.
Gun-Compartment.
Gun-Compartment.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Beach 33. Yport: view east from beach showing ramp leading from beach onto promenade. (4041/108 N.E./659351) (14:6:45).

WO 252/149 (14:6:45)

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Beach 33. Yport: view west from jetty, showing beach and cliffs. (4041/108 N.E,/659531) (14:6:45).

WO 252/149 (14:6:45)

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
3./H.K.A.A.1253. 2 x R679 casemates. 2 x R679 casemates under construction. 3 x Vf bunkers. 1 x Stollen (covered trench or small tunnel) 2 x 15,5 cm K.420(f) guns. Originally there were six guns in field positions somewhere behind the cliffs. Then when in 1943, the order came through to casemate all the guns. Only two were managed to be built and occupied by September 1944. The other two still under construction.

IGNF1947

15,5 cm K.420(f) guns in field positions.
15,5 cm K.420(f) guns in field positions.
15,5 cm K.420(f) guns on a pivot position.
15,5 cm K.420(f) guns on a pivot position.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
This is the SHM French military plan of the defences dated 1946. Some of the text was unreadable.

SHM 1946

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Taken from WO 233/56 air photo showing that there was four gun emplacements originally here and were being casemated.

WO 233/56

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
The view from the beach of the two R679's.

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Plan.
Plan.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Yport.

05 March 2012

How they would have looked.
How they would have looked.
and inside.
and inside.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Turm 1 R679 casemate for pivoting gun (120°).

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R669 casemate.
R669 casemate.
Plan.
Plan.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Turm 1 R679 casemate. Teams of Allied officers toured the defences of the Atlantikwall, to photograph and document them. This is an American. By standing in front, it tells the photo interpreter that he is of average height. Say 5' 10". 177.8cm. Then they can work out the dimensions of the bunker.

1945

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Rear of Turm 1.

05 March 2012

The back door should have had a door like this one.
The back door should have had a door like this one.
Guns crew.
Guns crew.
Inside an R679 at Gatteville, Manche.
Inside an R679 at Gatteville, Manche.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Turm 1 R679 casemate. The battery sits high up on the cliffs above Yport in the valley.

05 March 2012

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Turm 1 R679 casemate. How it may have looked, there also may have been camouflage netting and even chains hanging down over the gun.

05 March 2012

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Turm 2 R679 casemate.

05 March 2012

Plan.
Plan.
Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Turm 2 R679 casemate.

05 March 2012

Gatteville.
Gatteville.
Elevation.
Elevation.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Taken from WO 233/56 a British plan of the casemate.

WO 233/56

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Turm 2 R679 casemate inside. A small ammunition room to the right of the rear door.

05 March 2012

Ammunition niches each side at the rear.
Ammunition niches each side at the rear.
Plan.
Plan.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Turm 2 R679 casemate. The large concrete cap with a strip of steel plate to increase protection.

05 March 2012

Cap from underneath.
Cap from underneath.
There would have been two more metal plates bolted to the sides, these have usually been removed and just the bolts in place.
There would have been two more metal plates bolted to the sides, these have usually been removed and just the bolts in place.
Gatteville.
Gatteville.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Turm 2 R679 casemate. I have superimposed where the two metal plates would have fitted. The gun was a  K.420(f) guns.

05 March 2012

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
15.5  K.420(f) gun.
15.5  K.420(f) gun.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Vf Unterstand.

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Vf Unterstand.
Vf Unterstand.
Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Tobruk Vf8 & to the right and down by some of the houses a Vf Schnabelstand.

05 March 2012

Vf Schnabelstand I think nestling in with one of the houses on the top of the cliff.
Vf Schnabelstand I think nestling in with one of the houses on the top of the cliff.
Vf Schnabelstand. An observation but could also be used with a machine gun.
Vf Schnabelstand. An observation but could also be used with a machine gun.
Vf8 Tobruk.
Vf8 Tobruk.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
A 2cm Flak 38. Somewhere here there were two 2cm Flak 38's for anti-aircraft defence.

Internet

Parts of a 2cm Flak 38.
Parts of a 2cm Flak 38.
Magazines.
Magazines.
Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
A 1954 photo of Yport, you can just see the two casemates.

IGNF 1954

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.

Yport H.K.B 3./Heeres Küsten Artillerie Abteilung 1253.
Fécamp in the background.

05 March 2012