StP84 Maisy - 'Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére,
K.V.U.Gruppe Vire,
K.V.Gr Bayeux.   Part 1

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Two batteries set side by side (which is unusual) StP84 & StP83.
StP83 had four10cm le.F.H.14/19 Kannon and two 7.5cm F. K. 16n.Art. in three R612 casemates with a third under construction..

7.5cm F.K.16.

R612 casemate.

10cm the.F.H.14/19.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Batterie 8./A.R.1716.
3 x R612 casemates.
1 x R612 under construction.
4 x Geschützstellung (Ringstand).
1 x Wooden observation/water tower  (Mirador - Watchtower).
5 x Vf58c Tobruk´s.
1 x Kabelbrünen (cable connection box).
1 x R607 Ammunition bunker.
1 x R622 Twin group bunker.
2 x 7.5cm F.K16 n.Art.
4 x 10cm le.F.H.14/19(t).

3 R612 casemate for a lande und sturmgeschütz. Assault gun. Usually a 7.5cm F.K. type.

R622 twin group bunker.

Kabelbrünen.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

The road today an easy track, just follow the Maisy batterie Museum signs and drive straight past and its 700m down the lane. If you have time you can visit the museum.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Red -     StP83
Yellow - StP84
The German Army map of the area showing the two batterie sites and all the other defences. Also notably all the Mf. Mine fields laid out in the area, more than on Omaha beach by the looks of it.

 

 

 

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Kabelbrünen
Set on the side of the road.

 

Kabelschaltstelle.

 

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Kabelbrünen

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Kabelbrünen
I have always wondered what this was but now I think its the Kabelbrünen, it would have connected the batterie to the main telephone grid for the area and also its fire control post on the coast.

This is a 1947 air-photo of the Kabelbrünen and I think the thin white line (I have enhanced it) of the cable trench. The trenches were not laid in a straight line but zigzagged to allow for stretch in the wire if a shell or bomb exploded near by.

A piece of armoured cable.

 

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Guard shelter
This concrete guard shelter was here in 2006 but removed by the farmer with the trees and hedges to cultivate more land. (more land more subsidies).

 

 

 

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Guard shelter inside.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Senior US army officers.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

G-2 Map
Allied intelligence map of the area.
Yellow - StP 83.
White  - StP 84.

Field position.

 

 

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

G-2 Map
The range of the guns that were here.
Yellow - StP 83.
White  - StP 84.

7.5cm F.K16 n. Art.

Ammunition box.

 

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

The road into the batterie now with the hedge and trees removed.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Railway line
A piece of railway line probably used in the construction of the batterie.

The railway line used to tip spoil from excavations.

Bunker construction.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Turm3
The first R612 casemate from behind.

R612 casemate.

Gun room.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Niches
A row of small ammunition Niches about ten set in a semi circle.

Layout of the ammunition niches.

 

 

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Looking into the ammunition niche.

How it may have looked.

 

 

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Ammunition niches
The semi circle of ammunition niches.

Ammunition niches..

Ammunition niches.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Screw pickets were used to hold up barbed wire.

Screw picket

Barbed wire.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Tobruk 1
Tobruk Vf58c one of five that were around here.

Plan Tobruk 1 .

Tobruk Vf58c plan.

Tobruk Vf58c plan.

 

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Tobruk 2
Tobruk Vf58c the second here.

Plan Tobruk 2 .

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Tobruk 2
Tobruk Vf58c the second here.

Tobruk as an AA position.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Tobruk 2
Tobruk Vf58c the second here.

 

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Tobruk 3
Tobruk Vf58c the third here.

Plan Tobruk 3.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Tobruk 3
Tobruk Vf58c the third here.

Tobruk.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Tobruk 3
Tobruk Vf58c the third here.

There was also a twin MG.42 used in the anti-aircraft role.

 

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

3 x R612 casemates
The track to Turm1. Between here and the casemates are two bunkers, one R622 twin group bunker and an R607 ammunition bunker. At the time I had no idea there were two bunkers here.

Plan.

R612 casemate 60° arc of fire..

Gun room.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

3 x R612 casemates
Turms 1 to 3.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

3 x R612 casemates
The view down to the sea.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Vf6a Observation Post at Wn87
At Wn87 there is a Vf6a, a complicated odd bunker for a fire control post. A passage into the main room and an observation space.
A cable would have been laid from here to the batterie via the Kabelbrünen.

Vf6a observation post bomb proof.

Wn87.

The view out to sea.

 

Looking into the observation room.

The rear entrance.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates turm1 gun room.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Turm1 R612 casemates gun room.
Steel hooks on the roof are to aid positioning the gun and removal and replacing the barrel.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Turm1 R612 casemates.

Plan.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Turm 2 R612 casemates.

Plan.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 2 made of Bauform concrete blocks.

Bauform concrete blocks and steel reinforcement.

Bauform concrete blocks cemented together and steel reinforcement would be placed between the walls and then filled with concrete.

Steel reinforcement bars.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
3 x

Details

R612 casemates Turm 2 . Rear projecting wall.

R612 plan.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 2. Rear entrance where a large door was supposed to close this space off.

494P2 type doors could have been used.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 2. Gun room and two ammunition spaces each side.

A gun inside a bunker..

Cleaning rods on the wall.

60° angle of fire..

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 2. Ammunition niche.

 

 

 

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 2. Ammunition niche where a large fan was to be fitted to suck out the foul gases when the gun is fired.

An extraction fan in place.

Grill at the rear to allow the gases to vacate the bunker.

Bunkers ventilation pipes.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 2. Attacked by the 5th Ranger Battalion. 'A' company came in from east above the two batteries, continued west and then turned south into the front of StP84. A lot of fire from small calibre was directed into the rear of the batterie from Maisy village area and support came that direction with 81mm mortars, 4.3 mortars, two 75mm cannons on half-tracks and artillery support. 'A' company had to cross several minefields and flooded fields to reach the batterie. The battle lasted about five hours and about 90 prisoners taken.

 

American troops advancing.

Half Track with a 75mm gun.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Plan & Attack.
The direction of attack by 'A' Company. The red areas are the marked mine fields but I believe there were a lot more to the north of the batteries.

The German map of minefields.

 

 

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 2. Drainage??? well its under the rear door and I have never seen the need for a drain there. So I don't know. The concrete block is the original cover for the hole. It could be the case pit, where you throw the used cases after firing.
Its easy just to chuck the cases down on the ground after firing, but a pile of cases laying around get under your feet. So some bunkers have a pit or small room dug underneath them where usually you throw the cases down in a specially made tube. Then you open a man hole cover and remove the cases to re use them. I wonder if here the cases could be chucked down and removed later??

Castel Vendon 6/MAA260, Cherbourg. The tube to drop down the shell case.

Plan of a case store in larger bunkers, under the gun room.

68P9 man hole cover.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 2 gun embrasure with a diagonal gutter across the top of the opening.

I have found a picture (very rare) of a set of doors on the front.

Also a set of wooden doors being visited by Rommel.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 3.

Plan T3.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 3.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 3. The six square holes were for a steel door frame to be set in and doors then fitted. Front doors have to be open when the gun is fired (obviously) but the rear doors too should be open to take out the blast inside the gun room.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Mo86c Batterie Versendoket 2/A.R.266.
This is inside the gun room of four R612 casemates in Brittany telling the gunners what to do.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 3. Peppered north and east side.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 3 south wall nice and clean.

Plan.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 3.

Plan.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 3 quite battered from the direction of the village of Maisy. The round hole is the vent for gases from the gun room.

The extraction pipes inside the walls of the casemate.

Rost 200mm.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 3 gun room.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

R612 casemates Turm 3.
The view out of the embrasure, the steel sheets were used a lot in WW1 & WW2 first by the French in WW1 and the Germans in WW2 as reinforcement for roofs, etc.

Tol Metro corrugated iron bunker.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Maisy II                    Unoccupied field battery             Interservice Target N: 9/J/6

Ref: GSGS 4250/6E6/528916
Geographical Coordinates: 49° 22' 26" N. 01° 04' 02" W.
Height above sea level: 20 meters.
Position for 4-gun field troop, unoccupied, probably only temporary. The original
emplacements have been demolished, and the guns are in the open at 53194
(MAISY IIa).        Interservice Target N: 9/J/6.           (details taken from the picture DEFE 2/375).

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

The construction site with the three casemates nicely covered in earth and what look like small bushes planted in clumps. The water/observation tower and the narrow gauge diesel engine and railway lines.

Piper L-4 Grasshopper.

Diesel railway engine.

The tower made of wood was built for a water tower for the construction and could also be used as a makeshift fire control post.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Turm3 and Turm4 under construction.
The wooden scaffolding in place, these bunkers were built in Bauform concrete block.

Bauform bricks and reinforcement steel bars.

Bauform bricks.

Pouring concrete.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Turm4 under construction and Turm3 showing bullet damage.

showing bullet damage.

Old large concrete mixer.

Field gum.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Allied intelligence post action photo of Turm 4 casemate being construction..

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

There was one R607 ammunition and an R622 twin group bunker.
There are two entrances lead into two doors large ammunition rooms. In Part 2 you can see inside this bunker.

R607 twin group bunker.

10cm ammunition.

 

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

10cm le.F.H.14/19(t) found after the battle, with one very damaged one.

Horse artillery.

Cordite powder bags.

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére
Part 1

Information

StP84 Maisy - Batterie 'Brasilia', La Martinére

Details

Back to StP84 Menu

© 2013 Richard Drew