Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

WN · K.V.Gruppe Morlaix · AOK 7 Brittany · France

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

Roscoff is the furthest port on the north-west coast, with sailing links now to Ireland and Plymouth. The old port is protected by a French fort that was strengthened as part of the Atlantikwall. We visited the town and walked around the bay from the old town to the fort.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

The following is a schedule of the various bunkers and armaments identified at the Mo94 site:

2 x R611 casemates
1 x R631 casemate
1 x R661/Sk casualty assembly bunker
1 x R627/Sk artillery observation post
1 x R634 six-embrasure turret bunker
1 x R501 group shelter
1 x R621 group shelter
2 x R667 casemates for a 5cm KwK gun
4 x Vf67 Tobruks for a Pz.T. FT17 MG331(f)
1 x Vf226
3 x Vf58c Tobruks
4 x Feldm
2 x Flakstellung
3 x Pz.T. FT17 MG331(f)
2 x 7.5cm F.K.38
2 x 5cm KwK L/42
2 x 2cm Flak 30
1 x 4.7cm Pak K.36(t)

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

The old port of Roscoff.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

The sea wall and fort. This provides a view from the old town towards the fort on the Pointe de Bloscan. The defence area of Mo94 is located at the pointe.

This area was garrisoned by Inf. Regt. 100, many left as the Americans advanced west and helped in the defence of Brest.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

Walking around the bay, I noticed the first bunker on the right, an R631 embrasure emplacement for a 4.7cm K36(t) Skoda A/T gun with a coaxial sMG37(t).

A 4.7cm K36(t) Skoda A/T gun with a co-axle sMG37(t).

There were three Pz.T. FT17 MG331(f) turrets in Mo94.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

R631 casemate for a 4.7cm K36(t) Skoda A/T gun with a co-axle sMG37(t). This is how it looks today on Google Earth. Crenellations have been removed.

The distinctive crenellation camouflage around its roof.

An original photo showing the crenellations.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

R631 casemate for a 4.7cm K36(t) Skoda A/T gun with a coaxial sMG37(t).

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

R631 4.7cm Pak K.36(t) casemate. The entrance door is behind the bush, and you would have to pass the close combat embrasure, where a machine gun could give cover to anybody trying to enter.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

R631 4.7cm Pak K.36(t) casemate. Close combat embrasure and you can just see the door to its left.

R631 casemate for a 4.7cm Festungspak(t) gun (counter clockwise) Close combat defence room, Gas lock & entrance, Crew room, Ammunition room, and then Gun room.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

This is the R631 Skoda gun casemate, shown here in a full front view.

Skoda bunkers gun room in another bunker.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

R631 4.7cm Pak K.36(t) casemate. The steel door is nearly in the closed position.

The plate at the front could be drawn up over the gun to protect it from direct fire.

Skoda gun and crew with the gun commander stood looking through a slit to the right of the gun embrasure able to locate targets fore the gunner to fire at.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

This shows the ball joint gun embrasure mounting used on the R631 casemate.

This is the ball joint fitted to the gun.

4.7cm Pak (t) Skoda MG 37 coaxial machine gun.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

This R631 casemate, designed for a 4.7cm Pak K.36(t) Skoda anti-tank gun, provides a clear field of fire from the main gun embrasure.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

Two R611 casemates for 7.5cm F.K.38 field guns. This view looks across to the second R611 and the fort (yellow circle), while the first R611 is marked with a red circle. The R611 casemate is a very interesting design; it includes a gun room with a passage, two doors at the rear for a field gun to be brought through, shell and case room magazines, a large crew room with a periscope, a gas lock, and a close combat defence room.

494p2 large double door the type that may have been used here.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

R611 casemate for a 7.5cm F.K.38 field gun. This photo was taken in November 2009 and conversions are going apace now.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

R611 casemate for a 7.5cm F.K.38 field gun. I found these two photos in my archive; I have no idea where they came from, but somebody has a new use for it.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

R611 casemate for a 7.5cm F.K.38 field gun. I found these two photos in my archive; I have no idea where they came from, but somebody has a new use for it.

looking from the rear door to the embrasure at the front.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

R611 casemate for a 7.5cm F.K.38 field gun. The rear entrance into the R611 features tank walls on each side, but the rear has been built onto.

The blue arrow is where a periscope was fitted.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

The old fort. Looking down from Chapel Hill into the fort, which formerly housed a fish farm and factory, now stands almost derelict.

A view of the fort & fish farm pre Atlantikwall.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

This is the second R611 casemate for a 7.5cm F.K.38 field gun.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

The second R611 casemate was designed to house a 7.5cm F.K.38 field gun.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

This is the second R611 casemate, designed to house a 7.5cm F.K.38 field gun.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

The R611 casemate is a very interesting one. It has a gun room with a passage to doors at the rear for a field gun to be brought through, a shell and case room, magazines, a large crew room with periscope, a gas lock, and a close combat defence room.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

This is where a protective metal plate could be drawn up over the embrasure to cover the gun.

This R611 has an extra ammunition room added to the side.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

The area the gun could cover with Île de Batz in the distance; also note the loops set into the rock to hold down barbed wire.

Ile de Batz.
Wn Mo100a, 100b.
Wn Mo 101 to Ma107.2 x 7.5cm Pak.2 x 5cm KwK Pak's.
Some 2cm Flak 28's.s.Kp.Ma.Fl.Abt.231.
Stab 111./Gren.Rgt.899. — Ile de Batz. Wn Mo100a, 100b. Wn Mo 101 to Ma107.2 x 7.5cm Pak.2 x 5cm KwK Pak's. Some 2cm Flak 28's.s.Kp.Ma.Fl.Abt.231. Stab 111./Gren.Rgt.899.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

The second R611 is at the back, featuring an extended ammunition room and a rear door located further up.

Section Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

At the second R611, the telephone insulator arms are still in place.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

This area contains a set of Vf shelters. I noticed a trench running back from the gun emplacement on the right.

Vf = Verstarkt Feldmäßig (Reinforced in field). This bunker has two entrances either side but there is no way in without moving years of rubbish.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

The site features a set of Vf shelters which, given their position, likely functioned as a small command post for the area.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

Near the site are a set of Vf shelters, offering a clear view looking down from the Chapel.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

I have seen this Tobruk in lots of books and on websites and thought how I too would like to see it. Well, I have, and on the day, I nearly fell off the wall going to see it as it was so wet and windy.

A soldier looking down the sights of his MG34 in this Tobruk.

Soldiers on exorcise defending the fort looking towards the light house.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

I stood taking this picture in the rain and wind, which were trying to blow me off the wall, but I got the photo.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

I ended up with very wet feet from the weather. I also noted several screw pickets still cemented into the old fort walls.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

Fort view along the front. The seaward wall of the fort.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

View back towards the chapel in the rain. Looking back at the entrance to the fort.

The Corps de Garde here, was a design of Vauban.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

Reinforced old fort building. Most of the fort's inner buildings have now vanished, but these are the only ones left.

Ammunition niche near the fort entrance.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

Vf and H611 bunkers. Looking back at where the Corps de Garde once stood.

A bunker behind the waste material´s is a Feldm. Also there was a 2cm Flak 30 sighted amongst the rubbish.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

R667 casemate for a 5cm KwK Pak gun. All you see is the roof section, as the path goes over the top.

Along a path just behind the sea is a path with two R667 casemates for 5cm L/42 KwK Pak guns.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

R667 casemate for a 5cm KwK anti-tank gun. It is right down just above sea level; that would have made them very damp places to guard.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

This is the beach they were protecting. It is situated just below the R667 casemates, which were positioned to guard this stretch of the coast, but one cannot help but wonder why this specific area required such significant defensive attention.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

Located on the Chapel Hill, there is a Vf58c Tobruk bunker, which offered a strategic vantage point overlooking the area.

Section Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

This is a contemporary photo of the chapel and a 7.5cm gun. The weapon, which was dug in at the chapel, may have been subsequently transferred down into one of the R611 casemates.

Mo94 Roscoff pointe de Bloscan.

The view from the Chapel Hill encompasses the surrounding coastal defences of Mo94, providing a strategic perspective over the pointe de Bloscan where the German forces established their positions during the occupation.