Ra109Pointe de la Varde

STP · K.V.Gruppe Rance · AOK 7 Brittany · France

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

From St-Malo its a nice drive north up the coast and you can park quite close to Varde´s entrance. Varde was originally a Vauban fort like most around the French coast and then taken over after occupation and turned into a Ra109 a very strong defence position covering the top of the bay at Rothéneuf. 1 x R120 observation bunker.

1 x R611 casemate.

1 x R611/SK casemate.

1 x R667 casemate.

1 x R600 emplacement for 5cm KwK.

1 x R112a six embrasure bunker.

1 x R653 casemate for a 7.5cm Pak.

1 x R506c large machine gun emplacement.

1 x R621 group shelter. 1 x R622/SK twin group bunker.

1 x R502 twin group shelter.

1 x 622/SK Machinenstand.

2 x R622 twin group bunker.

1 x Vf61a mortar Tobruk.

3 x Vf58c Tobruk.

1 x Vf58c searchlight (DCA).

2 x 5cm KwK L/60.

1 x 5cm KwK L/42.

1 x 4.7cm Pak K.36.

2 x 7.5cm F.K.243(h).

1 x 2cm Flak 30.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

Plan of the Wn showing the direction of fire from all the guns, the yellow dot was a Tobruk with a search light attached to it.
R611´s -- 2 x 7.5cm F.K.243(h) guns.
R667 ---- 1 x 5cm KwK L/60 guns.
R653 ---- 1 x 5cm KwK L/60 gun.
R600 ---- 1 x 5cm KwK L/42 gun
R506c -- 1 x 4.7cm Pak K.36(t).

Plan

The top of the steel dome in the R120 overlooking the bay.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde the view from St-Malo sea front showing the Pointe and the Vauban fort in the centre.

25 November 2013 - 1943/44

Varde under attack by the Americans. The view from St-Malo.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R506 a casemate for a 4.7cm Pak(t)

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

With on the left an R600 casemate for a 5cm KwK L/42 and right the cupola of an R122 a six embrasure turret (cupola) a steel turret fixed in concrete and has six embrasures so that a machine gun could move from window to window as the gun was needed, also a periscope was set into the centre of the cupola.

25 June 2002

The type of fortress machine gun fitting.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R600 you would have seen as an open emplacement but here a casemate has been built over it in around 1944.

25 November 2013

How it would have looked without its cupola was fitted.

This is an R600 open emplacement but here a cap has been placed over the top.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R600 Casemate

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R600 Casemate A trench leading to the rear of the R600 now very hard to walk through.

25 November 2013

Plan of an R600 with crew room on the left and ammunition room on the right.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R600 Casemate View into the gun room.

25 November 2013

5cm KwK Pak L/60 model with a muzzle break.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R600 is an open emplacement with an ammunition and crew room underneath. You can see the glacés of the R600 underneath the embrasure. A roof has been placed over the top to add better protection for the gun and crew.

25 November 2013

R600 plan the arrow showing where the glacés is.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R600 Casemate The original open emplacement of the R600 with senior officers and high ranking civilians watching on. The gun here is an L/42 without a muzzle break on it. That´s the way to notice the difference between an L/60 & an L42.

1942/3

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R667 with its flanking wall covering its seaward side cuts short to possibly allow the gun to fire more to the right side..

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

Picture just taken after capture of the R667 showing its L/60 gun with a muzzle break.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R667 casemate. A very good picture of the view out of the embrasure, showing its L/60 gun with a muzzle break and La Tour du Bonheur. A camouflage net hangs down over the embrasure.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R667 casemate. Ammunition was stored in the left hand niche and fired cases were put into the square hole in the back wall to remove them from gun room. The gun would have been bolted to the floor by a ring of threads.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

A standard R667 does not have a crew bunker underneath it. But this R667 does seem to have an escape, so putting them together means there must be an underground bunker of some sort???

25 November 2013

The escape coming up the side of the casemate.

Looking down into the escape with its steel ladder rungs still in place.

Plan of how an escape works from the underground bunker.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R667 Casemate Rear entrance usually would have had a blast wall across the rear.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

Main Gate I would imagine a double door and a lifting draw bridge would have been here and used as the main gate.

25 November 2013

To the left of the entrance is a steel hand hold to climb up to the left hand Tobruk.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

Tobruk covering the entrance.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

The second Tobruk. This one is to the left of the gate on the inland side.

25 November 2013

Yellow - the two Tobruk's.
Red - Vf61a mortar Tobruk. — Yellow - the two Tobruk's. Red - Vf61a mortar Tobruk.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

Here is another photo showing how this Tobruk could cover the entrance and rears of the R600 and R667 below them.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

This is the view inside the fort from the eastern gate, there would have been a large barrack block on the right side now completely removed.

25 November 2013

The barracks sitting high above the fort walls.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R622 twin group bunker now sealed up.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

A Vf61a is a Tobruk for an 81mm mortar.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

Vauban Chamber.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate for a field gun, very large casemate for such a small gun set into the outer wall of the fort. Normally a 611 has a Tobruk on the rear but hear it was not needed so never built.

25 November 2013

This casemate has been built into the outer wall.

IR6110/SK viewing to the embrasure and the forts wall.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate The rear entrance where the gun would pass through into the centre passage.

25 June 2002

7.5cm F.K.243(h) a Dutch gun captured and put back into use by the Germans.

How it may have looked in a captured casemate embrasure in Normandy.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

The R611 cut into the forts outer Wall. You can see how the forts wall has been re built as camouflage.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate embrasure.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate Gun room, the gun trails would have fitted into the half round steels set into the floor. The passage leads to a steel rear double door and then on the right, ammunition rooms and left crew room.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate Gun room, the half round marks in the floor are for the guns trails to rest in so it does not jump backwards when fired

25 June 2002

Man hole cover to spent case store under the floor.

Spent shell case room under casemate floor.

Name

R611/SK casemate Gun room this is where the gun would sit and fire over the bay across St Malo.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate The passage down the centre. Graffiti artists - GET A LIFE - what an absolute mess. There is nothing artistic here 'Banksy'.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate Door to the crew room and several doors are still in place.

25 November 2013

19P7 door, a steel door with gas tight seal around it and a small glass viewing window.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate Crew room and the close combat defence covering the rear door, you can see through the open window right out of the back door.

25 June 2002

How to use a close combat embrasure properly.

I think it may be a 483p2 close combat window.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate Periscope fitting in the roof, the bunker had a telescope for viewing all around to help with its defence. It also could be used to help target its main gun.

25 November 2013

The armoured hole for the periscope on the roof.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate The ammunition door is a 434p01 double steel door.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate Case room to store the brass cases and the cordite propellant charge.

25 November 2013

Possibly the case room where the shells propellant was stored. It came in small brass cases and filled with bags of cordite propellant. The amount of cordite put in them adjusted the guns range as well as hiring the barrel.

10.5cm powder propellant in its wooden box.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

.R611 casemate left and French barracks.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

A row of Turkish toilets. (Turkish is the name of this toilet design)

25 November 2013

Men reading in the toilet, I bet the Romans did the same.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

French toilets.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

Toilet drains and this is where it all went and then out to sea.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate Looking towards the pointe viewed from the R611 in the middle of the picture is another Tobruk.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate We are now at the second R611.Yes me about to tackle a cliff edge to enter the R611.

18 March 2006

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

The R611 from the other side.

18 March 2006

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate gun room.

18 March 2006

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611 casemate gun room and passage. This is a standard R611 design..

25 June 2002

Plan of this R611 with its Tobruk defence

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate The area the guns protecting.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R611/SK casemate View back at the Fort.

18 March 2006

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

Searchlight Two railway lines for a search light to travel on.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R622 with twin Tobruk's.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R622 twin group bunker Yellow arrow is the periscope fitting. Red arrows the two Tobruk's.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 artillery observation post with an armoured turret type 441PO1 steel cupola still in place.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 artillery observation post Close combat defence window, an interesting window moulded concrete has been used in front of steel plate.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 artillery observation post The entrance and the second close combat window covering the corridor.

25 November 2013

Close combat defence both covering the entrance.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 artillery observation post Main close combat defence room, in the distance the escape hatch.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 artillery observation post It looks as though there was a second gas filtration unit on the far wall or the iron metal loop sticking out of the wall held unused gas filters.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 artillery observation post Escape.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 artillery observation post Crew room.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 artillery observation post View from the chart room to the observation turret is a small passage opening out to a circular space with the turret above.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 observation turret. The base of the turret and the base tube for the periscope.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 observation turret. Base of turret. The view up into the turret showing the turret floor, the circular hole is for the periscope fitted through. The left hand square hole is the access where a ladder used to fit (picture below).

25 November 2013

How it looked a few years ago with its ladder and braces still in place. 25 June 2002.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 observation turret. Turret observation hole. A special machine gun mounting could be placed through this and any other hole and fired by its operative. A commander below would have viewed through the periscope and would give fire orders for the machine gunner and fire orders for the field guns in the R611 casemates.

25 June 2002

The machine gun possibly an MG Schartenlafetten 34Td Rh Blatt1.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 artillery observation post Crew room and note the sliding doors, this bunker has several.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 artillery observation post One of the sliding doors in the commanders room and also on the left the close combat window covering the main entrance passage.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 artillery observation post The way out of the R120 and it would have gone into an extensive trench system now covered over.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 bunker cupola 441P01 type. A very strong steel cupola with six embrasures and a periscope in the top. A fortress machine gun mounting could fire through all the embrasures with special blanking fittings to fit into the embrasures not in use.

25 November 2013

Blanking plug, hinged and could be swivelled into position.

Blanking plug in a cupola at Ra230 Fort de Cite de Aleth.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 looking over the bay.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R120 Trenches. There were many trenches around the Varde defence.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

The trenches linked all the positions..

Air Photo 1943/4

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R653 casemate for a 5cm KwK L/42 Gun. This seems to be a rather rare bunker, Holland had six and AOK7 (Normandy & Brittany) nine. A very extensive bunker for such a small gun.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R653 casemate for a 5cm KwK L/42 Gun. Concrete shield looks like its part of a French rifle range. This was one of the firing points.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R653 casemate for a 5cm KwK L/42 Gun. Gun room for a 5cm KwK L/42 Pak gun and would have been set into the floor.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R653 casemate for a 5cm KwK L/42 Gun. The gun would have sat on the floor here and fired down into the valley covering the inland north - north/east flank.

18 March 2006

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R653 casemate for a 5cm KwK L/42 Gun. Crew room with the close combat window covering the rear entrance, the gas filtration system and the passage to the gas lock and way out. The yellow arrow shows where and armoured piercing bullet has penetrated the close combat window.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R653 casemate for a 5cm KwK L/42 Gun. A crushed door. This bunker has been badly damaged either by the French post war or the Americans training for attacking bunkers to help them as they move through Brittany.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R653 casemate for a 5cm KwK L/42 Gun. There is a lot of damage done here.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R653 casemate for a 5cm KwK L/42 Gun. Trench down to a Tobruk and on to the pointe. Nice trench system allowing the guard to reach the Tobruk in safety.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

The pointe where another smaller fort sat. This was a lookout and small Vauban gun emplacement probably up graded for WW1 and in the 1930's..

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

The pointe lookout.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

Pointe A French pre war lookout.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

This R622/SK has an extra storage that in other bunkers may have been used for extra water storage.

18 March 2006

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R622/SK twin group bunker this may just be extra storage space for a water tank.

25 November 2013

Wasser tank in Wn12 Ouistreham ('Hillman'), Normandy.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R506c casemate for a 4.7cm Pak (t). Another huge block of concrete much too large for the gun it mounts.

18 March 2006

Plan of an R505 Casemate for a 4.7cm Pak (t).

Gun room with a 770P4 steel gun fitting in place.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R506c casemate for a 4.7cm Pak (t). Close up of the embrasure. The wall (Mur de flaquement) fell off in 2007.

18 March 2006

Casemate with the chute for fired cases to the store below the bunker.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R506c casemate for a 4.7cm Pak (t). A 770P4 metal plate.

25 November 2013

Below the 770P4 is a tube where spent cases could be passed down into an storage tank..

770P4 from inside where the gun would be attached to..

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R112a six embrasure turret bunker Set into the corner of the moat and a large metal plate has been fitted.

25 November 2013

R112a six embrasure turret bunker with a metal plate instead of a close combat defence window.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R112a six embrasure turret bunker Sitting neatly in the corner of the moat, this R511a turret covers the S/E corner and the metal plate below covers the moat in both directions.

25 November 2013

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R112a six embrasure turret bunker The cupola or turret a type 35P8.

25 November 2013

Hinged blanking plug to cover the open embrasure.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R112a six embrasure turret bunker Asbestos was placed on the inside to insulate from heat & cold.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R112a six embrasure turret bunker The floor with two access holes and centre hole for a periscope.

25 June 2002

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R112a six embrasure turret bunker The Set down into the moat.

25 June 2002

Yellow arrows are the views on the left.

Ra109 Pointe de la Varde.

R112a six embrasure turret bunker This is the casemates entrance and the machine gun fitted into the 78P9 Pz Schartsnplatte an M.G.34 covered both sides of the moat.

25 June 2002