Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Details
709.Infantry Division.
2./919 Grenadier Regiment. Lt. Rowerier, HQ at Wn06 Poupeville.
1 x Cable connection box.
2 x Vf2a Gruppe shelters.
1 x Vf4a machine gun casemate.
1 x R607 ammunition bunker.
1 x R501 Gruppe shelter.
3 x Vf58c Tobruk.
1 x
R35 U Tobruk.
2 x type 1694 ringstands.
1 x Pz.T.R35 3.7cm KwK144 (f).
2 x 5cm KwK L/60.
1 x 7.5cm F.K.235(b).
7.5cm F.K.235(b).
5cm KwK L/60 gun.
Vf4a machine gun casemate.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Google Maps
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Details
I have started my route coming off the N13 at the Saint-Come-du-Mont junction and driven south on the D974 and at l'Amont or 'Dead Man's Corner' museum taken the minor road Rue du Bel Esnault and that will take you back under the N13 and turn sharp right (south) and follow the road past Barquette locks where 101st Airborne fought their epic battles. Continue on and you see on your left the cable junction box, kablebrunnen.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
05 October 2013
Information
Kablebrunnen.
Details
There were/are cables running all over the coast of France and joining them up in connection boxes like this one. It seems rather tall but that may be to alleviate flooding. Usually they are semi sunk into the ground.
Cable connection box plan.
Armoured cable I found on a beach.
Funkroom.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
05 October 2013
Information
Kablebrunnen.
Details
A manhole cover closes the junction room inside and the angled top allows wind passing by to create a small vacuum inside the connection room and sucks air through as either cooling or some other reason??
The protrusion at the top.
Kablebrunnen.
Semi sunk version of a Kablebrunnen.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
05 October 2013
Information
Kablebrunnen.
Details
Feldernsprecher 33.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
05 October 2013
Information
Kablebrunnen.
Details
You can just see the manhole cover. It was hard to climb up so I did not manage to see on the top.
Bunker phones.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Google Maps
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Details
We now move on to the Mur antichar, Panzerabwehrmauer, antitank wall.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
05 October 2013
Information
Mur antichar, Panzerabwehrmauer, antitank wall.
Details
The British came up with a Churchill Tank with a frame at the front. Driving up to the wall and leaving a large amount explosives to blow through the wall. It was not used on D-Day.
This was used a Churchill with a long bridge. It would drive to the wall and lay the bridge up the wall and another tank can drive over it.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
05 October 2013
Information
Mur antichar, Panzerabwehrmauer, antitank wall.
Details
This 240m wall covers the right flank of Wn01.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
05 October 2013
Information
Mur antichar, Panzerabwehrmauer, antitank wall.
Details
The steel reinforcement has been cut off and the wall may have been going to be a standard Panzerabwehrmauer or they were used to attach barbed wire on the top.
Plan of a standard wall, this one does not have the shape at the top.
Barbed wire.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
05 October 2013
Information
Mur antichar, Panzerabwehrmauer, antitank wall.
Details
This looks like a boot heal mark
German hobnail boots.
Four pairs.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Google Maps
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Details
Moving on to the village.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Plan
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Details
Plan:
Parts are hard to get too and some now on private land (gardens). My pictures were mostly taken in March 2006.
Starting with a long anti-tank wall to an R35 tank turret, a Vf2a Gruppe shelter moving through the village to a ringstand, two Tobruks (unfound). A Vf2a (unfound), a ringstand, R501 & R607. Then a Vf4a (may now be private) and a Tobruk.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
05 October 2013
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Details
The tank wall looking west.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
R35 tank turret
Details
On this end is a U shaped Tobruk for an R35 tank turret. It looks as though it has taken a few rounds as the splash marks on the wall shows.
Tank turret and crew.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
R35 tank turret
Details
Mike and Red John enjoying cold wind.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
1944
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
R35 tank turret
Details
After capture showing the R35 turret still in place with its 3.7cm KwK 144(f) main gun and an MG311(f) coaxial machine gun. A one man turret and possibly a second helper passing ammunition.
R35 turret.
U style Tobruk, open at the rear for access.
U shaped Tobruk from behind showing the way in.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
05 October 2013
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey. The tide out.
R35 tank turret
Details
Looking along the top of the wall towards the where the R35 turret once stood.
Inside the turret.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey, with the tide in.
R35 tank turret
Details
There would have been some form of block here to stop an enemy access and may have been a set of Belgian gates.
Road block of Belgian gates.
Belgian gate.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
05 October 2013
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
R35 tank turret
Details
U shape Tobruk in 2013. You can just see the entrance now covered over.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
05 October 2013
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey, tide out.
Details
The view back inland.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey restaurant.
Vf2a Gruppe shelter
Details
Vf2a Gruppe shelter.
Plan Vf2a.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Details
The sea wall running due north.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Details
The view down the main street to the Vey.
Curry Road, named after Pvt. E. J. Curry of the 519th Port Bt. KIA 10 June 1944.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Ringstand Type 1694
Details
Half way up the main street is a Ringstand Type 1694 for a 5cm KwK L/60 gun. It may or may not have had a shield.
Ringstand Type 1694.
5cm KwK L/60 gun.
5cm KwK L/60 gun.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Ringstand Type 1694
Details
Half way up the main street is a Ringstand Type 1694 for a 5cm KwK L/60 gun.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Details
Fields to the north.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
R501 Gruppe shelter
Details
R501 Gruppe shelter and its there if you can find it.
R501 plan
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
R607 ammunition bunker type II
Details
R607 ammunition bunker type II. This one has a slightly different left hand side, we could see and you can from this picture an access to the left. It looks like it has an attached Tobruk defence.
R602 plan.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
R607 ammunition bunker type II
Details
Looking down to the Tobruk tunnel.
Tobruk.
My adjusted plan with a tunnel and a Tobruk.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
R607 ammunition bunker type II
Details
R607 left hand entrance. John in thought.
R607 plan.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
R607 ammunition bunker type II
Details
R607 passage way. I would like to know what the niches are on the left side??
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
R607 ammunition bunker type II
Details
R607 door to the first ammunition room a 19P7 doors were used. Thin steel doors with a glass viewing window.
19P7 door.
19P7 door.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
R607 ammunition bunker type II
Details
First room.
5cm ammunition would be stacked here in boxes.
7.92 boxed ammunition.
7.5cm F.K.235(b) ammunition.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
R607 ammunition bunker type II
Details
R607 ammunition store with a fresh air vent in the far wall.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
R607 ammunition bunker type II
Details
R607 ammunition store showing the way out, but its blocked with brambles.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Eisenpfahel
Details
Eisenpfahel barbed wire fence posts still in place.
Eisenpfahel barbed wire fence posts.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Ringstand Type 1694
Details
Ringstand Type 1694 for a 5cm KwK L/60 gun. This one did not have a shield fitted for some reason. Several 5cm KwK guns did not have their shields, whether this was because they were in short supply or just had not the time to fit them. Four ammunition niches around the outside to store ready ammunition.
Ringstand Type 1694.
This is the L/60 without a shield in position.
An L/60 with its ammunition.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Ringstand Type 1694
Details
Note the hand and foot holds here, there must have been a trench system and you would have to have climbed out of the trench up into the ringstand.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Details
Looking back along the sea wall towards the village.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Vf4a machine gun casemate
Details
Vf4a machine gun casemate (bomb proof). The green sheeting covers the entrance steps down into the bunker, there was also a trench system zig-zagging to beyond the house.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Vf4a machine gun casemate
Details
Vf4a machine gun casemate (bomb proof). Air vent.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Vf4a machine gun casemate
Details
Vf4a machine gun casemate (bomb proof).
How it may have looked inside.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Vf4a machine gun casemate
Details
Vf4a machine gun casemate (bomb proof).
The door into the gun room is a 19P7.
19P7
Vf4a machine gun casemate (bomb proof).
Entrance.
Crew room.
Gun room.
How it may have looked inside.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Vf4a machine gun casemate
Details
Vf4a machine gun casemate (bomb proof).
How it may have looked inside.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Details
Continuing on to the Tobruks.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Tobruk
Details
Tobruk with tree.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Tobruk
Details
Tobruk with tree.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Tobruk
Details
Tobruk with tree.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Tobruk
Details
Tobruk with tree showing its centre pivot.
Details2
The centre pivot with a wooden fitting to sit a machine gun on and pivoting the gun around.
MG34 mounting.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Tobruk
Details
The next Tobruk.
7.5cm F.K.235(b) was situated somewhere around the Wn but I know not where.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Tobruk
Details
The next Tobruk.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
20 March 2006
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
Tobruk
Details
The view along the sea wall.
Wn01 Le Grand Vey
02 April 2011
Information
Wn01 Le Grand Vey tide in.
Details
Wn01 took very little part in the Normandy landings. The American paratroopers of the 101st landed to the west of Grand Vey and fought for the Barquette locks and then the 4div landed at WN05 and passed as quickly as possible across the flooded ground to Saint-Mare-Eglise. Others turned left and worked their way towards the paratroopers holding Pouppville and the rest is history.
Norway (coming soon!)
France
Great Britain
