Wn203 Pointe du Brick, K.V.U.Gruppe Cherbourg See, Normandy

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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I have lots of favourites and this is one. The R667 was an early find and we also managed to enter a tunnel that may have been dug to connect the trenches of Wn203 and the large tunnel. (more of that later). We also found some very well made concrete trenches linking the R502a and an Nr1694 ringstand and the more trenches cut into natural stone, covering the right flank.

 

 

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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1 - Tank Turret ?
2 - 5cm mortar
3 - Light shelter                                 Vf.
4 - Large shelter                               R502a.
5 - 5cm Casemate                           R667.
6 - Casemate under construction.  Tunnel.
Personally I am not convinced the captions are correct. SHM I believe was a French reconnaissance mission taken in 1945 and they photographed and drew plans of many of the German defences all along the coast of France but named items as they saw them and not from the original German plans. They are a great resource to us as researchers though.

4 - Large shelter - R502a.

2 - 5cm mortar? - more likely observation.

6 - Casemate under construction.  Tunnel.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Pointe du Brick

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Anse du Brick beach with the sea defences still in place in 1944/45. This shows the Rommel's defence of all or nothing. Every beach, every promontory, however likely of an attack coming that way is. There is no way an attack would have come in on a beach so narrow and with rocks each side. But it had to be defended and an inordinate amount of money and effort was spent protecting it.
The railway line that ran from Cherbourg to Barfleur to Saint Vaast to Sainte-Mere-Eglise. It is now a lovely road. The cutting on the far hill was cut through for the railway.

Cherbourg

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Barfleur vers 1900.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Pointe du Brick

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The same view of Anse du Brick beach 2019.

Steel Hedgehogs.

 

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Pointe du Brick

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1 x R502a bunker.
1 x R667 casemate.
2 x Ringstands for M.G.'s.
1 x Vf58c Tobruk.
1 x Nr1694 ringstand.
2 x 5cm KwK Pak.
6 x wooden barrack blocks.
Water reservoir - Wasser.
Lengths of trenches.
2 x 5cm KwK 39 L/42 or L/60.

 

 

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Pointe du Brick

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A plan of where the defences were, Wn203 Anse/Pointe du Brick with MF125 minefield covering open ground and the beaches.

 

S mine box.

S mine.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Looking down from the hill towards Wn 202 & StP Cap Lévi..

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Green the route that is walk able.
1 - Observation.
2 - Nr1694 ringstand.
3 - R502a crew bunker.
4 - site of barrack block.
5 - site of four barrack blocks.

R502a crew bunker.

Nr1694 ringstand.

Wooden barrack hut near here. Archives Manche.

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Observation point

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Made of concrete blocks.

 

Observation.

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Observation point.

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Inside.

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Observation point.

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The view west.
1 - R667 casemate.
2 - Tunnel entrance.
The road is where the railway used to run.

Tunnel.

R667 casemate.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Observation point.

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1 - Nr1694 5cm KwK.
2 - R502a bunker

A standard R502 (MKB Bunker tour).

R502.

1 - 5cm KwK 39 L/42.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Observation 2

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There are several concrete positions around the area and connected to a trench system.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Niche 1

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Niche 1

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Inside may have had a stove/heater in place.

Chimney outlet.

Bunker heater.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Niche 2

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A trench concrete tunnel and guard niche.

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Item ?

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Unknown piece of concrete.

 

 

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Anse du Brick

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Trenches

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Trench cut into the rock.

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Path

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The walk down to the ringstand.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Observation 3

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Observation or mortar pit?

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Concrete trench

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Luckily it had been cleared out for my visit.

 

 

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Concrete trench

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More length of trench.

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Nr1694 Ringstand

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Concrete trench to the 5cm KwK ringstand out on the Pointe.

Nr1694 Ringstand plan.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Nr1694 Ringstand

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A simple ringstand to hold a 5cm KwK gun. 360° rotation and a very good gun.

Crewed by around four men: crew commander, gunner, loader and ammunition handler.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Nr1694 Ringstand

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The view across the bay.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Nr1694 Ringstand

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A lovely hot and sunny October.

Nr1694 Ringstand plan.

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Nr1694 Ringstand

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Nr1694 Ringstand for a 5cm KwK
5cm KwK L/42 - Barrel length: 2103mm - Max velocity: 685 m/s.
5cm KwK L/60 - Barrel length: 3000mm - Max velocity: 1180 m/s - (with muzzle break)

5cm KwK L/42.

5cm KwK L/60.

Muzzle break.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Nr1694 Ringstand

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Nr1694 Ringstand for a 5cm KwK
Socket for the gun mounting to fit into and also two of the four ready ammunition niches set into the walls.

The large 5cm shells.

 

Ammunition boxes .

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Nr1694 Ringstand

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Nr1694 Ringstand for a 5cm KwK
Hold fast with at least four mounting threads

The guns base to fit into the socket.

This is the top of the base where the gun assembly fits.

The gun assembly mounted.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Trenches

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More concrete trenches to the R502a crew bunker.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Trenches

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Firing point for a machine gun or rifle man.

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
Trenches

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Ammunition niche for rifle or machine gun ammunition.

 

 

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Bric
Trenches

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Inaccessible trenches.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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R502a crew bunker for around 15 men.

Plan of this R502a (copy from BELFRA team)

A plan of a standard R502 15man crew bunker,

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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Two rear entry doors and a door to the defence Tobruk.

Taken from the BELFRA plan of this R502a bunker that is here.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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The passageway along the rear of the bunker and the first thing you fall into is the drainage hole.

Bunker drain.

 

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a Tobruk

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Picture 1 - the entrance into the Tobruk where a steel gate would have closed off the entrance.

Picture 2 - the steps up to the Tobruk.

491P2 Gittertür (Screen Door)

MKB.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a Tobruk

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Inside the defence Tobruk showing the ring for the gunner and three either shelves or steps to enter or depart from above. The niche for a speaking tube or field telephone connecting the Tobruk to the inside of the bunker.

Niche for a speaking tube or field telephone

Three either shelves or steps to enter or depart from above.

Sprachrohr, speaking tube.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a Tobruk

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Drain.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a Tobruk

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Lip of the Tobruk to take a metal ring that a machine gun could be set into.

And how it may have looked.

This type has a shield.

Used as observation.

Anti-aircraft.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a Tobruk

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The steps out, I am not that big (HuH!), but with heavy boots, a small pack or gas mask holder. A machine gun and some ammunition. Oh and a steel helmet, this is a very tricky move getting out.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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The two rear door entries.

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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Steps into the bunker with another niche for a speaking tube or small field telephone to connect to the inside of the bunker. When under attack, the bunker locks down. The two main doors are locked and the two close combat defence windows closed. Then the air filter would be started up by hand to suck in air from outside and filter it. Filtered for smoke or gas, if gas has been used. The doors have a rubber seal and the close combat defence embrasures have gaskets that when the pump gets going, the air pressure increases and that alone will stop any gas seeping through the door or embrasures. The air is filtered and clean. In most of these bunkers there is NO way of looking out. You are locked inside. But on an R502 type there is a periscope, which helps.

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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Close combat embrasure.

 

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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Into the main passage where the door here would have been a 434P01.

434P01.

The door comes in a left and right hand hinge, so two doors need to be manufactured for one bunker? Left & Right type.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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The entrance to the left hand room showing the thickness of the wall. The door here is a 737P3 thinner steel door and in one piece.

Plan.

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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Left hand room.

The plan shows an added Tobruk defence not usual on an R502. The internal layout is slightly different in that it has a water tank room and a small attached room and the third room is bigger than usual.
Also the Periscope is in the main room and not the third room as in a standard R502. So that is why it is numbered R502a.

Gas filter.

Plan.

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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Gas filter remains.

Gas filters.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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Main room with door, fittings for anti-gas filter and then the close combat defence window. The Wandstütze is the wall support for the HES anti gas pump and it fitted to the wall with the six holes.

Plan.

1ml 4 HES1 2m (cubed).

Wandstütze HES 1.2/2.4 (Wall support).

 

 

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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The hole in the roof is for a periscope, this allowed 360° view around the bunker when it is closed up.

The mounting in the roof.

Plan of a periscope fitting.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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The second small room.

Plan.

 

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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Water tank and still in place.

Plan.

Water tank in the Vandee.

Water tanks.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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Plan.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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Plan.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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Plan.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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Way out.

Plan.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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491P2 Gittertür (Screen Door) mounting. The idea of a gate and not a door is that the crew inside could fire from their close combat defence embrasures inside and out through the gate. Thus keeping the enemy at bay.

491P2 Gittertür (Screen Door)

 

MKB.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R502a

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The rear.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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John and more trenches.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Now we move away from the large defence to the western side where an R667 casemate covers the Anse du Poulet.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Trenches now almost covered up and possibly a machine gun post.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Looking from where the trenches were to the casemate.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R667 casemate

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Trench and the R667.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R667 casemate

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The trench and entrance into the casemate.

Plan.

5cm KwK Pak.

5cm KwK Pak.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R667 casemate

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Note the slightly raised wall probably made by the crew of the bunker as they must have felt rather vulnerable from being shot at from the railway line as there was no door to the back of an R667.

Plan.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R667 casemate

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Into the bunker.

Plan.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R667 casemate

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Gun room with ready ammunition storage on the right side.

Beispeil---------------------------------Example
für wine---------------------------------for one
Panzerzielskizze----------------------Tank target sketch

Schartenstand: W.129 (R667)--Notch position: R667
Waffe: 5cm KwK.39----------------Gun: 5 cm KwK. 39

Plan.

Targets:
Landungsboote.
Pz.Kampfwagen.
m.Pz.Kpfw. Shermann.
Schw.Pz.Kpfw. Churchill.

The range diagram show s that it was possible to hit a landing craft at a range of 2400m. That is over a mile away.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R667 casemate

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Gun room, the small square hole in the right side is to allow the spent cartridge cases to be pushed out of the bunker. To be removed at a later date.

Plan.

The square hole to drop out spent cases.

Plan.

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R667 casemate

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Two classic views of this bunker.

R667 casemate plan.

How it would have looked.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick
R667 casemate

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Snap. Then & Now.

Range diagram for a 3cm KwK gun.

Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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Wn203 Pointe du Brick

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