StP277 M.K.B. York Amfreville et fort annexe,
                  Part 2
K.V.U.Gruppe Cherbourg See.

StP277 M.K.B. York Part 2.

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Because of my website, I was in an email conversation with Thomas Hinz. I only new him as Thomas. He very kindly sent me quite a lot of photos of StP277 Batt. York and members of the 8./M.A.A. 260in 1941, but also a few of Cherbourg. His father Unteroffizier Hinz (which I found out later when starting to research StP277) So I now know that his father was Unteroffizier Hinz in 1941 and I believe captured by the Americans in 1944 (information I have gleaned but to proof) And that Thomas is Thomas Hinz. He gave me no address to write back.

So I hope I have done Thomas and his father justice in adding these pictures. What is also interesting. Amongst the pictures are a set from the newly captured Dunkirk, where my father had been just a few months earlier. How close lives are.

8/Marine-Küsten-Batterie (M.K.B.) York : 4x 17cm SKL/40 - Amfreville, Oberleutnant Hans Brenzel (1944)

Unteroffizier Hinz

StP277 M.K.B. York Part 2.

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StP277 M.K.B. York Part 2.

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A few of the photos I have from Thomas Hinz.

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This is all he said, Tounaville is actually Tourlaville. More on that later.

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Next to the entrance to Amfreville et Fort annexe. The second French fort.

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This is Unteroffizier Hinz outside his barrack hut.

 

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X I believe is his hut.

X Baracke Kleiner (Small Barrack) and Größer Hund (Top Dog or 'Boss')
                                         18.12.41

 

 

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Gardening taking place. Not all the photos were written on the back to say what they were about.

 

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Barrack hut and occupant. It looks as though they did not have purpose built huts, just what either they could build or what the Pioneer Company built for them.

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Champagne seems to be flowing.

 

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A very well built wall and also note the paintings on the outer walls of the huts. Probably scenes from home.

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Well we all need a little room. Here a two seater and with a view.

 

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Looking along the hutting and a water hose going into a small water tank. The side of the hut painted in scenes from home. All the huts have their own stoves. Also the gardens look well kept.

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Unteroffiziersheim (NCO's/Sergeants mess)

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The original French entrance to the batterie site.

This is it today and I think the huts went down where the bank is today.

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Guard detail covering the gate.

Guard shelter.

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Guard and a first aid kit at the ready. Note the stone wall and below a picture of the wall today.

Wall today.

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(StP277) Batterie d'Amfreville Ouest (f), K.V.U.Gruppe Cherbourg See. Main Gate.

And as it is today.

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Batterie offices.

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The rear of the French fortress with steps up to the guns at the top and ammunition rooms underneath.

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Collecting ammunition to take to the guns for a practice shoot.

Shells in the small steel wheeled truck.

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Fire Control Post (FCP) being made of sand bags stacked up. Later a proper FCP was built to an SK design.

SK FCP after 1941.
Leitstand/SK.
SK = Sonderkonstruktionen.

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Sand bag and wooden FCP getting ready for a shoot.

Behind the FCP is a 2cm Flak gun.

2sm Flak30.

 

2cm magazines.

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One of the gun positions being constructed. A cement mixer on the right side. What look to be Todt Org. builders doing the work or members of the units Pioneer company.

 

OT workers.

OT officer.

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A finished gun position with steps down onto the gun floor. The gun is sat on a steel frame set into the concrete (called a Hold Fast). Limited camouflage at this period.

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Another gun in position still very little camouflage. The crew working on the gun.

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This gun is now well camouflaged and steel bars are attached to the gun shield to hold up the camouflage net.

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Crew ready and a big structure built to camouflage the gun and the emplacement.

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Crew readying the gun.

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Eleven men here in the crew. A shell is in the gun and a case is being loaded.

An Officer in charge of this gun. This could be Oberleutnant Hans Brenzel the batterie commander?

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Again readying to fire. Gun is elevated.

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Unteroffizier Hinz's gun team readying his gun. Instructions coming through a head set from the FCP.

Unteroffizier Hinz standing back watching the action.

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Loading the gun, a shell can be seen, about to be placed in the breach. Then the case inserted next.

Unteroffizier Hinz supervising.

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Gun loaded the rammer with his ram and the loaders stood around. The crew member with his soft hat and ear phones on, starting to adjust the gun to get ready to fire.
Note he has a soft hat and not a helmet. I presume this is because the earphones will not fit under a helmet. The American Navy had a special larger helmet made.

US Navy helmet to fit earphones under it.

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And then "FIRE" ------"Bang".

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Another interesting picture is this one of a Ju52 transport plane, coming into land at Querqueville aerodrome.

Landing.

Re fueling.

Controls.

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There must have been a fatality of a member of the Artillery unit in Cherbourg. As the pictures show a funeral at Cherbourg's main cemetery. Cemetière des Aiguillons.

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The coffin outside the Depositoire in the cemetery.

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The town and port of Cherbourg from the heights.

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The inner harbour. Note the quite large transport docked on the right side.

And as it is today.

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Rue Du Val de Saire.

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Rue Du Val de Saire and the Hopital Pasture, taken over by the German Navy for its own use.

I have a page that covers part of the Hopital Paster and its bunker.

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Somewhere in Cherbourg showing, either the destruction when it was captured in 1940, or damage from the RAF?

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© 2013 Richard Drew