Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
3./Gren. Rgt 726
Oberfeldwebel Schnüll
1 x R677 casemate.
1 x Vf221/223.
1 x Pz.T.R35 3.7cm KwK
[f].
2 x Vf58c Tobruk´s.
1 x
Nr1694 ringstand.
1+ x
Feldmässig kitchen/sleeping/office..
1 x Wellblech bunker.
1 x Vf/MG.
1 x 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
1 x 5cm Gr.W201 (b) mortar.
1 x 5cm KwK L/60 Pak.
Vf221 mortar Tobruk.
Pz.T.R35 3.7cm KwK
[f].
R677 casemate.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Google Plan
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
HWM 1944 - High Water Mark in 1944.
MF - Mine Fields.
Red - Barbed wire defence.
2 Reds - Anti Tank Ditch half filled with water.
Three mine fields MF10a/b & c.
Inside a Wellblech ( corrugated iron) shelter.
Tobruk.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
German plan
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
StP Colleville a major defence on the right flank of this area. The names Ursula, Anna, Frieda are targets for inland artillery to fire onto the beach at any army trying to land and exactly where the artillery fired on D-Day. An artillery observer could ask any of the batteries in range to fire on these pre determined targets and they would have practiced many times for accuracy.
15.5Sm s.F.H.414(f).
7.5cmF.K.235(b)
7.5cm gun crew.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
23 November 2008
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
This is the view on a wet November 2008 when the tide was a long way out and it shows that the 8.8cm Pak 43/41 could shoot flanking fire right down the beach. I am about 1000m from Wn61well within killing range of between 100% to 85%.
Details2
Sherman on Omaha.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
1944
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
This photo is showing the R677 casemate construction about finished. A railway line was laid from a sand filling plant just below Wn62 and transported on narrow gauge railway trucks to the cement mixers at the bunker being constructed.
Also you can see the long anti-tank ditch almost finished.
Narrow gauge railway trucks.
Casemate being constructed.
Local builders.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
10 May 1944
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Another picture showing the beach defences out on the sand taken on the 10th May 1944.
Placing obstacles.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
26 March 2015
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
The first Tobruk, sited just outside the defence covering the western side.
Vf/Bf67c.
Tobruk construction.
Plan.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
26 March 2015
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
The first Tobruk, probably completely covered in sand and grass grown around it. It would be very hard to see out at sea as a target.
Plan/elevation.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
26 March 2015
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
The first Tobruk, entrance for the crew. There would have been a trench to attach it to the main defence with a tunnel going under the barbed wire..
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
26 March 2015
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
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The first Tobruk, inside the small crew room
Originally they would have been equipped with a heater, door and some creature comforts. But here I am sure they just had a box to sit on, some shelving to stack ammunition for the MG.38 and personnel kit.
7.92mm MG38 ammunition.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
26 March 2015
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
The first Tobruk, ringstand where the gunner and his mate would man the one machine gun.
A slip ring for a machine gun to fit into the ringstand above.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
23 November 2008
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Wn61 from out on the beach. The R677 could just shoot at us at this angle
Angle of shooting.
R35 French tank turret.
5cm ex Belgian mortar.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
26 March 2015
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
R677 casemate fr an 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
Battle damage to the flanking wall.
8.8cm Pak 43/41 in a field position.
8.8cm ammunition.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
1944
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
I have just found this picture taken before D-Day I am sure. It states Wn62 but Wn62 did not have a casemate like this and also that its a 75mm gun. I think this is the R677 casemate and 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
Plan.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
June 1944
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
R677 after capture. Sand bags were stacked up prior to knowing D-Day was about to happen. This was done in lots of casemates to make embrasures smaller so less chance of being hit inside.
Plan.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
24 September 2005
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
R677 the area covered by the gun looking down the beach to the west and Pointe de Percee.
Plan.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
24 September 2005
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
R677 casemate from above showing this side covered in earth to help to camouflage it.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
24 September 2005
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
R677 the view from the roof.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
June 1944
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Possibly one of the four Sherman DD´s to arrive on this beach at Fox Red/Green. It crawled along towards Wn61 and fired at the embrasure knocking out the crew. 32 Sherman DD tanks of the 741st Tank Battalion were to land on the Easy Red and Fox Green Beaches. 29 DD tanks that were launched, 27 quickly sank due to weather and distance from the beaches. Only five landed.
A DD Tank commanded by Staff Sgt Sheppard disabled the R677 with the 8.8cm Pak 43/4. This could be his tank.
Plan.
741st Tank Battalion.
A Sherman DD off the Dorset coast being used in Operation ´Smash´.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
06 October 2013
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
R677 casemate showing the rear door and a vent for the casemates ventilation system.
Bauform concrete blocks in a casemate unfinished.
Bauform concrete blocks would be the outer wall and inner wall and then the steel re bars fitted in between and the pipe work and cabling. And then the concrete poured in.
Plan of the extraction of foul gases from the gun man when it fires.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
1944
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
The gun half removed from the casemate after D-Day. Looks like a holiday maker has come to visit. If you go to my links page there is a very good French website “OMAHA BEACH MEMOIRES” with stories from a villager who lived throughout the battle in St Laurent.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
1944
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
The 8.8cm Pak 43/41 pulled out of the bunker and placed just outside the Wn.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
06 October 2013
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Pz.T.R35 3.7cm KwK
[f] Tobruk stand.
Pz.T.R35 3.7cm KwK
[f] Tobruk stand.
Plan.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
06 October 2013
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Now its nicely camouflaged into the house.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
06 October 2013
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Where now the square manhole is it would have been round.
Inside an AMX turret.
A U type Tobruk but it shows the turret ring in place and gives an idea how this one should look.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
06 October 2013
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Bolts to hold down the turret ring.
Turret ring bolted to the Tobruk.
Turret ring gear.
One of the nuts.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
06 October 2013
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Its odd that this turret has had its field of fire cut out by the new R677 built in front of it. The Atlantikwall was being upgraded constantly from 1942 onwards. This position had been here about a year and two shelters and semi-sunk bunkers were constructed. Then 5cm KwK was also built about the same time. But the R677 casemate was brand new and the camouflage effects of earth thrown over it had not started to sprout grass. As can be see from the air photos.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
1944
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
This is a post battle photo taken by US and British intelligence officers who followed the advance and photographed anything important.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
1944
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Another picture of the turret in place.
R35 3.7cm KwK
[f].
/reibel.jpg)
Reibel co-axle machine gun.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
1944
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
This picture shows the turrets field of fire completely cut off with the casemate and could only fire out to sea or to the east shore.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
06 October 2013
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Wellblech bunker entrance. There would have been a cut trench system to take you from emplacement to bunker in relative safety. This would be camouflaged over to hide it from air reconnaissance.
Plan.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
06 October 2013
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Wellblech bunker entrance.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
06 October 2013
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Wellblech bunker inside with walls made of steel sheets. This could be a crew shelter, ammunition, anything that was needed of it.
Wellblech translates to Corrugated iron, this type is a much heavier type than the British tin.
Troops using one as a crew room.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
06 October 2013
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
I think this could be a Vf221/223 type mortar Tobruk. It has a small ammunition room to its right and seven ammunition niches for ready ammunition lockers. The Tobruk would be open and 5cm mortars could be fired at quite a high rate out onto the beaches. A 5cm Gr.W201 (b). Belgian captured mortar.
Vf221 type mortar Tobruk.
5cm Gr.W201 (b).
5cm mortar rounds.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
26 March 2015
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Vf221/223 type mortar Tobruk entrants via a trench from the Wellblech in front. There was mention of the beach being drenched with small mortar bombs and they may have come from here.
5cm mortar bombs.
Firing a mortar.
Plan.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
24 September 2005
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Vf221/223 type mortar Tobruk. The gun room where the mortar sat and the seven niches that a wooden box could slide in and 5cm mortar bombs placed in them as ready ammunition.
An observer in a Tobruk watching for fall of shot.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
24 September 2005
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Vf221/223 type mortar Tobruk. This one looks like the forward ammunition niche has been made into an embrasure for a gun?? I am also unsure about the lip of the Tobruk with the windows all around. They could be contemporary but without glass in??
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
24 September 2005
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Another concrete shelter or ammunition space.
Plan.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
26 March 2015
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Over the back are several concrete Feldmässing (field bunkers).
Details2
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
26 March 2015
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
More Feldmässing bunkers with a kitchen, toilets and accomadation.
Cooking.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
26 March 2015
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
I think this is the base/plinth for a generator??
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
26 March 2015
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Top - picture the bolts an nuts sticking up and
Below - picture of a base plate bolted down onto a concrete plinth like this one. The generator would then sit on the steel plate.
A small generator sitting on a pad.
How I think it may have looked.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
1944
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
5cm KwK L/60 as it looked after the battle. This gun must have done quite a lot of damage as there are at least eleven used shell cases to be seen and boxes of ammunition all over the place. The Wn was captured by Company E and they used several Bazookas to subdue the area.
Plan.
Villers-sur-Mare's 5cm KwK L/60.
5cm KwK L/60.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
1944
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
The 5cm still in its ringstand with the R677 behind.
Nr1694 ringstand.
An American exiting a trench.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
26 March 2015
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
The beach in wild weather.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
1944
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Troops in England looking at model of Omaha beach, it looks as though they are on the top floor of an old barn somewhere in Dorset.
Planning session.
Planning.
Waiting at Weymouth to board a boat.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Bigot
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Another model of Wn61 and the anti-tank ditch possibly at a D camp where US troops went prior to being loaded onto their shipping.
D camp prior to loading at Weymouth.
Area 'W' with D1 Dewlish, D3 Yellowham and D6 Piddlehinton Camp. Three of the D-Camps.
Bazooka team..
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Bigot
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
Bombing target number for Wn61.
BOMBING - The USAAF sent over hundreds of B24's. These were taken off bombing strategic targets in deepest Germany to bomb Omaha beach with little or no training for this mission. They were routed via Scotland and were in the air for more than three hours before heading south over the channel. This was because there were so many aircraft in the air forming up for bombing, parachute drops, etc. The pilots and bombardiers were ordered NOT to bomb short onto their own soldiers and sailors below, running in to land on the beach. The lead bombers (Pathfinders) carried H2x a British bombing aid radar set that would show up the coast even through clouds. The clouds were 10/10ths and when the lead planes started to drop their first bombs and marker flairs, they held off for as long as they could. This was between three and thirty second.
Plan.
Plan.
II Air Division.
USAAF Shidham.
USAAF Shidham, 41 circular dispersals and 18 spectical dispersals, four (red) T2 hangars..
B24 Liberator.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Bigot May 44
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
This is one of the maps used by the Americans prior to landing, showing all the defences along the beach.
First the bombers went in, then the navy opened up and last the LCT(R)´s fired their streams of rockets on the beach. None of all this fire was very effective on Omaha unfortunately except the naval bombardment.
LCT(R).
LCVP.
Easy Red Beach about 10.00am.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
1944
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
Details
A very good picture showing the narrow gauge railway coming in off the beach into Wn61 now completely captured. A roadway has been laid from the beach which would cross the anti-tank ditch and head up to E3 Draw exit. Three DUKW´s are leaving and a truck.
One of the battleships firing a broadside.
Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
26 March 2017
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Wn61 Colleville-sur-Mer, (Omaha Beach)
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France
Great Britain
