StP20 La Breche
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StP20 La Breche
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PC 10./736 Company commanded by Hauptmann Heinrich Kuhtz.
1 x R677 casemate.
1 x R626 Casemate for a 7.5cm Pak with roof canopy under construction.
1 x 5cm ringstands Nr.1694.
1 x SK for a 3.7cm K. gun.
1 x 5cm SK/ Doppelschartenstand.
4 x VF2a bunker
4 x Feldm bunkers.
1 x MG stand.
4 x Bf58c Tobruk's.
1 x Peilstand (observatory for ).
2 x Bf69
Mortar open emplacements.
1 x Ringstand type U Pz.T. FT-MG.311 tank turret.
2 x Vf/Gr. W bunker.
1 x 7.5cm Pak gun.
2 x 5cm KwK L/60 Pak guns.
1 x 7.5cm F.K.231(f)
2 x 8.14cm Gr.W278(f) mortars.
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Plan R677.
5cm KwK L/60 Pak.
Bf69
Mortar open emplacements.
StP20 La Breche
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StP20 La Breche
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StP20 La Breche
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StP20 La Breche Plan.
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StP20 was very well defended with 7.5cm Pak 40, 2 x 5cm KwK L/60 Pak's and 3.7cm K. gun. Several machine guns and two 8.14cm Gr.W.278(f) mortars. Several Vf2a bunkers, an open emplacement for a 7.5cm F.K.231(f) and 4 x Tobruks. The area was laid out for pre war with new beach front housing that was in its early stages with just a road layout and only a few houses built.
7.5cm F.K.231(f).
7.5cm Pak 40.
MG.311(f) machine gun in the FT turret.
MG.311(f) machine gun in the FT turret in a U shaped Tobruk..
StP20 La Breche
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StP20 La Breche
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Defence map of the area.
Beach obstacles: -
522 x Hedgehogs.
267 x Stakes.
76 x Timber ramps.
46 x Element ‘C’.
Making a total of 0.3 obstacles per linear yard of beach (0.3 obs. per meter).
Information from 21 Army Group RE 1944 on Queen sector. (DEFE 2/490)
522 x Hedgehogs.
76 x Timber ramps.
76 x Timber ramps.
46 x Element ‘C’ (Belgian Gates).
StP20 La Breche
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StP20 La Breche
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Units of the 3./736 Battalion were stationed and took the brunt of the battle for D-Day.
StP20 La Breche
WO 205/1108 21st Army Group
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StP20 La Breche
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Reconnaissance air photo of StP20.
StP20 La Breche
WO 205/1108 21st Army Group
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StP20 La Breche
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Zoomed in on StP20 several positions can be seen.
1694 5cm KwK..
Skoda bunker..
R677 for a 7.5cm F.K..
StP20 La Breche
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StP20 La Breche.
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FT turret on a U shaped Tobruk.
FT turret with an MG.311(f) machine gun.
FT at Maisy.
Plan where the FT U Tobruk was placed..
StP20 La Breche
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StP20 La Breche
R677 casemate.
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This is where I think the casemate was placed, now completely removed. A 7.5cm Pak 40 anti-tank gun was placed inside.
This gun apparently fired 16 rounds before it was put out of action by a 4.7inch shell from the sea or a Petard mortar from a Churchill tank. (DEFE 2/490)
R677 casemate from above.
7.5cm Pak 40 anti-tank gun.
7.5cm Pak 40 anti-tank gun and crew.
Plan.
StP20 La Breche
R.F. Stubbs
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StP20 La Breche
R677 casemate.
Details
Not a very clear picture but it does show how this R677 casemate was so well camouflaged being covered in sand.
R677 Plan.
Plan.
StP20 La Breche
R.F. Stubbs
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StP20 La Breche
R677 casemate.
Details
Photo taken winter of 1944, not a very good picture of the rear of the casemate. The 16 rounds that this gun managed to fire would have been deadly shots. They would have probably sunk a few landing craft and knocked out some tanks.
R677 casemate from above.
Plan.
StP20 La Breche
La Breche
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StP20 La Breche
R677 casemate.
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The R677 casemate from the rear.
R677 casemate from above.
R677 casemate with a 7.5cm Pak in place.
7.5cm A/T ammunition.
StP20 La Breche
NARA
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StP20 La Breche
R677 casemate.
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The R677 casemate from the front when under construction with a camouflage net in place.
StP20 La Breche
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StP20 La Breche
5cm SK/ Doppelschartenstand.
Details
Doppelschartenstand is an interesting casemate, the 5cm KwK could turn 360° and fire down each flank but is covered on its seaward side and roofed over.
Doppelschartenstand plan.
Doppelschartenstand plan.
View.
Plan.
StP20 La Breche
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StP20 La Breche
5cm SK/ Doppelschartenstand.
Details
Another view of the Doppelschartenstand looking down the beach.
Doppelschartenstand plan.
Doppelschartenstand plan.
Sextant 105mm.
StP20 La Breche
R.F. Stubbs photos Portsmouth D-Day museum archive.
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StP20 La Breche
5cm SK/ Doppelschartenstand
Details
The 5cm KwK L/60 Pak gun can be seen blown out of the casemate and lying on the floor.
SK/ Doppelschartenstand.
5cm KwK L/60 Pak.
You can see from this view that its a 5cm KwK gun.
StP20 La Breche
09 March 2013
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StP20 La Breche
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Red square where the Doppelschartenstand was situated and just about where the photo was taken there was a Tobruk.
Another view of the Doppelschartenstand.
Plan.
Bf58c Tobruk.
Bf58c Tobruk.
StP20 La Breche
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StP20 La Breche machine gun bunker camouflaged.
Details
A locally builders making this machine gun bunker to look like a house situated somewhere between Riva-Bella & Lion-sur-Mer..
Local labour.
MG34.
StP20 La Breche
NA
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StP20 La Breche machine gun bunker camouflaged.
Details
Finishing touches.
German artillery fire plan to fire on an attacking force.
StP20 La Breche
R.F. Stubbs
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StP20 La Breche
Machine gun bunker camouflaged.
Details
This photo was taken around December 1944 and shows the roof tiles have been removed, probably to repair a damaged house. The Germans often commandeered a house and then ordered the owners to dismantle it and the products were used in the building of new bunkers.
MG34.
StP20 La Breche
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StP20 La Breche
SK/Skoda 3,7 cm K. Pak casemate.
Details
This is my interpretation of what it may have looked like. Nothing remains but I believe a Tobruk is in one of the gardens on the eater flank. But since I have found the picture below.
The casemate in position..
Metal plate being fitted into a casemate.
SK/Skoda 3,7 cm K. Pak casemate, how it may have looked.
This is a 78P9 plate very like the one used here a 29P8.
Plan..
StP20 La Breche
SD
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StP20 La Breche
SK/Skoda 3,7 cm K. Pak casemate & the 5cm SK/ Doppelschartenstand
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The casemates can be seen quite well in this picture.
StP20 La Breche
R.F. Stubbs
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StP20 La Breche SK/Skoda 3,7 cm K. Pak casemate.
Details
Taken I believe in the winter of 1944 showing what it actually looked like.
Another picture of the casemate.
Metal plate fitted into a casemate 29P8 plate.
SK/Skoda 3,7 cm K. Pak casemate, how it may have looked.
Plan..
StP20 La Breche
SD
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StP20 La Breche
SK/Skoda 3,7 cm K. Pak casemate
Details
Side view of the casemate. Sonder Konstruktion [Special Construction].
StP20 La Breche
09 March 2013 Wn31 Courseulles-sur-Mer
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StP20 La Breche Bf69
Mortar open emplacements.
Details
This Bf69 is at Wn31 Courseulles-sur-Mer.
Just showing the type that was here.
Plan.
In side a Bf69 ringstand this 8.14cm Gr.W278(f) mortar and crew.
8.14cm Gr.W278(f) mortars.
Plan Bf69 ringstand.
StP20 La Breche
Google
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StP20 La Breche
5cm KwK L/60 in an Nr.1694 ringstand.
Details
This where the 5cm KwK L/60 Pak covered the rear of the defence.
Nr.1694.
Nr.1694 with the centre mounting in place..
5cm KwK L/60 in an Nr.1694 ringstand.
Plan.
StP20 La Breche
SD
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StP20 La Breche
5cm KwK L/60 in an Nr.1694 ringstand.
Details
This where the 5cm KwK L/60 Pak covered the rear of the defence.
StP20 La Breche
NA
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StP20 La Breche
5cm KwK L/60 in an Nr.1694.
Details
It looks as though this gun received a direct hit on its left gun shield.
Plan.
Sherman tank coming ashore.
StP20 La Breche
IWM (CL288)
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StP20 La Breche
5cm KwK L/60 in an Nr.1694.
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German bunker taken over as their Headquarters, the R.A.F. Ensign is flown by men of No. 1 R.A.F. Beach Squadron.
"As the R.A.F. element in Combined Operations beach organisation, the job of the R.A.F. Beach Units was to assist with the landing, assembly and onward dispatch of R.A.F. personnel, stores and equipment across the invasion beaches so that tactical air support could be provided from the beach-head as soon as possible.
Owing to their transient existence and the unglamorous nature of logistics work, the R.A.F. Beach Units are largely unheard of and very little information about them has been published previously. The important work they did was usually carried out in difficult and dangerous conditions and deserves more recognition".
Mike Fenton - History of RAF Beach Units in WW2 Combined Operations
RAF Officer Commanding 107 Beach Flight S/L L.A. Taylor.
Grub up on an RAF Beach Party.
RAF Beach Party off loading bombs.
StP20 La Breche
NA German Artillery maps
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StP20 La Breche
Artillery map
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When a landing was in progress the artillery inland would be ordered to fire on pre arranged targets. They are RED on the map. BLUE are the German positions. When landing craft enter the red areas on the map, the artillery spotter could call down drenching fire on these targets. Goslar, Freiburg, Füssn and Engers the drenching target areas. A batterie would probably fire five rounds rapid fire, so with a four gun batterie 20 shells would plaster the area.
7.5cm F.K.
7.5cm F.K.
Night firing over the beach.
StP20 La Breche
Bigot NA
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StP20 La Breche
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This is the Allied Bigot map that was constantly updated right up until sailing for D-day. Information came in from Spies, French resistance, air photography and also British and French soldiers landing at night and searching for beach mines, sea defences, sand condition and what ever they could see and feel.
Beach defences.
Rommel checking out the defences.
Assembling the beach defences.
StP20 La Breche
NA Bigot
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StP20 La Breche
R626 Under construction.
Details
R626 casemate for a 7.5cm Pak 40 with roof canopy under construction. An odd bunker made of concrete but with a steel roof.
845P6 steel roof elevation.
845P6 steel roof plan.
R626 without a steel plate..
StP20 La Breche
NA Bigot
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StP20 La Breche
R626 Under construction.
Details
R626 Casemate for a 7.5cm Pak showing the steel roof section.
Beach front today.
Beach front D-Day.
Wn10 Riva-Bella.
StP20 La Breche
WO 205/1108 21st Army Group
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StP20 La Breche D-Day.
Details
On D-Day this was Sword Beach and the 2. East Yorks landed here, 07.35 A & B company reported heavy opposition but the operation proceeded according to plan. The DD tanks should have landed before the infantry but due to circumstances they were late and landed just after the infantry assault. Over 30DD's made it to the beach to the astonishment of the defenders. Their floatation skirts dropped and suddenly a tank emerged. The defenders managed to take out nearly all of the DD's but a few wore down the defence and started to get off the beach and inland.
Churchill AVRE on Sword Beach.
StP20 La Breche
DEFE 2/478
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StP20 La Breche D-Day.
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The plan of a unit that landed on D-Day showing the assembly areas and the different defences in the area..
StP20 La Breche
06 June 1944 about 07:30.
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StP20 La Breche
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StP20 La Breche
R.F. Stubbs
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StP20 La Breche
R677 casemate.
Details
Photo taken winter of 1944, from possibly their billets on that day of the French Battleship Corbet. Used to defend Portsmouth in 1940, then as a barracks & naval school for General de Gaulle’s Free French Naval Forces. The ships commanding officer, Admiral Wietzel, sailed Le Courbet to Normandy where, at 1330 hours, proudly flying the French tricolour with the Croix de Lorraine emblem, the ship was sunk to form part of Gooseberry 5. The Germans on the night of the 16th/17th August 1944 managed to torpedoed it.
Plan.
StP20 La Breche
12 June 2017
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StP20 La Breche
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France
Great Britain
