StP20 La Breche “Cod” (Sword Beach)
WN · K.V.Gruppe River-Bella (Sword & Juno Beaches) · AOK 7 Normandy · France
StP20 La Breche
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.
IWM
StP20 La Breche
Google Maps
StP20 La Breche
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.
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StP20 La Breche
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)
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StP20 La Breche
Units of the 3./736 Battalion were stationed and took the brunt of the battle for D-Day.
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StP20 La Breche
Reconnaissance air photo of StP20.
WO 205/1108 21st Army Group
StP20 La Breche
Zoomed in on StP20 several positions can be seen.
WO 205/1108 21st Army Group
StP20 La Breche
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StP20 La Breche
This is where I think the R677casemate 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)
StP20 La Breche
Not a very clear picture but it does show how this R677 casemate was so well camouflaged being covered in sand.
R.F. Stubbs
StP20 La Breche
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.
R.F. Stubbs
StP20 La Breche
The R677 casemate from the rear.
La Breche
StP20 La Breche
The R677 casemate from the front when under construction with a camouflage net in place.
NARA
StP20 La Breche
5cm SK/ 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.
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StP20 La Breche
Another view of the 5cm SK/Doppelschartenstand looking down the beach.
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StP20 La Breche
The 5cm KwK L/60 Pak gun can be seen blown out of the casemate and lying on the floor.
R.F. Stubbs photos Portsmouth D-Day museum archive.
StP20 La Breche
Red square where the Doppelschartenstand was situated and just about where the photo was taken there was a Tobruk.
09 March 2013
StP20 La Breche
A locally builders making this machine gun bunker to look like a house situated somewhere between Riva-Bella & Lion-sur-Mer..
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StP20 La Breche
Finishing touches.
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StP20 La Breche
Machine gun bunker camouflaged.
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.
R.F. Stubbs
StP20 La Breche
SK/Skoda 3,7 cm K. Pak casemate.
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.
StP20 La Breche
SK/Skoda 3,7 cm K. Pak casemate & the 5cm SK/ Doppelschartenstand
The casemates can be seen quite well in this picture.
SD
StP20 La Breche
SK/Skoda 3,7 cm K. Pak casemate.
Taken I believe in the winter of 1944 showing what it actually looked like.
R.F. Stubbs
StP20 La Breche
SK/Skoda 3,7 cm K. Pak casemate.
Side view of the casemate. Sonder Konstruction [Special Construction].
SD
StP20 La Breche
This Bf69 is at Wn31 Courseulles-sur-Mer.
Just showing the type that was here.
09 March 2013 Wn31 Courseulles-sur-Mer
StP20 La Breche
This where the 5cm KwK L/60 Pak covered the rear of the defence.
StP20 La Breche
This where the 5cm KwK L/60 Pak covered the rear of the defence.
SD
StP20 La Breche
5cm KwK L/60 in an Nr.1694.
It looks as though this gun received a direct hit on its left gun shield.
NA
StP20 La Breche
5cm KwK L/60 in an Nr.1694.
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.
IWM (CL288)
StP20 La Breche
Artillery map
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, Füssen 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.
NA German Artillery maps
StP20 La Breche
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.
Bigot NA
StP20 La Breche
R626 casemate for a 7.5cm Pak 40 with roof canopy under construction. An odd bunker made of concrete but with a steel roof.
NA Bigot
StP20 La Breche
R626 Casemate for a 7.5cm Pak showing the steel roof section.
NA Bigot
StP20 La Breche
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 flotation 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.
WO 205/1108 21st Army Group
StP20 La Breche
The plan of a unit that landed on D-Day showing the assembly areas and the different defences in the area..
DEFE 2/478
StP20 La Breche
IIWM -- ArmoramA
StP20 La Breche
Assault infantry shelter behind a Scammell Pioneer on Queen beach, Sword Area - 6 June 1944
WM B 5094 WWP-PD
StP20 La Breche
Diorama, “Scammell ‘45”, Normandy, Caen recovery tractor 1/35th scale IBG, brilliant model.
ArmoramA
StP20 La Breche
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.
R.F. Stubbs
StP20 La Breche
French Battleship Corbet.
StP20 La Breche
12 June 2017