Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer, Breche Le Bisson.
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer is
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This is where a tank (Sherman) met a bunker and the tank won.
A Sherman 'Crab' flail tank.
The bunker.
The man.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer, Breche Le Bisson.
26 October 2013
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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Elements of the 7./736 Inf. Regt.
1/441 Ost Battalion.
1x R677 casemate.
1 x R612 casemate (under construction).
1 x 8.8cm Pak 43/41
1 x 7.5cm F.K.
1 x MG stand (under construction).
Several small field constructed bunkers.
And the story of its destruction.
716th Infanterie Division
Lookout.
Tank landing on Gold Beach.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
26 October 2013
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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The Area around Courseulles-sur-Mer.
Wn 33a it sits right out on its own between two very strong Wn's and it must have been over looked as a vulnerable point. An R677 was built for an 8.8cm Pak 43/41 and possibly a field gun was set in a position back from the sea so a bunker was being constructed for it, an R612. A machine gun bunker was placed between them to cover their rears. A classic Wn design using the weapons available.
Machine gun bunker.
Gun room of an R612.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
1944
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer.
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A plan of the defence.
Bunker under-construction.
8.8cm Pak 43/41 & crew.
8.8cm Pak 43/41 in an R677.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
1944
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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This picture was taken some time after D-day showing the beach still having a few landing craft left on the sand but most of the detritus cleared up.
Left to Right.
An R612 casemate
for an assault gun probably a 7.5cm FK.
An MG Shartenständ probably for a heavy older machine gun.
An R677
Casemate for 8.8cm Pak 43/41
How an R612 would have looked.
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R677 Casemate.
8.8cm Pak 43/41.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
09 March 2013
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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The view along the beach looking East.
First the bombers came over, USAAF B17's or RAF heavy bombers, then medium bombers and after that fighter bombers. Next came the battleships, cruisers, destroyers. Then landing craft with hundreds of rockets and after that 105mm self propelled guns and 25 ponders fired from their landing craft. DD tanks entered the water and swam to the beach & engaged the gun positions and last but not least, the infantry.
R612 casemate.
USAAF B17.
R677 plan casemate for an 8.8cm Pak 43/41gun with attached Tobruk defence.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
09 March 2013
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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The R677 Casemate
rear view into the gun room.
Avro Lancaster.
The bunker and it looks very damaged. Its made in Formstien, a concrete block that locks into the next, the inner & outer walls are built and then filled with concrete to make the bunker.
Gun room with an 8.8cm Pak 43/41.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
09 March 2013
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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R677 casemate. These Formstien bunkers seem always to look worse for wear than the full concrete versions. I wonder if they were as strong as the original ones.
A plan of an R677 casemate for an 8.8cm Pak with an attached Tobruk local defence.
Tobruk with a machine gun defending the bunker.
Marauder medium bomber.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
09 March 2013
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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H677 Casemate Front. This is the view into the gun room, this is the view Jim would have seen.
How the embrasure looked on the H677 casemate.
8.8cm Pack 43/41.
Putting out beach defences.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
09 March 2013
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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The View from the Sea. It does look very battered.
HMS Beagle bombarding the coast.
An R677 gun room with two ammunition niches each side of the entrance.
Bunker ammunition storage.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
2006 David Fredericks
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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Jim's Bunker (David's photo). This picture was kindly sent to me by David from St Malo who visited the bunker some years ago and when the details were still on the bunker. Sadly its now gone.
Churchill Roly-Poly or Bobbin tanks laying a flexible roadway across soft sand/clay on Gold beach..
Sherman 'Crab' or flail tank.
Anti tank Teller mine.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
09 March 2013
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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Jim Smith Story Above & Below
.Jim progressed into the town and was soon asked to assist in taking out a German sniper who was hiding in the belfry of a small church. He soon spotted him and took out the side of the church belfry with one shot. To this day one can see a slight colour difference in the stonework where the church belfry was repaired after the war. On June 6th, 2004 Jim made an emotional visit back to where he landed on D-Day for the first time in 60 years. He eventually found the graves of his lost comrades in a war cemetery, and after some searching he also found the remains of the bunker. It is situated on the sea wall next to a path upon which hundreds of tourists and people going to the beach pass every day,
Jim is now the Treasurer for the Association for Veterans of Foreign Wars
www.avfw.org.uk
Jim Smith (David's photo).
Jim Smith (David's photo).
Jim Smith in the Westminster Dragoons 1944 (from Jim's Facebook page).
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
09 March 2013
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.Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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The tank commanders after action report.
Sherman on Gold Beach.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
2006 David Fredericks
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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The original sign on the bunker telling its history.
Jim Smith before D-Day..
Jim Smith D-Day 2006 in Arromanches.
The sign on the bunker 2006.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
j
2006 David Fredericks
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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Jim Smith & Mrs Fredericks D-Day 2006 in Arromanches.
Email From Adrian Stone: -
Hi there, I have been looking through your info on wn33a, have to mention that it was my granddad in his flail tank that decommissioned the bunker, it was the proudest thing he'd ever done and it stayed with him until he passed. Trooper Henry "Jim" Smith. He shouldn't have even been there only volunteering to go when the lad who should have been going fell sick.
Well that says a lot for the man I wish I had met him, thank you Adrian very much.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
09 March 2013
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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The View towards where the Tanks Landed.
Sherman landing from a Tank Landing Craft later on on D-day.
Westminster Dragoons were the unit who transferred to flail tanks for the D-day landings and continued on into Germany.
Landing Craft Tank like the one Jim came ashore on.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
09 March 2013
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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Details of the Formstien blocks that were used to construct the later bunkers in the area.
Formstien blocks and re bars.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
09 March 2013
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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Up the Beach Towards StP Courseulles.
This is where Jim and his troop of modified tanks came ashore.
Leaving England.
Arriving on Gold Beach.
Moving inland
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
09 March 2013
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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'Love', 'King', 'Jig', 'Item', the four sectors of Gold Beach .
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
Bigot plan ------------------------------------------------------------------ HMS Princess Josephine Charlotte – LSI(S)
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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The 2nd Hertfordshires joined 9 Beach Group (104 Beach Sub-Area) under their commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel J.R. Harper. He was appointed overall commander. On D-Day, 6 June 1944, it was assigned to KING and LOVE sectors of Gold Beach, through which two brigades of the 50th Infantry Division would come ashore. The job of the 2nd Hertfordshires was to land on D-Day, 6 June 1944 at H+45. They landed and cleared the beach to the east (as per plan). Once the enemy had been subdued, their second task was to defend the beach from counter attack and then help with the clearing of the beach rubbish and mines. Then help unload shipping supplies. Once this job had been completed, the 2nd Hears were broken up and the men sent as replacements to other infantry regiments.
Landing Ship Infantry (small) LSI(S), this is the type of ship the 2nd Hertfordshires came to Normandy and then they would have transfered to LCA's for the landing.
2nd Herts cap badge..
No9 Beach Group..
Landing Craft Assault (LCA).
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
1944
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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Châteaux de Vaux.
As the battle for D-Day continued, hospitals were desperately needed. With the lead up to the invasion, army mobile hospitals were formed in Britain. They were brought over to Normandy as soon as possible and either they used tents or as here took over a large French house.
Nurses off to war.
Tented hospital.
IRAF flying nurse..
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
1944
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Sherman Flail Tank.
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The tank should be able to be traced by its number '75' on the turret
Plan of Gold Beach.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson.
1944
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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Landings now processing but not too smoothly.
A DD tank still has its skirt up, US and British landing craft are struggling for space, A man is in the water and looks as though he is struggling with something. The casemate can be seen on the far right of the picture.
LCT857 was built at Arrol (Alloa, Scotland, U.K.).
Sub-Lt John Graham Hopetoun Vereywas the a 23 year old Commanding Officer of LCT 857 he was amongst the first to arrive on Gold Beach, G-force, Division 1 of the 33rd Flotilla. The crew had trained intensively for the running-in manoeuvre with their cargo of self-propelled 25 pounder guns firing shells as the LCT sailed under enemy fire onto the beach. John became stranded for several hours on Gold Beach, then faced a 36 hour channel storm.
http://www.blundells.org/obclub/resources/pdf/obit_verey-jgh_1936-39.pdf
John P Cummer
USS LCI(L) 502 left the Royal Pier, Southampton with 196 officers and men of the Durham Light Infantry. At one point, close to the shore, our bow was aimed directly at a sunken truck with two wet, forlorn-looking soldiers clinging to it. At the last moment, we changed course to avoid them.
Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer Breche Le Bisson. 
1944
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Wn33a Graye-sur-Mer
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France
Great Britain
