Wn01 Le Grand Vey

K.V.U.Gruppe Marcouf · AOK 7 Normandy · France

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

709.Infantry Division. 2./919 Grenadier Regiment. Lt. Rowerier, HQ at Wn06 Poupeville.
1 x Cable connection box.
2 x Vf2a Gruppe shelters.
1 x Vf4a machine gun casemate.
1 x R607 ammunition bunker.
1 x R501 Gruppe shelter.
3 x Vf58c Tobruk's.
1 x R35 U Tobruk.
2 x type 1694 ringstands.
1 x Pz.T.R35 3.7cm KwK144 (f).
2 x 5cm KwK L/60.
1 x 7.5cm F.K.235(b).

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

I have started my route coming off the N13 at the Saint-Come-du-Mont junction and driven south on the D974 and at l'Amont or 'Dead Man's Corner' museum taken the minor road Rue du Bel Esnault and that will take you back under the N13 and turn sharp right (south) and follow the road past Barquette locks where 101st Airborne fought their epic battles. Continue on and you see on your left the cable junction box, kablebrunnen.

There were/are cables running all over the coast of France and joining them up in connection boxes like this one. It seems rather tall but that may be to alleviate flooding. Usually they are semi sunk into the ground.

05 October 2013

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

A manhole cover closes the junction room inside and the angled top allows wind passing by to create a small vacuum inside the connection room and sucks air through as either cooling or some other reason??

05 October 2013

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

05 October 2013

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

You can just see the manhole cover. It was hard to climb up so I did not manage to see on the top.

05 October 2013

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

We now move on to the Mur antichar, Panzerabwehrmauer, antitank wall.

Google Maps

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

05 October 2013

The British came up with a Churchill Tank with a frame at the front. Driving up to the wall and leaving a large amount explosives to blow through the wall. It was not used on D-Day.

This was used a Churchill with a long bridge. It would drive to the wall and lay the bridge up the wall and another tank can drive over it.

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

This 240m wall covers the right flank of Wn01.

05 October 2013

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

The steel reinforcement has been cut off and the wall may have been going to be a standard Panzerabwehrmauer or they were used to attach barbed wire on the top.

05 October 2013

Plan of a standard wall, this one does not have the shape at the top.

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

This looks like a boot heal mark

05 October 2013

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Moving on to the village.

Google Maps

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Plan: Parts are hard to get too and some now on private land (gardens). My pictures were mostly taken in March 2006. Starting with a long anti-tank wall to an R35 tank turret, a Vf2a Gruppe shelter moving through the village to a ringstand, two Tobruks (unfound). A Vf2a (unfound), a ringstand, R501 & R607. Then a Vf4a (may now be private) and a Tobruk.

Plan

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

The tank wall looking west.

05 October 2013

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

On this end is a U shaped Tobruk for an R35 tank turret. It looks as though it has taken a few rounds as the splash marks on the wall shows.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Mike and Red John enjoying cold wind.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

After capture showing the R35 turret still in place with its 3.7cm KwK 144(f) main gun and an MG311(f) coaxial machine gun. A one man turret and possibly a second helper passing ammunition.

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U style Tobruk, open at the rear for access.

U shaped Tobruk from behind showing the way in.

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Looking along the top of the wall towards the where the R35 turret once stood.

05 October 2013

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

There would have been some form of block here to stop an enemy access and may have been a set of Belgian gates.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

U shape Tobruk in 2013. You can just see the entrance now covered over.

05 October 2013

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

The view back inland.

05 October 2013

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Vf2a Gruppe shelter.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

The sea wall running due north.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

The view down the main street to the Vey.

20 March 2006

Curry Road, named after Pvt. E. J. Curry of the 519th Port Bt. KIA 10 June 1944.

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Half way up the main street is a Ringstand Type 1694 for a 5cm KwK L/60 gun. It may or may not have had a shield.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Half way up the main street is a Ringstand Type 1694 for a 5cm KwK L/60 gun.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Fields to the north.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

R501 Gruppe shelter and its there if you can find it.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

R607 ammunition bunker type II. This one has a slightly different left hand side, we could see and you can from this picture an access to the left. It looks like it has an attached Tobruk defence.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Looking down to the Tobruk tunnel.

20 March 2006

My adjusted plan with a tunnel and a Tobruk.

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

R607 left hand entrance. John in thought.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

R607 passage way. I would like to know what the niches are on the left side??

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

R607 door to the first ammunition room a 19P7 doors were used. Thin steel doors with a glass viewing window.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

First room.

20 March 2006

5cm ammunition would be stacked here in boxes.

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

R607 ammunition store with a fresh air vent in the far wall.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

R607 ammunition store showing the way out, but its blocked with brambles.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Eisenpfahel barbed wire fence posts still in place.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Ringstand Type 1694 for a 5cm KwK L/60 gun. This one did not have a shield fitted for some reason. Several 5cm KwK guns did not have their shields, whether this was because they were in short supply or just had not the time to fit them. Four ammunition niches around the outside to store ready ammunition.

20 March 2006

This is the L/60 without a shield in position.

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Note the hand and foot holds here, there must have been a trench system and you would have to have climbed out of the trench up into the ringstand.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Looking back along the sea wall towards the village.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Vf4a machine gun casemate (bomb proof). The green sheeting covers the entrance steps down into the bunker, there was also a trench system zig-zagging to beyond the house.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Vf4a machine gun casemate (bomb proof). Air vent.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Vf4a machine gun casemate (bomb proof).

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Vf4a machine gun casemate (bomb proof). The door into the gun room is a 19P7.

20 March 2006

Vf4a machine gun casemate (bomb proof).
Entrance.

Crew room.
Gun room. — Vf4a machine gun casemate (bomb proof). Entrance. Crew room. Gun room.

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Vf4a machine gun casemate (bomb proof).

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Continuing on to the Tobruks.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Tobruk with tree.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Tobruk with tree.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Tobruk with tree.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Tobruk with tree showing its centre pivot.

20 March 2006

The centre pivot with a wooden fitting to sit a machine gun on and pivoting the gun around.

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

The next Tobruk.

20 March 2006

7.5cm F.K.235(b) was situated somewhere around the Wn but I know not where.

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

The next Tobruk.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

The view along the sea wall.

20 March 2006

Wn01 Le Grand Vey

Wn01 took very little part in the Normandy landings. The American paratroopers of the 101st landed to the west of Grand Vey and fought for the Barquette locks and then the 4div landed at WN05 and passed as quickly as possible across the flooded ground to Saint-Mare-Eglise. Others turned left and worked their way towards the paratroopers holding Pouppville and the rest is history.

02 April 2011