Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
This defence is just west of the N13 at Les Bertrands and one of the defences that surrounded Cherbourg.
R630 casemate.
R629 gun garage.
R622 twin group bunker.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
Seeing the defence back in 2001 I could not understand where it fitted into the Cherbourg defence. As time has gone on more information has come about and now I can understand why a machine gun casemate was placed at a small cross roads in Les Bertrands. The absolute outer defence of Cherbourg was the anti-tank ditch. Not continuous but covering relevant points. Wn454 with 453 & 455 making StP La Vaquerie sitting behind the anti-tank ditch 453 & 455 only have R622 twin group bunkers for about 30 men. Wn454 also has an R622 for 15 men and an anti-tank gun and bunker R629. One Tobruk sitting out in front.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
StP la Vaquerie
Plan of the main defence. Three individual Wn's, two with only R622 twin group bunkers and the third Wn454 with the major defence..
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
Defence
The size of the Cherbourg defence, there was also many anti-tank ditches built covering the eastern, southern & western approaches to the city.
Plan of how to build an anti-tank ditch.
Water filled ditch.
Road block.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630
The rear of the R630.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630
Entrances.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630
Front with the flanking wall.
Plan.
455P01 plate.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630
The gun room would have had a thick steel armoured plate filling in the front, a 455P01 type. Inside a heavy machine gun would have its mounting screwed to threads set into the plate and bolted on. A crew of four. Gun commander, gunner, loader and ammunition hand to go between the ammunition magazine room and the gun crew delivering belts of machine gun bullets..
455P01 metal plate.
A type of observation slit on the outside.
Gun commanders observation slit.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630
A very heavy steel plate would have been bolted onto the front by at least eight/ten bolts and then cemented in.
details
Bolts.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630
The left side with entrance to the Tobruk defence and right entrance into the bunker.
Plan.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Tobruk defence
This is the entrance into the Tobruk. Several stairs up and twisting to the left.
Plan.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Tobruk defence
Looking out of the Tobruk and parts of the machine gun ring can still be seen.
Fittings in a Tobruk ring.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Tobruk defence
Detail from underneath.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Tobruk defence
The view towards the area they were defending. The Anti-tank ditch in the far distance, today there are at least two houses built in the field. Progress.
Observation.
Defence.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Tobruk defence
The small niche above is for a speaking tube, connected to the crew/gun room below. If the machine gunner sees anything, he can shout down through the tube to the guns commander and tell him what he sees.
The second niche below is if fitted for a junction box for a field telephone.
Sprachrohr (Speaking) tube.
The route of the Sprachrohr pipes.
Relay box.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Tobruk defence
Getting out, a tight fit.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 entrance
Entrance passage down some stairs and on the right a close combat defence embrasure, where a machine gun could be mounted to defend the door.
Plan.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 entrance
Close combat defence embrasure still with the wood surround that was used in the making of the bunker, but left on as it helps to absorb bullets and shrapnel.
In the left another
Sprachrohr mouthpiece so you can talk to anybody inside. The only way to get in when the bunker is locked down when fighting.
Sprachrohr mouthpiece.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 entrance
The entrance steps with another close combat defence embrasure to shoot any enemy entering the bunker, who has passed the machine gun outside.
The close combat embrasure.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Close combat defence room
Close combat defence room.
Plan.
How it may have looked.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Close combat defence room
Close combat room covering the entrance with a 48P8 embrasure.
48P8 embrasure.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Crew room
The entrance to the crew room was closed off by a 434P01 door.
434P01 door.
Plan.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Crew room
Escape there was a 410P9 door continues on into a passage with shutters holding back a sand ballast mix that fills the escape. All this has to be removed to get out.
410P9 door.
Escape shutters.
Plan.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Crew room
The close combat defence that covers the entrance door, the pipes for the air filtration system.
Plan.
HES 2,4 gas filtration system
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Crew room
More pipe work and the far door to the ammunition room.
details
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 ammunition room
Ammunition space. This would possibly have wooden shelving made by the crew and stacked with machine gun ammunition.
details
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Gun room
From the ammunition room into the gun room. The back wall has pipes and vents to extract the foul gases from the machine gun and sends it through the pipe work to vents outside. They can be electrically operated, if there are electrics or hand operated via a large handle.
HES handle, Heers-Einheits-Schutslüfter. MKB Bunkertour.
Filters.
Gas filter.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Gun room
Door to the left to the ammunition room, the pipes behind. Plenty of room for at least three men and a machine gun.
details
Schartenlafetten MG.34.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Gun room
Looking out of the gun room.
A 7P7 early plate this is how it would have looked with the gun removed.
Gunner and heavy machine gun.
Gun commander and viewing slot.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R630 Gun room
Looking back at the ammunition room where a 434P01 door closed off the gun room.
434P01 door.
Top of a 434P01 door.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
Anti-Tank ditch
The direction of fire of the gun towards the Anti-Tank ditch.
Plan of an anti-tank ditch.
Anti-Tank ditch on Omaha Beach.
Road block.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 on the plan.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
How the gun may have looked in action.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
The Tobruk defence for the bunker.
Plan.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
The entrance to the garage side of the bunker.
Plan.
The one main door and the second a double stable type door a 484P2. You can see the hinges on the door frame on the main picture.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
Inside the garage where the gun would be stored, I am not sure which type of gun was here maybe an 8.8cm Pak. The recess in the far end is to take the muzzle of the gun. Underneath this is where the ammunition was stored. These bunkers were for gun and gun crew to live and garage the gun. Any fighting was done outside in a pre prepared position, a field type position. There was no room for a vehicle, so the gun had to be man handled by the crew into position. A large 8.8cm Pak would be very heavy..
Plan.
8.8cm Pak 43.
8.8cm ammunition.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
Lobby.
Plan.
434P9 door.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
Gas lock. To the right into the crew room, to the far left the Mens entrance from the bunker.
details
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
On the left the niche is the radio aerial socket.
Plan.
Bunker aerial slot and fittings.
Bunker aerial.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
Another aerial slot and behind it the close combat defence embrasure.
Plan.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
Close combat embrasure covering the entrance,.
Plan.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
4ML01 equalising air valve.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
Crew room would have had a 19P7 door.
19P7 door.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
1 - Escape.
2 - Escape tunnel.
3 - Storage.
4 - Crew room.
5 - Bunker heater.
6 - HES air ventilation filter pump.
7 - Close combat defence embrasure.
8 - Crew entrance.
9 - Lobby.
10 - Gun room.
12 - Tobruk defence.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
Periscope tube. A periscope would be passed into the tube and a lookout on the outside world could be kept.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
Crew room.
Heers-Einheits-Schutzlüfter HES 1.2 MKB Bunkertour.
Heers-Einheits-Schutzlüfter HES 1.2.
483P2 Close combat embrasure.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
Equalizing valve and the remains of some sort of fitting on the wall. Through the door you cans see the paint marks of where a bunker phone was hung on the wall.
Festungsfernsprecher.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R629 Garage
Door out to the garage and a 434P1 type.
434P1 type door.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
The sites of the R622 and the Tobruk.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
R622 not visited.
There was also an R622SK which included a water tank. The MKB plan is just a standard R622.
Wasser.
Inside a bunker. MKB Bunkertour.
The view from the air today.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)
Vf58c Tobruk. Again I have not seen it, but its still there.
The Tobruk from the air.
Wn454 Les Bertrands est (StP La Vaquerie)