Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Île de Noirmoutier is an island off the Vendee coast reached by a bridge (which is now free!)
5b.le.M.A.A.648 Oberleutnant MA Christoph MATTHIES.
2 x R669 (1944) + ringstands.
1 x double machine gun nest.
1 x Ammunition bunker.
3 x field ringstands
several smaller bunkers.
2 x 7.5cm F.K.231(f).
Île de Noirmoutier bridge
Or the passage which can only be accessed at low tide.
Hafen Port de Morin 2017.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Port de Morin.
Port de Morin.
Passage.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Wn Sa108 at Bressuire. There is plenty of parking around the modern yacht marina. There are two R669's looking down the west coast. Behind & in the sand dunes are small bunkers either for defence and/or ammunition?
1950.
1950
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Just behind are these odd defence bunkers that would have covered the rear of the R669's. Some may have been ammunition spaces.
Plan.
10.5cm ammunition in box.
Cordite powder bags.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Square defence.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Square defence with a tunnel.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
The tunnel looking into the square defence.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
The tunnel outlet. It would probably have gone into a trench of some kind.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Two very odd emplacements.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Looking down into the emplacement.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
The view fro the bank towards the two casemates.
There were two field positions set out behind the casemates that were used right up until 1944 when these casemates were built.
7.5cm F.K.231(f).
7.5cm F.K.231(f) ammunition.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Turm 1
Rear of the Turm 1 R669 casemate. The door on the left is for access to the Tobruk local defence, also the machine gunner could be used to spot for the gun below. There would have been a set of concrete or wooden steps or steel a ladder.
R669 casemate.
Plan of these R669 casemates designed to male them look like a house as camouflage.
Tobruk.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Turm 2
The main rear door in the middle and the door on the right is up into a Tobruk lose defence.
Plan of these R669 casemates designed to make them look like a house as camouflage.
A cutaway of a Tobruk used in a casemate.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Turm 2
7.5cm F.K.231(f).
This is a 10.5cm gun looking out of a R669 casemate.
Air extraction plan for an R669.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Turm 1 & 2
Office de Tourism.
Gun rods to clean out the barrel would have been set on the wall.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
A good post conflict aerial view from SHM.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Turm 2
Now turned into an office.
How they look from the air today 2017.
This is the shape of a standard R669 casemate in Normandy.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Turm 1
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
Turm 1 gun embrasure
This is where the gun would fire from and maybe a couple of wooden doors to keep out the weather.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
The new inmate.
R669 looking through the rear door.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
The guns covered the beach against a landing.
Details2
10.5cm field gun firing.
Sa108 'Scharnhorst', K.V.A. Île de Noirmoutier
© 2013 Richard Drew