StP208 Plage Collignon, K.V.U.Gruppe Cherbourg See

Page updated: February 13, 2022

StP208 Plage Collignon

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StP208 Plage Collignon

StP208 Plage Collignon

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What was once a small defence of the east of Cherbourg, is now a lovely sandy tourist beach. The Cherbergoise flock out here in sunny weather.

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R501 group bunker.

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Basic R502 twin group bunker.

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PZ.17 U Tobruk.

StP208 Plage Collignon

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StP208 Plage Collignon

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StP208 Plage Collignon

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15 May 2005

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StP208 Plage Collignon

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Cherbourg La Digue, this runs from here right around to Fort Querqueville in the west. There are five very large forts out on the Digue protecting the harbour. The modern defence of the port of Cherbourg was started in 1783. The outer wall & forts, added around 1860.

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Fort Chavagnac.

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Fort de l´Ouest.

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Fort Pelée

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SHM

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StP208 Plage Collignon

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The SHM plan of StP208.
1 - Listening post (may also have two Tobruks).
2 - Tobruk.
3 - Searchlight and bunker.
4 - Mortar Tobruk.
5 - Tank Turret.
6 - Bunker (1 x R501, 1 x R502a + garage).

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U Tobruk with an Pzt. Ft tank turret, there were two here.

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GrW 80mm mortar(f).

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Searchlight.

StP208 Plage Collignon

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IGN SD plan

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StP208 Plage Collignon

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SD's plan of the defence incorporating an existing French fort on the start of the sea wall that surrounds Cherbourg´s outer harbour.
Bunkers : -
1 x R502a.
2 x R501.
2 x PZ.T17 Tobruks.
Up to 3 Tobruks.
1 x Mortar Gr.W 8cm.

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How the R501a set into the fort may have looked.

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Tobruk.

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Listening post: -
RRH could detect targets at distances from 5 to 12 km. It may have had one of these sophisticated sound listening apparatus or it may just have been a group of Luftwaffe soldiers looking out for Allied aircraft.

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15 May 2005

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StP208 Plage Collignon
R501 + Searchlight platform

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Underneath is an R501 bunker and on the top is a platform for a search light. The grass ramp to allow the light access to the position or to remove it and probably place it in the garage in the old French fort. There would have been a standby generator set somewhere here. It could be under the platform inside the R501??

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Generator set.

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Generator and operator.

StP208 Plage Collignon

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15 May 2005

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StP208 Plage Collignon
R501 + Searchlight platform

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The entrance for the searchlight and sand ramp leading up to the platform. When the light was in place, to protect the men operating the light, they would place large bulks of timber to close off the entrance. On many you can see slots to slide wood into them.

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German Plan

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StP208 Plage Collignon

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Part of the German army's plan dated 1944, of the defences around this part of Cherbourg.
MF is Mine Field with its number. Here its MF10. Somewhere in the Cherbourg Head Quarters would be a plan of each mine field in its area.

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Plan of a mine field.

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StP208 Plage Collignon

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21 July 2012

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StP208 Plage Collignon
R501 + Searchlight platform

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Rear crews entrance with a concrete covering wall on the outside.

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21 July 2012

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StP208 Plage Collignon
R501 + Searchlight platform

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The search light platform with a trench cut out of the concrete for the electrical cable to pass through from a hole in the bunker wall and down the outside of the bunker to the generator.
This light could be used as help to the anti-aircraft batteries in the port or for searching out ships for the inland batteries.

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60cm & 150cm search lights.

StP208 Plage Collignon

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24 November 2006

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StP208 Plage Collignon
Tobruk

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Sat behind the sand dune is the Tobruks.

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Elevation ------- Plan Bf68c.

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01 May 2006

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StP208 Plage Collignon

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Visit of Louis XVI to Cherbourg in June 1786
also Napoléon and Marie Louise attending the parade of the squadron in Cherbourg 1811.
Quarrying the stone .

StP208 Plage Collignon

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From Rade De Cherbourg 1879 - 1881

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StP208 Plage Collignon
19c Batterie

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On the 19c map it shows an unnamed Batterie which I believe this is the one.

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Rade De Cherbourg 1879 - 1881

StP208 Plage Collignon

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01 May 2006

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StP208 Plage Collignon
19c Batterie

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The batterie would have had a wall that extended to the left across the road and a large double gate.

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Plan of the fort and the sort of gate entrance it may have had.

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PZ.T. elevation.

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Renault FT tank..

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15 May 2005

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StP208 Plage Collignon
U Ringstand

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Pz.T. FT17 tank turret bolted down onto this U Ringstand , the turret could have had a machine gun (f) of a co-axle 3.7cm (f) small cannon. Here I am not sure which type were here.

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Plan.

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Elevation of a U shaped ringstand and an Pz.T. FT17 Girod (steelworks) turret with a 3.7cm Mle 1918 [KwK144(f)] canon.

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Plan view of a U shaped turret and an 8mm Hotchkiss Mle 1914/s.MG.257(f) .

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A riveted FT

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StP208 Plage Collignon
U Ringstand

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This is an FT riveted or Omnibus type turret, this one has a canon fitted.

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FT at Masey.

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Renault FT Mle 1917 tank

StP208 Plage Collignon

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15 May 2005

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StP208 Plage Collignon
U Ringstand

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The second U Ringstand.

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The turret ring that would have been bolted down by the seven treads set into the ringstand.

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A nut & thread and the gear for the turret to fit in.

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Date

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StP208 Plage Collignon
R502a Bunker

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An R 502a bunker that was to hold the crews for the machine gun turrets, the mortar and the defence troops. A tight squeeze with three bunk beds high and each room could hold about 15 men.

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R502a (copy from BELFRA team) The first is an R502a which has been modified to make room for a water tank. Not being able to get inside is very frustrating. The second is a standard R502 twin group bunker for about 30men.

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A very tight squeeze.

StP208 Plage Collignon

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15 May 2005

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StP208 Plage Collignon
R502a Bunker

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Looking over the top of the R502a along the fort.

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Bed hooks on the wall.

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Down time.

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Bunks.

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15 May 2005

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StP208 Plage Collignon
Garage

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This is the site of the garage, what was the garage used for?. Well it could have been to keep the search light safe and store the fuel for the generator.
The garage has been destroyed. Something that Allied soldiers would do, is place all the live ammunition into a bunker and then explode it. Usually destroying the bunker just like this one.

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An obliterated bunker courtesy American engineers.

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21 October 2004 StP09 St Martin de Varreville (Clos Duval), K.V.U.Gruppe Marcouf

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StP208 Plage Collignon
Garage

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This is a garage at StP09 St Martin de Varreville is for an anti-tank gun, thus the hole in the far wall for the guns muzzle to fit in, here in Plage Collignon it may have looked very like this one.

StP208 Plage Collignon

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01 May 2006

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StP208 Plage Collignon
R502a & Garage

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15 May 2005

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StP208 Plage Collignon
French powder magazine poudre à canon

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This would have held powder in the days as a French fort, a large oblong room with a curved roof (see below). Powder would be kept in large barrels stacked up ready for use. Meaning ready for the English to come and annoy them.

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Preparation du fulmi cotton, trempage dans les acides et expression du produit.
Preparation of cotton fulmi, soaking in acids and expression of the product. A French engraving.

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Powder storage.

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07 October 2006 Wn Lo362 Gâvres, K.V.Gruppe Lorient

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StP208 Plage Collignon
Powder store Gâvres

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StP208 Plage Collignon

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15 May 2005

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StP208 Plage Collignon
Mortar position

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Above the powder store is the mortar position.

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81mm mortar crew.

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15 May 2005

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StP208 Plage Collignon
Mortar position

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Nicely moulded lip to position Mortar Gr.W 8cm.

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StP208 Plage Collignon

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15 May 2005

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StP208 Plage Collignon
R501 group bunker.

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R501 group bunker.

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R501 in Brittany showing how small they are inside and the escape hatch on the side wall.

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How it may have looked inside.

StP208 Plage Collignon

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MKB Bunkertour R501 bunker

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StP208 Plage Collignon
MKB Bunkertour

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Plan and details.

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Bunker stove.

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491P2 Gittertür (Screen Door) outer door.

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434P01 inner door.

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15 May 2005

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StP208 Plage Collignon
R501 group bunker

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The escape. If the main and only entrance was blocked, the only way out was through the escape. Open the 410P9 steel door, remove some shutters, clear away sand or small shingle stone half filling the tunnel. And the crawl out. Remember it would be pitch black, a battle going on and panic ensuing.

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410P9 escape door.

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A concrete covered escape, on this R501 it is a brick type.

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15 May 2005

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StP208 Plage Collignon
The Fort

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Internet

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StP208 Plage Collignon

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German troops covering Plage Collignon. This is quite close to where the Tobruk is today.

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IGN 1947

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StP208 Plage Collignon

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08 December 2008

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StP208 Plage Collignon

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