Va01, Veules les Roses
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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Veules les Roses west of Dieppe, a cleft in the cliff which was cut through by the river Veules.
1940 saw a savage battle here after the retreat from Dunkirk. A savage battle and an attempt to take off as many Allied soldiers as they could.
Then the occupation and the defence of the Atlantikwall.
Va01, Veules les Roses
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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The view en aval.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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We started on the east side where there is a car park and walked to the monument to a 1940 battle and then to the cliff edge where we found three bunkers and then drove into the town and parked at the sea front and walked up the west side to two more bunkers.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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Guns from the Le Cérons a ship that was sunk in one of the last battles for France in 1940.
All the details of the battles that were fort here are on the website: 1st Lothians and Border Yeomanry.
Le Cérons.
.jpg)
Le Cérons
Captured Allied troops. Bundesarchiv.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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The following appears on two boards on the cliffs of Veules-les-Roses next to guns which have been taken from the sea.
THE CERONS
On June 10th 1940, the CERONS, commanded by Lucien Eve, master mariner sub-lieutenant of the reserve gets under way from Cherbourg to Le Havre. On June 11th, after fighting with all its fire power against the air-craft attacks, the CERONS leaves Le Havre with all the flotilla and all the SAUTERNES boat in direction to Saint Valery-en-Caux being commissioned to board surrounded by the enemy. On June 12th, by 3 a.m., Saint Valery, in fire is already invaded, an English destroyer leads them to the bay of Veules-les-Roses. They arrive at 5 a.m., it's the ebb, the CERONS is anchored at about 300m from the beach. The boats are immediately launched to embark the soldiers ashore. The enemy troops and tanks appear from all sides of the cliffs and fire the ships. At the same time, planes suddenly appear and machine-gun the boats. The CERONS counter-attack with all the power of its cannons. Despite the enemy's attack, 300 soldiers are embarked. The tide still falls ... it's 7 a.m., the executive officer, Eve, decides to cast off, the pusher propeller stirs up sands, thrashing the shingles and the CERONS runs aground.... The 300 soldiers are transferred to the SAUTERNES, which is anchored on the port side of the CERONS. The executive officer of the CERONS and his crew, after destroying all the secrete [sic] documents on board, still heroically fight against the enemy troops before being held prisoners. The wreck of the CERONS, still visible at low tide, by spring tide, is situated in front of the cannon brought back ashore by the mine sweeping team of Cherbourg's National Navy in August 1995 and erected on the cliff on Mr Jean Claude Claire's initiative, mayor of Veules-les-Roses.
The Enemy.
The end.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 7the Bat. Royal Northumbrian Fusiliers
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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The following appears on two boards on the cliffs of Veules-les-Roses next to guns which have been taken from the sea.
Thursday June 6th 1940 Beginning of the military operations which will strike Veules les Roses. An engagement of about one hour takes place between German aircraft and boats cruising off the coast.
Friday, June 7th A large number of enemy aircraft bomb the surrounding villages. Driven off by the German offensive towards the south, the French and British troops fall back on Veules and Saint-Valery where they are cut off by the German armoured divisions. The struggle leads to four days of bitter fighting. Several houses are burnt down.
Monday,
10th The German pressure is becoming increasingly intense. The traffic on the Dieppe Saint Valery road is very heavy in both directions.
Tuesday, June 11th At first light, fifteen thousand men, half French, half British organise a ruthless defence. Many bombs including incendiaries are dropped on the village: these destroy more than thirty houses and cause a great number of civil and military casualties.
This desperate battle lasts twelve hours from 5 pm until 5 am. At about 6 o' clock, the German troops arrive at the outsides of Veules.
Wednesday, June 12th Thirty British, Belgian and French ships cruise off shore. Three thousand soldiers embark on boats in order to reach the ships: to escape death, some of them come down the forty meter cliffs by rope. Three ships sink off Veules, among them the 'Cerons' which ran aground at low tide and was unable to gain the offing at high tide. Five thousand other soldiers are taken prisoner.
Eight days after the fall of Dunkerque, there occurred at Veules probably the last real battle of the 1940 German offensive.
The village was buffered in this hard fight, but it was able to maintain a laudable steadfast attitude in spite of the casualties and the painful sight of ruins and desolation.
'Let us remember the courage of the inhabitants of Veules and the sacrifice of the valiant soldiers facing the enemy's.
Abandoned British Trucks near Veules-les-Roses which have been left by Highland Division soldiers after being ordered to destroy anything useful to the enemy.
Plan.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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View en amont
A comment from ‘D’ COY 7TH Royal Norfolk's.
On reaching the crossroads at A, we met a pl. of ‘A’ Coy under Capt. Cobb; of the rest of ‘A’ Coy there was no sign. Just past the crossroads, the Coy came under MG fire from the front and flanks. An effort was made to reach the cliffs by going cross-country, but this was speedily frustrated by the appearance of enemy tanks. Thus, being surrounded on all sides, and further resistance being quite hopeless, it was decided to surrender, which we did.
This just shows the frustration of troops that were here.
Royal Norfolk's.
RN's in France 1940.
7the Bat. Royal Norfolk's in D-Day 1944 in contrast.
Va01, Veules les Roses
SHM.
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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The defence of the town, two FK236(b) ex Belgium guns, based on the French 75 field gun. First there would have been two Ringstands for the guns and then by 1943, when the casemated o guns was ordered. Two casemates were built. A network of trenches each side of the town, several small unterstands, small bunkers/positions. There would have been mine fields, plenty of barbed wire and sea defences.
2 x R612 casemates.
2 x 7.5cm FK236(b) cannon.
1 x R637 FCP.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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The cliffs which may have more defences under all the scrub land.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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An open emplacement, possibly a machine gun or mortar post..
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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Cliff to cliff.
The concrete of an unterstand on the cliff edge.
details
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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Two opposing R612 casemates for a 7.5cm FK239(b) Belgian field cannons..
R612 casemate.
7.5cm FK239(b)on a field position..
7.5cm FK239(b) inside a casemate.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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The flanking wall of the R612 casemate
This is the flanking wall to protect the embrasure from direct fire from the sea.
R612 Casemate.
R612 (MKB).
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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R612 Casemate.
The sort of view through the an embrasure,
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHM
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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Where the casemate is on the cliff edge.
SHM French post war photo of the area.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHM
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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Looking now the other way (south).
The sea front and the R612 that would have fired down onto this beach.
An SHM photo taken just post war as a record for the French military.
VEULES LES ROSES - HISTOIRE
The "Kommandantur" settled in Veules for four years, pillaging and ransacking other houses.
As soon as the war ended, everything was done to try to erase this period and rediscover the charm of the seaside resort of yesteryear. But the destruction is too great, especially the seafront, to rebuild identically.
We then rebuilt (with war damage and materials from the period) modern houses, a casino... However, there remain some beautiful, very richly decorated, charming "sea bathing" style villas, as well as old houses. of fishermen or weavers built of sandstone, flint or bricks which should be protected.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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R612 casemate. with a 7.5cm FK236(b).
R612 Casemate.
Inside an R612 casemate.
7.5cm FK236(b).
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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Two Field Kanone would have been issued to Wn Va01 and placed in field positions on either side of the valley. 1943/1944 these were replaces by two casemates which gave the guns a lot of extra protection.
7.5cm FK236(b).
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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An R639 measuring post for an army artillery battery.
This fire control post would have worked in conjunction with other posts to target the artilleries fire on the sea and beaches of
Veules les Roses. Along the coast would have been imaginary boxes, given code names. These oxes would be recorded and a fire control officer could ask the guns to fire on a box and the artillery could fire almost instantly be on their target.
Code names used are often German cities or girls names.
Plan R639.
Artillery boxes. How they may have looked.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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R639 entrance.
The niche on the right, may have had a speaking tube, to contact the crew inside the bunker and/or a light switch.
A close combat defence covering the entrance.
Plan.
Light switch.
Speaking tube.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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Coming down the stairs you turn right with on the left a close combat window and on the right a slot for a radio aerial. The door is a 434p01double armoured door.
Plan.
434p01double armoured door.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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Close combat defence embrasure.
Plan.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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A 19P7 door made of sheet steel with a small glass window and gas tight seals.
19P7 Door.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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This is the main close combat room to cover the entrance which now is bricked up.
Plan.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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This looks like a 483p2 embrasure. The hole on the right is an air vent to take away the gases when the machine gun is fired.
details
483p2 embrasure.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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434P01 door, you can see the four hinges on the door frame.
Plan.
434P01 door,
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Inside the crew room, showing a drain in the floor.
This room would also have the air filtration unit, manually operated to over pressure the inside with filtered air, to stop gas entering the bunker. The two pipes on the floor are gas ventilation pipes.
Plan.
Anti-gas filtration machine.
Zink drain filter.
How the drainage worked.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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Now inside the crew room and the close combat embrasure that covered the entrance stairs, a 57P8 embrasure.
57P8
Plan
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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Looking into the observation room. Another 434P01 door.
Plan.
434P01 door.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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A large double 434P01 door and the observation room.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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The observation embrasure.
This was a 'Measuring Post'. As far as I can see it was not a pure fire control post but helped with others to line the gun batteries onto their targets..
Targets.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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This is a 410P9 escape hatch door. Fitted over the escape tunnel, this door wold have to be opened, several shutters/steel I beams removed and the sand/gravel that filled the passage, would need to be removed. Then you could crawl through and escape..
410P9 door.
Escape,
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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View to the West
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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The view East and a red coated bunker expert.
Artillery gunners looking their best.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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SHM.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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The beach and cliffs running on to Saint-Valery-en-Caux.
Va01, Veules les Roses
04 April 2012
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Va01, Veules les Roses
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https://www.atlantikwall.co.uk/oldsite/atlantikwall/haute-normandy/Va01_01/html/page01.htm
France
Great Britain
