Les Iles Anglo-Normandes, Alderney.
Wn 'Piratenschloss', The Nunnery,

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Alderney a small island off the coast of the Cherbourg Peninsular one of the Channel Islands and a Crown dependency. 3miles x 1.5miles.
In June 1940 its entire population was removed and sent to either the other Channel islands or to Britain (most ended up in Glasgow).
Then the German occupation forces arrived on the 2nd July. Hitler thinking that the British would attempt at recapturing, ordered it to become a Festung and later combined into the Atlantikwall.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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The long sweep of Longis bay, one of the main areas where before the harbour was built on the north side, most arrivals and departures happened from here. So it was an important place to defend, it already has a fort defending the bay Wn Eilandfeste, Fort Raz. Combining two 10.5cm guns in casemates on the island, the two 4.5cm Pak's, a 10.5cm and an M19 5cm mortar covering this area in two Wn's 'Piratenschloss' & ‘Steinbruch’.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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1 x R631b casemate.
1 x 4.7cm Pak bunker.
1 x R501 personnel shelter.
7 x Machine guns (or more).
2 x 4.7cm Pak K 36(t).
1 x 60cm searchlight.
1 x Pillbox.
1 x Large Panzermauer Pz M 1. (Anti-tank wall).

R631b casemate.

4.7cm Pak K 36(t).

60cm searchlight.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Wn 'Piratenschloss' the Nunnery, built on Roman foundations, extended for the Napoleonic wars. Now a nice private house.
Inside the Fort is an R501 bunker.

 

 

 

R501 group shelter.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Outer wall.
A machine gun position covering the rear and lovely herringbone stone work.

 

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Outer wall.
Another machine gun position at the rear.

 

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Outer wall.
Searchlight garage.

60cm searchlight and generator.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Outer wall.
Searchlight garage and a closer look at the entrance. It looks as though the garage at a later date it was not needed, so most of the gap has been filled in with a wall.

 

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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The searchlight would be pulled across what is now a car park to its emplacement on the grass in front.

Black line is where a small roadway took it to an emplacement.

Searchlight.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Searchlight emplacement.

Searchlight.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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The 4.7cm Pak K 36(t) casemate from behind and there are steps to get up on to the roof.

4.7cm Pak bunker.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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4.7cm Pak K 36(t) casemate.

770P4 plate.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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4.7cm Pak K 36(t).
I believe the wooden door is original??

Plan.

4.7cm ammunition.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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4.7cm Pak K 36(t)
Something I cannot see in this bunker is a slit which should be for the gun commander to look through??

You can see a viewing slit and the gun commander.

Alderney, Wn Piratenschloss

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The gunners view of the bay.
Longis Bay with Wn 'Eilandfeste' and Fort Raz in the distance.

There were many beach defences.

Barbed wire.

Mine laying on the beach.

Alderney, Wn Piratenschloss

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4.7cm Pak K 36(t)
The square tank about 3meters deep is a space to receive fired cannon shells. The shell and case attached goes into the guns breach and fired. The shell is ejected from the breach and into a tube and through the outer wall into this tank. When the battle, I presume quietened down, then the tank could be emptied.

The tube at the rear of the gun.

The empty shell cases ran down the tubing into the tank.

The shell cases entering the tank.

4.7cm shell case.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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4.7cm Pak K 36(t)
770P4 plate. There would have been a ball and socket type joint that would be locked into the 770P4 plate and the gun could swivel up, down, left & right. The guns barrel being almost part of the ball joint. meant that even a direct hit by a small/medium round could not even dent it.

770P4 plate.

The ball joint and short barrel.

4.7cm Pak K 36(t).

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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The defences along the front of Wn 'Piratenschloss' ; with an observation and a light signal out to the fort on the island and three machine guns.

Blinker lamp that could flash messages using Morse code.

 

 

Alderney, Wn Piratenschloss

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Outer wall.
Concreted up entrance from the fort.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Continuing on to the Panzermauer Pz M 1 (anti-tank wall) with machine guns and a Pak casemate. (more later about this casemate).

 

 

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Panzermauer Pz M 1, (anti-tank wall).
Pak casemate.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Panzermauer Pz M 1. (anti-tank wall).
Showing the Pak casemate and machine gun embrasure.

M.G.34.

M.G.08.

M.G.42.

Alderney, Wn Piratenschloss

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Panzermauer Pz M 1. (anti-tank wall).
Machine gun embrasure.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Panzermauer Pz M 1. (anti-tank wall)
Machine gun embrasure still with the wooden shuttering in place. .

 

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Panzermauer Pz M 1. (anti-tank wall)
A larger casemate for the second 4.7cm Pak K 36(t) gun a R631b casemate.

4.7cm Pak K 36(t) gun.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate 770P4 steel plate.
This embrasure uses the same gun as the last casemate (4.7cm Pak K 36(t)) but it has a steel shutter to cover the gun barrel if under attack.

The 4.7cm Pak K 36(t) gun in position and the winding gear to lower and higher the shutter.

The shutter starting to rise.

Starting to cover the gun.

Now closed off.

The inside of the embrasure showing the winding gear and pulley system.

The 4.7cm Pak K 36(t) gun in position and the winding gear to lower and higher the shutter.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Now I was watched all the time buy the dog, not once did he/she smile.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Panzermauer Pz M 1. (anti-tank wall)
Close up of the walls concrete.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Panzermauer Pz M 1. (anti-tank wall) concrete camouflage.
There is quite a lot of concrete with local stone used as camouflage and also added as strengthening.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Observation and & light signal to communicate with Fort Raz.

Signal light to communicate with Fort Raz.

Blinker lamp that could flash messages using Morse code.

Observation.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Panzermauer Pz M 1. (anti-tank wall)
We now go around the back of the wall.
The R631b on the left and the old fort on the right.
The round thing on the wall is called ART??? - (Art is a conscious expression of imagination or skill that can be a visual object or experience.)

Plan.

R631b casemate.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b looking along the roof of the bunker and the camouflage net hooks protruding from the concrete.
That dog is still looking at me.

Camouflage netting on a bunker.

 

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate for a 4.7cm Pak K 36(t) with a Tobruk entrance on the left, then the main entrance to the bunker. On the right is a close combat defence embrasure for machine gun to cover the entrance. Six air vents of 200mm. To the left, Tobruk entrance acted as a 360° observation with a machine gun to defend itself and also can be used in the air defence role.

Tobruk.

Plan

Close combat defence.

A 200mm vent (Rost)..

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b Tobruk.
The Tobruk entrance with steel ladder up to the steps and two steel hand rails either side.

Steel steps.

Plan.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b Tobruk.
The view up into the Tobruk. The niche is for a field telephone to contact the inside of the bunker.

Plan.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b Tobruk
This niche has a connecting box to a field telephone.

Connection box.

Field telephone.

Connection box.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b Tobruk.
The view over the rim towards the sea.

Plan.

Tobruk.

Tobruk.

Tobruk AA.

Observation.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate close combat defence.
Close combat defence embrasure still with its wood surround and two large 200mm vents.

Plan.

They look like 200mm vents (Rost).

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b entrance.
The 491P2 Gittertür (Screen Door).

The passage way into e casemate.

Plan.

The rusted Gittertür (screen door) which seems to be a different one to the 491P2 in that it has diagonal strengtheners.

This is a Gittertür I found I think its Holland and this seems to be the same type.

491P2 Gittertür (Screen Door).

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
Gas lock.

Plan.

 

 

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
Close combat defence room with the embrasure.

Plan.

Looking into CCD room.

The door now missing should have been a 434P01 door.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
Close combat defence room with the 48P8 embrasure.

48P8 embrasure.

embrasure.

 

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
The view from the gas lock through to the crew room to the gun room.

Plan.

 

 

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
Cable connecting box.
In the red square there is a metal hook, it's a door stop to stop the door from opening onto the connection box.
Most bunkers had a secure cable network with armoured underground cables laid underground and interconnecting posts. Radios could also be fitted into some casemates/bunkers so that if a cable was cut there was another way of keeping in contact with their command post.

Plan.

Cable connector.

Cable connector.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
Cable connecting box

 

Bunker phone.

 

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
Crew room room where they slept, ate and worked. Bunks would have hinged down from the walls in three tears. Folded back in the daytime. A set of folding chairs and table and cupboards for all their personal kit. Floor level in the opposite wall is the escape hatch and above it is the close combat defence embrasure covering the entrance..

Crew room.

Crew room.

Heating.

 

 

 

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
Escape, the escape passage just shows how thickness of the walls. A 410P9 gas tight thin steel door would close it off and at the far end several shutters were placed in the far slots.

410P9 escape door.

The escape shutters.

Escape.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
Crew room from the other way.
Door to the gas lock, the next door to the gun room and then the close combat embrasure.

I believe the floor plan that I am using is slightly incorrect for this bunker. The gas room should be accessed via the gas lock but here it clearly is not, its connected directly to the crew room.

Gas filtration by the main door.

Close combat embrasure.

Alderney, Wn Piratenschloss

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R631b casemate
422P01 close combat embrasure covering the entrance.

Plan.

 

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
The anti gas fittings.

Heers Einheits Schutzlüfter HES 1.2.

Wall bracket.

Handle.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate gas room.

In case of gas hazard, remove the connection piece with red ring and screw in the room filter -S- filter above -g- filter below. My translation.

Alderney, Wn Piratenschloss

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R631b casemate
Two filter pumps were fitted here, one for fresh air to be pumped into the gun room and the removal of foul gases, the other the anti gas one. It also looks as though these could be electrically operated or by hand.

Plan.

Pump in action using the handle.

Gas filters.

Gas filter.

Alderney, Wn Piratenschloss

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R631b casemate
Crew room anti-gas Schutzlüftungsanlage delivers 2.4 cubic meters per second of filtered air..

The square angle iron chassis bolted to the wall and carrying the pump.

Flexible rubber connecting pipe.

Pump handle.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
Crew room gas pump
.The oblong black mark on the wall is where the chassis bolted.
Bei Gasgefaur Verbin - In case of gas.
The original cabling looks as though it could go to the pump (so they did have electricity).

The six mounting bolts.

The bracket.

Gas pump.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
This is the gun room with the 770P4 plate for the Skoda 4.7cm Pak.

770P4 plate.

Alderney, Wn Piratenschloss

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R631b casemate
The 770P4 plate has been bolted onto the centre of this very large steel frame.

770P4 plate.

4.7cm Pak K 36(t).

The outer armoured door is risen or lowered by the handle on the right and the axle running across the top of the embrasure.

Alderney, Wn Piratenschloss

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R631b casemate
This hole is where spent ammunition shell cases went via a tube from the guns breach into the shell pit bellow the bunker.

Route of the shell cases into the shell pit.

R631 showing the gun room, shell pit and steel shield.

4.7cm shell case.

Alderney, Wn Piratenschloss

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R631b casemate
770P4 metal plate The guns ball & socket joint fitted into the main hole and the guns fittings into the swivel plate tray below.

Ball & socket joint.

770P4 metal plate

The gun was fitted to this ball joint.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
770P4 plate.

770P4 plate.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
Gun room with man hole to the shell pit and the 67P9 man hole cover.

67P9 man hole cover.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
Shell pit with rather a large amount of steel steps down into it. The 67P9 man hole cover is on the left.

4.7cm ammunition and carrying box.

4.7cm shell case.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
The opposite view to the crew room and the ammunition room. The pipes on the wall I are to remove the foul gases from the gun room when the gun fires.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
Ammunition room. A 19P7 thin steel door would have fitted here.

19P7 door.

4.7cm ammunition and carrying box.

4.7cm shell.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
Nice bit of armoured cable.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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R631b casemate
The way out.

Sprachrohr fitting.

Sprachrohr mouthpiece.

Entering a bunker.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Panzermauer Pz M 1. (anti-tank wall)
The back of the anti-tank wall with a fire step to shoot over the wall, very medieval.
Also that piece of Art.

 

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Panzermauer Pz M 1. (anti-tank wall)
The top of the wall showing the fire step at the back.
On the far hill is, Fort Essex and below it Longis Lines.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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The field of fire from the top of the wall.

Alderney, Wn Piratenschloss

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Panzermauer Pz M 1. (anti-tank wall)
The front of the wall showing a flanking machine gun in the forts wall.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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Panzermauer Pz M 1. (anti-tank wall)
Looking in the other direction and where the flanking Skoda gun would have fired.

Alderney, Wn 'Piratenschloss' The Nunnery

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The Nunnery taken pre war, showing the beach and above the beach, the Victorian rifle range wall, just showing up.

The same view in 1945.

© 2013 Richard Drew