Fe08 Sémaphore
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We are on the top of the hill at the semaphore, plenty of parking and on a nice day a very pleasant walk. From here you can walk around Fe09/Fe08/Fe07/Fe06/Fe05/Fe04 and Fe03. So quite a lot to see.
Plan.
FuMO 214 Würzburg-Riese
Inside a Würzburg-Riese cabinet.
Fe08 Sémaphore
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Fe08 Sémaphore
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3./2. Funkmess-Abteilung.
1 x R636a + v229 radar socket.
1 x V143 radar bunker.
1 x R621 group shelter.
1 x R622 group bunker.
1 x R622 + Wasser group bunker.
3 x Vf58c Tobruk's.
2 x Flak bunkers.
2 x 2cm Flak (30).
2 x Feldm (field bunkers).
1 x Search light.
2 x Freya FuMO 80 were here between 1942 and 1943 and replaced by & Seetakt.
1 x Mammut César Fu.MO 52 radar.
1 x
Würzburg See Riese Fu.MO 214 radar.
1 x Seetakt Fu.MO 2 radar replaced the Freya radars.
Freya FuMO 80 sets.
Freya FuMO 80 were replaced by Seetakt.
Seetakt Fu.MO 2 radar
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04 March 2012
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The view down to the town and the coast.
The radars were here to defend the harbour, if an attacking force as in the Dieppe Raid came about. They would have ample warning.
A British scientist, RV Jones. Studied the German technology and tried to keep one step ahead of it. The raid on Bruneval radar station in 1942, was one of his ideas. A lot was learnt from the parts they brought back and talking to the radar operator. A young Luftwaffe radar crew member.
With the buildup for D-Day, Jones would drive down to RAF Tangmere. Where there were several squadrons of RAF Typhoons. He would ask them to fly off to France and knock out a radar station. Gradually they started to shut down a lot of these radars, closing the eyes of your enemy. As the war progressed several radars stayed alive, the pilots had no idea that this was a secret plan to use these radars to spoof the enemy into thinking D-Day was about to happen in their area. Ships made to look bigger on a radar screen, using tethered balloons with radar reflectors. Many Lancasters and British B17's with either 'Window '(small strips of silver paper) or radio jamming devices. Flew towards France's north coast. Exactly where the invasion was expected.
This radar was left alone until the 5th June 1944 and then sixteen Typhoons carrying 500lb bombs and twelve rocket firing planes. attacked the radars.
All these radars were in place and working, except the Mammut César Fu.MO 52 radar. This only had the three upright gantries in place and had not been filled with their arrays.
Arming an RAF Typhoon.
Rockets being fired.
Fe08 Sémaphore
Target XII/30
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Allied target documents that the RAF pilots would have used.
Tired after a raid.
Lancaster crew.
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Fécamp.
Fécamp Tourist Board.
Claude Monet
'On the Cliff at Fécamp'
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View Point on concrete looking back on Fe08 where a search light would have been mounted.
Plan.
search light.
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Le Sémaphore, Fécamp
The semaphore in the 1940's.
Where I took the main picture, underneath is one of R621 twin group bunker.
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R621 with its two defence Tobruk's. This would have been a crew room for either the radar operators or the defence troops.
Plan.
R621 group shelter plan.
Tobruk defence.
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R622 with two Tobruk's
A new and novel use for a Tobruk.
Plan.
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Field bunker entrance
A bit wet and muddy.
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Inside the field bunker.
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Plan.
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V143 Mammut César Fu.MO 52 radar
Mammut radar, an array of eight smaller Freya antennas made into one large panel and could detect aircraft taking off in the south of England, although this one was used by the Navy to detect mostly naval traffic in the channel.
I employed a lovely man from Southampton, who was in the Navy in the war, he would have been no older than 17. He was on Peter Scott's boat SGB. He would tell me how Scott would very slowly creep under the cliffs of France. When all was very quiet, Scott would say "Engine room, make sparks'. With that the power would be put on and as it was steam gun boat, (a small destroyer almost). It was very fast and powerful and powered away. Oh and 'ALL HELL WOULD BE LET LOOSE'.
The Germans on seeing the sparks shooting up, would turn on all their searchlights, every gun in the are would fire at the very fast moving target.
Well at this precise moment, a lumbering old Vickers Wellington, full of electronic gear would just happen to be flying over and they could count the search lights, see the gun flashes and mark every thing on maps. The other is, the radars would all be turned on and so the Wellington knew exactly where they were situated.
A war of Cat and Mouse.
Fu.MO 52.
British Steam Gun boat SGB S309, captained by Peter Scott, the ornithologist.
Peter Scott..
Vickers Wellington..
Battle at sea..
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R621 group shelter with its Tobruk on the left side and two entrances.
R621 group shelter.
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R621 group shelter with its Tobruk on the left side and two entrances.
R621 group shelter.
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04 March 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IGNF 1947
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V143 Mammut César Fu.MO 52 radar
3J2. Funkmess-Abteilung.
A good air photo showing the layout of the bunker, the three main masts lying on the ground. They were either cut down or were never actually have been placed in position.
A V143 Mammut bunker is very specialist radar type of bunker.
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V143 Mammut right entrance.
Plan.
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V143 Mammut left entrance.
Left hand entrance with access to the Tobruk and then the main entrance in the middle of the picture.
Plan.
At the entrance with the close combat defence embrasure covering it.
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04 March 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHM
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V143 Mammut César Fu.MO 52 radar.
SHM photo taken around 1945.
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V143 Mammut César Fu.MO 52 radar.
Mammut César Fu.MO 52 radar manufactured by Gema was originally used as an early warning radar against air attack, but this type was used to cover shipping in the channel by the navy. There are two types of radar, one that scans the sky in a 360°. Then there is is this type. Its like a floodlight. When switched on it just floods the area in front and any plane/ship coming into view can be followed and reported on. Very like the RAF's Chain Home system.
Radio badge.
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04 March 2012
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Shelter just outside the R612 is what looks like an earlier shelter.
Plan.
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Shelter Inside , it may have held the sleeping quarters for the defence troops covering the radars before the stronger R612 and R622 series bunkers were built.
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Trench.
There must have been trenches all around this area behind the barbed wire and mine fields
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Emplacement for Seetakt Fu.MO2 radar
Seetakt Fu.MO2 radar.
Fe08 Sémaphore
04 March 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IGNF 1947
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Emplacement for Seetakt Fu.MO2 radar.
In this air photo it shows it very clearly with the radar damaged but still in place.
Seetakt Fu.MO2 radar.
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More trenches
Plan.
Fe08 Sémaphore
04 March 2012 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHM
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R636a Command post for an army coastal battery.
How it may have looked with an Würzburg See Riese Fu.MO 214, sat o the top of the R636a's rangefinder space.
The Freya radar searched the sky and when it picked up a contact, it passed it onto the Würzburg system and the information then was passed to a fighter control centre and fighters would be scrambled, anti-aircraft gun sites informed and civil defence units also informed.
SHM photo of the R636a.
An R636a had an open observation space on the roof. Other similar bunkers had a concrete roof on four steel legs. So it was simple to place a a radar on the top.
Würzburg See Riese Fu.MO 214.
Inside the cabin at the rear.
Fe08 Sémaphore
04 March 2012 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IGNF1947
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R636a command post for an army coastal battery.
1947 and the radar is still lying around and not yet cleared up for scrap.
Plan.
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04 March 2012
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R636a command post for an army coastal battery looking into the observation room. The rooms inside would probably have been used for the radar that was above.
Plan.
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04 March 2012
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R636a command post for an army coastal battery.
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R636a command post for an army coastal battery.
A V229 type radar socket in the rangefinder space
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R636a command post for an army coastal battery.
A V229 type radar socket in the rangefinder space
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R636a command post for an army coastal battery.
Tobruk attached to the command post.
Plan.
Fe08 Sémaphore
04 March 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHM
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R636a command post for an army coastal battery.
Panoramic view from the roof of the R636a.
Another SHM photo.
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04 March 2012
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R636a command post for an army coastal battery.
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Unterstand on the cliff. Some where here there may have been one of the two 2cm Flak guns..
2cm Flak.
Being a Naval unit, they used a lot a 5cm Oerlikon guns.
Magazines.
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04 March 2012
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Tobruk covering the right flank.
Plan.
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Tobruk Vf58c type Tobruk for two men, their ammunition and a machine gun.
Entrance.
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Trench system with a Field bunker at the end.
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These types of defences probably were built before the Atlantikwall was envisaged and the newer defences and radars were built around them.
Plan.
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04 March 2012
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Trenches continuing on.
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The second Seetakt FMO 2 position with a blast wall surrounding it..
Seetakt FMO 2.
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Tobruk on what may be a medieval mound.
It looks like an Lc115 type, there is another behind this one in the field.
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Possibly another gun position.
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France
Great Britain
