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Defend everything Hitler ordered and thats what was carried out. This beach was defended with a casemate, Tobruk s, bunkers, mines, barbed wire and beach obstacles.
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The German June 1944 plan of their defences.
Plan of the minefields down this coast.
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1 x SK/Doppelshartenstand 5cm KwK.
1 x Pz.T. R35 tank turret.
4 x Vf58c Tobruk's.
q x Vf69 mortar Tobruk.
4 x SK/Vf Unterstand.
1 x 5cm KwK L/60.
1 x 3.7cm KwK in tank turret.
I believe of our visit in 23 October 2004, all the bunkers are still there.
Pz.T. R35 tank turret.
5cm KwK L/60.
Vf58c Tobruk's.
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Looking down the valley towards the sea.
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View south with several Tobruk's now due to erosion gradually being washed out to sea. Behind is the casemate for the 5cm KwK L/60 casemate.
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The SK/Doppelshartenstand 5cm KwK with two Tobruk's lying on the sand.
5cm KwK.
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Vf58c Tobruk's.
To me it looks more a Vf8 type. Without measuring it, its the closest I can get.
Vf8 Tobruk.
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And another Tobruk.
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SK/Doppelshartenstand 5cm KwK.
An interesting bunker, its 5cm KwK can swivel through about 250°/290°. If firing south, it could swivel to the right and into to bunker and then back out to the other side. It could not swivel 306° as the gun was unable to get around the right side.
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The SK/Doppelshartenstand 5cm KwK.
An SHM photograph taken not long after the war by the French army for their records. Showing beach defences of railway lines embedded into the sand dunes. The R35 tank turret can just be seen on the left side. And Belgian Gates still in the sand. Anti-tank obstacles.
Belgian Gate being maneuvered into place.
Being towed by a horse.
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The SK/Doppelshartenstand 5cm KwK.
Looking into the gun room and right out to the beach the other side.
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The SK/Doppelshartenstand 5cm KwK.
How it may have looked inside.
5cm KwK L/60 gun and crew.
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The SK/Doppelshartenstand 5cm KwK.
The gun room, an ammunition niche and crew entry/exit door.
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The SK/Doppelshartenstand 5cm KwK.
Looking across the gun room to the crawling way into the base of the Tobruk with a Renault type turret.
R35 turret with a 3.7cm KwK (f) gun.
R35 turret with a 3.7cm KwK (f) gun.
French Renault R35.
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The SK/Doppelshartenstand 5cm KwK.
The large centre section was to hold the R35 tank turret on the top.
details
The tank turret fitting on the bunker.
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An American L-4 Grasshopper photographing their captured areas after the fall of the area.
L-4 Grasshopper.
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© 2013 Richard Drew