Stp79 Grandcamp,
K.V.U. Gruppe Percée,
K.V.Gr Bayeux.

Page updated: July 22, 2024

Stp79 Grandcamp

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This is a Then & Now of Grandcamp. The 'Then' photos are posted on Facebook "World War Pictures". The 'Now' photos are taken from Google Maps.
I was actually in Grandcamp on the 27th July 2024 with my Grandson and we ate at the Cafe du Port. Highly recommended.

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A low level reconnaissance photo taken by a Lightning photo reconnaissance plane.

3 x U Tobruk Pz. Dremturm FT.
2 x FT 3.7cm KwK144(f) guns.
1 x FT MG.311(f) Reibel MG.
1 x R667 casemate (Possibly Rue du Petit Maisy).
1 x 5cm KwK gun (Possibly Rue du Petit Maisy).
1 x 2cm Flak 30 Oerlikon.
Several Feldmässig shelters.
There may have been more?

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Photo reconnaissance Lightning that was stationed at RAF Mount Farm, USAAF Station 234of the 7th Photographic Group.

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Pilot.

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RAF Mount Farm, USAAF Station 234.
Stationed there were the 13th, 14th, 22nd & 27th Photographic Squadron.

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Another high level photo, showing the harbour very well.

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The harbour in the 1960's.

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The harbour pre war.

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A more up to date photo of the sea front.

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Quai Crampton leading into the Sur les Bords des Veys with tree trunks sunk into the road to form a road block/anti tank wall.

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Sur les Bords des Veys translates to On the banks of the Veys.
An observation/machine gun post set into the road.

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Plan.

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Sur les Bords des Veys a little further on where there is a slip way.
Local French fishermen look watery eyed for a chance to take their boats out.

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Sat on the slip way was a Higgins boat PA13-6, Capacity 36 Men or 8,100lbs. Probably damaged.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note the men poking around the boat are medics and a local fisherman.

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Plan.

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Unknown position, but possibly a little further down. An observation and shooting point. This may be the eastern extent of Wn79 as it views east along the beach looking towards Wn78.

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This is a large concrete anti tank wall blocking th exit from the port onto Rue Ariside Briand. A combination of concrete wall, tree trunks and any old gate that can fill a hole.

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Down along the Quai, this building has possibly gone now.

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In the town and the junction of Rue Aristide Briand, Rue de la Liberation and Rue de la Marine.
A medical Jeep driving through.

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The junction of Rue Aristide Briand, Rue de la Liberation and Rue de la Marine.
This is a 2cm Flak 30 type. Another name is an 2cm Oerlikon.

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Plan.

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2cm Oerlikon.

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2cm Oerlikon.

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Rue Aristide Briand and the CIC Sergeant talking to a local.

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In the Port.
Barges sunk to stop access for Allied shipping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Motor boats in bad condition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The French fishing fleet stuck in port.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As it looks today, Google.

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Cutting off one of the piers is a U Tobruk French FT tank turret 3.5cm and co-axle machine gun.
Note also the anti-shipping or anti-submarine net closing off the harbour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The port entrance today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another view of the tank turret.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 3.7cm Pzgr.154(f) plan of the gun.

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Plan.

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U Tobruk plan.

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3.7cm shell.

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US photographer braving a photo of a Teller mine set on a post that would sink a landing craft easily.

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Teller mines on a beach.

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Locals showing the CIC sergeant one of the machine gun posts.
The gun is a French Reibel Mg311(f), possibly an ex Maginot line machine gun, used extensively by the Germans on the Atlantikwall.

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150-round "pan-style" magazine.

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7.5mm rimmed round.

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The French model 81mm mortar, developed by the engineer Edgar Brandt. A crew of four or five men. Here the mortar is being examined by American soldiers. There are plenty of live mortar bombs lying around there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do not know where this is or what it is, but it looks like two semi-sunk bunkers that are very well camouflaged.

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81mm mortar.

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German crew.

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Mortar and a wooden mortar bomb box.

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CIC Counter Intelligence Corps.
Here the CIC sergeant is chatting to locals outside the German Head Quarters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here he has folders from the Komandants office. The sergeant possibly is able to speak both French and German.

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Counterintelligence Corps badge.

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HQ CIC U.S. Army.

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Battle damage in the cemetery, unfortunately it was on the front line. There is a Tobruk at the junction of the D614 and the Rue du Commandant Kieffer and that was part of Wn78.

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Plan.

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The cemetery Tobruk from the air.

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The Tobruk today with the cemetery on the right.

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Bf58c type.

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Rue du Petit Maisy about half way up there was a barrier and above a casemate can be seen, I can find no record of this casemate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today a peaceful road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A better view of the casemate.

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Rue du Petit Maisy further down and civilians coming back to their homes.

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Very young POW's (Prisoners of War), it looks as though they have been separated from the older soldiers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A standard Heeresfeldwagen (Heer-German for Army). Pulled by one to six horses, depending on the wight carried, or the ground being crossed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An authentic Heeresfeldwagen. It's a key part of our collection (Weald Foundation), with original colour and unit markings. Contrary to Blitzkrieg's mechanized image, the German army in WW2 relied on over 3 million draft horses. 80% of Germany's transport was horse-drawn. 

From the Weald Foundation

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Kids doing what kids do well, I am sure they were given either candy or chewing gum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The parish Priest talking to the CIC sergeant.

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A very thick anti-tank wall with a large steel gate and barbed wire covering the holes. The gate looks to open into a recess in the wall.

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I do not know where this is or what it is, but it looks like two semi-sunk bunkers that are well camouflaged.

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