Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel, K.V.U.Gruppe St Vaast,
K.V.Gr. Cotentin Ost.

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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A casemate for a 7.5cm Pak 40 anti-tank gun covering the D14 from any advances up that road towards Quettehou.

 

 

R680 plan.

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

Details

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

Information

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

Details

1 x R680 casemate.
1 x 7.5cm Pak 40.

The gun covered. An effective range of 1800m.

US advance..

 

Where to hit a Sherman tanks.

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

Details

Plans if the R680 which has straight sides, unlike most bunkers. This is because they are the designs for town bunkers and not field bunkers. To camouflage in a town where all the lines are straight, a bunker with rounded sides would show up and be out of place. This style of bunker, an R680 was specifically designed to take the 7.5 Pak 40 gun and would have been made inside so that the gun could just be pushed in from the rear, and mounted and be ready to go.

R680

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

Details

A side view showing how the sharp lines look right with buildings all around it.

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

Details

German 7.5 cm Pak 40 anti-tank gun on a defensive position outside Königsberg, 1945. The inscription in German reads: “We hold Königsberg".
This is how it would have looked sticking out of the casemate.

 

 

 

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

Details

The view from the other side, showing the small flanking wall to cover the embrasure from fire, from the sea and beach area.

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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The rear, the ground level would have been lower and the gun could just roll in. There should have been two large rear doors, but these may not have been fitted. The Rost (round vent) a mesh cover to stop any grenades being placed into it if attacked by infantry. Usually there would have been a very heavy 200mm Rost used.

484P2 type that may have been used if they had one.

200mm Rost.

R669 extraction plan where foul gases from the gun when fired, could be sucked out of the gun room via the Rost..

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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The view from the rear with two ammunition niches each side and ramps of concrete to run the wheels of the gun up. Then when the trail is opened out, cuts in the concrete allow the trail to lock in and take the recoil.

Gun trails opened out.

Slots for the guns trail to fit into..

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Here you can see the extraction fan, electrical, so would need external power as there is no generator in the bunker. Then the slots for the trail and the shaped concrete to allow the wheels to be fitted into.

 

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Here the extraction again and the vents show up in the roof where they are attached to pipework set into the concrete.

R669 extraction plan where foul gases from the gun when fired, could be sucked out of the gun room via the Rost..

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

Details

Camouflage, the concrete has been made to look like local stone houses and also breaks up the flat concrete. Sticking out of the top are Pig tails of iron rod from the reinforcement and camouflage nets can be hung form them.

 

 

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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MKB Plan.

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

Details

The Pak 40 was much heavier than the Pak 38; its decreased mobility meant that it was difficult or even impossible to move without an artillery tractor on boggy ground. So ideal for use as a static bunker gun.

 

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Although a modern re in actors photo, this gives a very good idea of how it would have been used in the field.

Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

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Wn140 Morsalines Le Hutrel

Details

Field of fire.

© 2013 Richard Drew