Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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4 x 24cm batterie of ex French ships guns were to be sighted in the middle of a forest on the north side of the Gironde estuary. This batterie started in 1943 with the railway guns at Gi331 E, Battr. 'Lauben' on the south side of the Gironde at Verdon established in May 1942 were to close off the Gironde estuary from a naval assault.
In 1943 it was decided to add this second heavy batterie able to fire 360° and could cover the estuary of the river to allow free access to submarines to enter and leave the U-boat pens of Bordeaux. Armed with 24cm KM (f) naval guns. The builders were the Org Todt and construction started around the end of 1943.
details
Gi331 E, Battr. 'Lauben'.
U-boat heading west.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
SHM 1946
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The first items to be built were the two water reservoirs, to be used in the making of concrete. The design of the gun emplacements were S542's, a large round concrete plinth for the guns turret to sit on. A splinter wall covering 3/4 round and a large concrete complex of ammunition, living and machinery rooms attached. Built in Baustärke A, 3.5m thick. There would have had two rear entrances, three ammunition rooms, fuel storage, generator, a plotting room and also toilets.
Start of an S542 and all that seems left of them.
S542.
Completed.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Literally nothing seems to have been finished. So most of the site was either not started or was under construction. All four positions can be found.
5./MA.A.A.284.
Commanded by Kapitelnleutnant Werner Schmidt-Tebelmann, assisted by Lieutenant MA dR Heinz Weinkauf, with 80men.
4 x S542 Emplacement far a C/42 gun.
1 x R658 Water supply bunker.
1 x R674 Small ammunition bunker I.
1 x R629 Anti-tank gun bunker.
1 x R661 Bunker for casualty assembly
1 x R639 Large dressing station
3 x Fl242 Standard emplacement for medium and light AA.
2 x 24cm K.M.02/06(f) guns. Only two were located.
1 x 7.5cm F.K.295/2(r).
1 x 2cm Flak 38 Vierl.
3 x 2cm Flak 28.
Items in Italic were not built.
1 x R629 Anti-tank gun bunker.
1 x R658 Water supply bunker.
1 x R674 Small ammunition bunker I.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
Captured map
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The positions of the two batteries Gi50M (green 26km range) in the north and Gi331E (red 35km range) in the south.
A Battleship being shelled from a shore batterie off Normandy.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Forât de la Coubre. Its area is roughly 7916 hectares. The forest started to be laid out in the 1800 by the French forestry Organisation.
The Forestry Pavilion.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
Google
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The layout of the guns positions. 1 & 2 were in place but 3 & 4 were not. The yellow road is the construction road and would have been used as the military road when construction was finished. I will admit I am very unsure which ones we visited as we only saw two positions and the military road.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
DEFE 44/98 JIB rep on selected German coastal Batteries
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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An Allied plan of the area showing where the three heavy batteries were in place in the north Gironde area..
Gi09 'Cosel' Turm3 M170 Casemate.
Gi11 La Grande Cote 'Gleiwitz'.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
DEFE 44/98 JIB rep on selected German coastal Batteries SHM Plan
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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An Allied plan of the area.
And an SHM plan of the area showing where the ammunition bunkers and flak were and also the high level observation post built on a steel frame platform.
Building a an observation tower.
An 8P710 steel framed observation tower that may have been built here.
2cm 38 Vierling.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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A trench system running through the woodland.
There are trenches shown on the plan.
A huge gantry was used to lift the guns in place and was captured dismantled on site.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Some body or some thing has been digging to see what is down below?? Mike looking into it.
We noticed quite a lot of digging in the area and further south, by what look like metal detector 'treasure hunters', they search and then dig up metal BUT seem never to fill in their holes and leave small holes that you can catch your ankle in and also animals can break legs.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Coming into view the first position.
.
Plan.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
Unknown
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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There were two ammunition shelters and I feel this was one of them. The concrete roof was only 80mm thick. The rest of the buildings were wooden construction. A quantity of shells was found after capture, but not that many powder charges, some had been hurriedly sent by air as an emergency re supply, but did not reach the guns. They had been test fired but it is believed that none were fired in anger.
Powder bags.
Plan.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
DEFE 44/98 JIB rep on selected German coastal Batteries
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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How the S542 looked post war after capture. The door that is open leads to a small chamber that feeds cables from the fire control posts in the south up to the gun and nothing else.
There was to be a large S497 fire direction post built nearby and it would have looked like the FDP on the Ile De Ré.
S497 plan/elevation.
FDP on the Ile De Ré.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The view looking down on where the the turret sat.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
DEFE 44/98 JIB rep on selected German coastal Batteries
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
Details
Plan/elevation of the emplacement.
Each turret & carriage were of German design. The turret was made up of steel plates bolted to a cradled frame, the roof plates being 20cm thick. The front face 15cm, and those of the other three sides only 6cm. Access was via a door in the rear wall of the turret. The rotation, as well as the movements of the barrel, are automated thanks to an autonomous generator mounted in the turret. On the other hand, the ammunition supply is moved by hand, the shells being hoisted up from ground level.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The centre mounting.
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The view here is the rear where the bunker would have been built. Now just the splinter wall and the centre pillar for the turret.
Plan as it is. The red arrow towards the S/W or the enemy.
Plan if finished.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Part of the clearing around the gun.
Flak protection was by 2 x 2cm Flak 30 and a radar Würzburg Anton 39t was to be installed. It had been delivered but not assembled.
Fu.SE 62 Würzburg Anton 39 t
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012 JF
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Me stood on the splinter wall that was to help protect the turret.
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
SHM 1946
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The splinter wall shows up well on the left and the odd shaped turret half protected.
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The centre turntable mounting.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The chassis ring (Chaser ring?), the part where the rear of the turret has two rollers that can run around and when the gun is fired, they take part of the recoil.
(CHASSIS: The traversing railway of iron or wood upon which a siege gun carriage rested in a casemate or Barbette battery. It was also used for recoil or moving it to the front).
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012 JF
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde''
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caught on camera.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012 JF
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The door to the inside of the central concrete tube to hold the gun.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Looking inside at where the cables from the fire control post would come into the turret. There are fixings on the wall.
Armoured cable.
Armoured cable.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Looking up at the splinter wall to protect the turret.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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I believe this tower of concrete was used to support the large crane structure to lower the gun on its fittings.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The area was heavily bombed in 1945. Most of France had been captured in the months after D-Day. The Allies were now fighting into Germany and several pockets of resistance had been left alone and covered by troops newly arrived from America and second line troops. Also the French FFI, now part of the French forces and well armed with modern weapons could patrol and fight back for thier country. They wanted these garrisons removed and some nasty fighting took place to regain its freedom. Here in the Royan pocket, was fought over and bombed on several occasions and then captured. The guns were found to be usable but their fire control and ranging mechanisms were damaged beyond repair.
French Forces of the Interior.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The second turret.
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The second turret.
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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In the same sort of condition as the first.
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Turret ring.
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Foot prints in concrete.
Boots.
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
SHM 1946
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012 SHAA
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Bomb damage to the splinter wall.
14th, 15th April 1945 bombing by American heavy bombers hit target 'Barley 29'. By B17's of the 487th Group. There was more bombing by French B26's. And the fighter bombers took over.
B26 Marauders.
487th Bomb Group (H)
Station 137 - Lavenham, Suffolk, UK
22-Sep-43 to 7-Nov-45.
487th Bomb Group (H)
Station 137 - Lavenham, Suffolk, UK
22-Sep-43 to 7-Nov-45.
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Gun racer ring.
Gun racer.
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The military road built to convey building materials from the railway line near Pavilion.
Opel Blitz.
Blue the railway, yellow the military road.
Opel Blitz.
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Remains of a hut base by the road.
Gi50 M.K.B. 'Gironde'
07 November 2012
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Military road.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
Bundesarchiv
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
DEFE 44/98 JIB rep on selected German coastal Batteries
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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The other two emplacements had dummy guns added.
Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Gi50M M.K.B. 'Gironde'
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Thanks to SD for contemporary photos), JF (photos on the day), PF (details from the Archive) for their input. The above picture is for John and Mike, when we had arrived back at the car, a small herd of these Wild Boar ran across a our track.
France
Great Britain
