What exactly was in WN06 Strongpoint Sallenelles? I have seen [SIZE=14.3999996185303px]this described as the Naval radar station. [/SIZE] This Czech website has a fairly comprehensive listing and images of the fortification. http://forum.valka.cz/viewtopic.php/t/168951/title/KVUGr-Riva-Bella-Operny-bod-c-04-1940-1944 However, the armaments seem, to be based on the weapons that might be accommodated by the emplacements rather than what was there. I am also a little suspicious of the description of the bricked up "50mm emplacement" and wondered if it might be the base of a radar array. When I visited the site the other week the bricked up roof of the emplacement had a metal cable cemented into it.
Hi, I have seen it listed as a radar site a couple of times but cannot recall seeing any photos of a radar in place in the books I have. The French carried out a survey in 1946/47 and have it listed as 50mm position. Regards Danny
Reading through the section in this link covering Sallenelles by the commandos they do not mention any radar equipment - http://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/war_48cdo.htm TD Edited to add: This link - http://books.google.fr/books?id=HEKrsnuYymYC&pg=PA29&lpg=PA29&dq=Strongpoint+Sallenelles&source=bl&ots=3TeX9dOwdf&sig=EbcH009hADC4Ka5XQT7c2jjcjt4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2ZdkVN3NFMrbauLvgYgB&ved=0CDgQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=Strongpoint%20Sallenelles&f=false talks about an 88mm being there, but again no radar.
Sheldrake, You’ll need some 1944 Allied maps to interpret my attempted answer (attached is a small part of a German map from the period)... WN06 was simply a Widerstandnest to the north east of Sallenelles at grid ref 139776. Don’t get confused, the 5cm anti tank gun was mounted in a concrete Rs221 (aka Vf65a) Ringstand for 5cm KwK - nothing to do with radar. At least one author has it that to the east of Sallenelles was concrete bunker incorporating a Luftwaffe/Kriegsmarine radar control station. Allied maps show nothing of the sort, however to the south of Sallenelles, at grid ref 132766 there is a sizeable position which the aforementioned author describes as the HQ of 642 Ost Battalion. The position is indeed mentioned as being a small headquarters in some Allied Intel. However on Allied maps there is what appears to be a "T" symbol in the position - which denotes a "Signals Station". Also, the position is deemed to be a "radar station" in 9 Para Bn's Op Order - again, according to various authors. Arty
Sheldrake, I see you tried another forum for an answer without success. Here's some more info for you. The position at grid ref 132766, south of Sallenelles, was almost certainly the radar/signals station in question (whilst HQ 642 Ost Bn was further south at Hauger). Attached, are firstly, a slice from a 25,000 scale Allied map - if you look closely you can see the position is marked "HQ" . Secondly is a Google map comparison. Thirdly is a slice from a 12,500 scale Allied Map which has the "T" I mentioned previously. Arty
